Latest news with #ViksitKrishiSankalpAbhiyan
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Business Standard
6 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Bihar voter list revision continues to rock Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha
The Upper House, which has been witnessing protests by opposition MPs over the SIR exercise, saw the first adjournment shortly after meeting at 11 am, when it was adjourned till noon Press Trust of India The Rajya Sabha proceedings were disrupted again on Friday amid opposition uproar demanding discussion on various issues, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, forcing the Chair to adjourn the House for the day. The Upper House, which has been witnessing protests by opposition MPs over the SIR exercise, saw the first adjournment shortly after meeting at 11 am, when it was adjourned till noon. When it met at noon for the Question Hour, BJP MP K Laxman wanted to know the details of Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan from Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. While Chouhan rose to speak, the opposition MPs continued their protest and raised slogans demanding that the SIR exercise be stopped. Chouhan said that he wanted to answer the question as it was important and related to the welfare of farmers and women, but the opposition did not relent. The agriculture minister said that it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to ensure that the benefits of scientific research reach the farmers in real time and that is why the government started Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan. The opposition MPs continued raising slogans such as "vote chori band karo" (stop theft of votes) to demand withdrawal of the SIR exercise. While all opposition MPs were on their feet, MPs from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) entered the Well of the House. BJP MP Ghanshyam Tiwari, who was in the Chair, tried to persuade the protesting members to go back to their seats. With the opposition members unrelenting, he adjourned the House for the day to reassemble on Monday. Earlier, during the morning session (Zero Hour), Deputy Chairman Harivansh said he has received 28 notices under Rule 267 demanding discussion on various issues including SIR, alleged discrimination against Bengali migrant workers in other states, no elected government in Manipur and the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA). He, however, declined all the adjournment notices and called BJP MP Ghanshyam Tiwari to make his Zero Hour mention. Opposition members started protesting against the rejection of adjournment notices, after which the Chair adjourned the proceedings till noon. Harivansh also urged members to maintain discipline and decorum in the House and respect each other's right to speak when permitted by the Chair. He said that during Thursday's proceedings, it was observed that some members, while not in their designated seats, were attempting to disturb the speaker. Citing the rules of procedure and conduct of business in the Council of States, he warned members that if they wilfully obstruct members from speaking and disturb the proceedings of the House, it will tantamount to "breach of privilege" of the House. LS adjourned Lok Sabha proceedings were also adjourned for the day on Friday as Opposition protests continued over the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, capping the Monsoon session's first week which has been washed out. It was for the fifth straight day that no significant legislative business transacted. Jagdambika Pal, who was in the chair after the House met at 2 PM, rebuked the opposition MPs for repeated disruptions despite government's assurance that it was willing to answer on all issues. "Nobody is benefiting from this ruckus. People have sent you to raise their issues you are disrupting the House. Getting the House adjourned is not an achievement, it is a matter of concern and the whole country is harmed by it," Pal told protesting opposition MPs who rushed to the Well of the House raising slogans against Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and demanding a discussion on the issue. Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said, 'The Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024' is a very important bill concerning Scheduled Tribes (STs) that should be taken up for discussion. "It is a very important bill. Are they (opposition) against the STs?" Meghwal said. Pal said it was a day when private member bills of MPs were to be discussed and it was not right to disrupt the House. "The government is ready to discuss all issues. The Speaker has taken the initiative. Government is ready to answer on all whole week has been washed out. The people of the country have some expectations but you dont wan't this House to run," Pal told the protesting MPs. As the opposition MPs continued with their protests, Pal adjourned the House for the day. Earlier, the Question Hour in the Lower House was disrupted for a fifth straight day since the Monsoon session of Parliament commenced on July 21. Soon after the House convened for the day, Opposition members sought to raise the issue of electoral rolls revision in Bihar and many of them were standing in the aisle. Speaker Om Birla told the protesting members to allow the Question Hour to continue and stressed that even when there are disagreements, those should be expressed within the democratic traditions. While mentioning that sloganeering and display of placards in the House is not appropriate, Birla also said that he can call the government and Opposition representatives, and help in discussions and sorting out the issues. As the protests continued, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings within five minutes till 2 pm. The opposition is demanding a discussion on SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar, an exercise initiated by the Election Commission ahead of the state assembly polls due later this year. The House also paid tributes to the fallen soldiers in the Kargil War, a day ahead of the 26th Kargil Vijay Diwas on Saturday. As a mark of respect, the House also stood in silence for a brief while.
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Monsoon Session: Opposition uproar over Bihar SIR stalls Parliament for fifth consecutive day
NEW DELHI: Both houses of the Parliament were adjourned for the fifth consecutive day of the Monsoon session on Friday, as Opposition protests continued over the revision of electoral rolls (SIR) in Bihar. No significant legislative business was transacted for the fifth straight day. The Rajya Sabha proceeding was adjourned for the day shortly after it reassembled at noon on Friday as Opposition parties started raising slogans demanding the withdrawal of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in Bihar. The House will now meet at 11 am on Monday. When it met at noon, BJP MP K Laxman started a discussion and wanted to know the details of Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan from Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. While Chouhan rose to speak, the Opposition MPs continued their protest and raised slogans demanding that the SIR exercise be stopped. Chouhan said that he wanted to answer the question as it is important and related to the welfare of farmers and women, but the Opposition didn't relent. He said that it was the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the benefits of scientific research should reach the farmers in real time, and that's why the government started Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan. BJP MP Ghanshyam Tiwari, who was in the Chair, tried to urge the protesting members, but when he failed to do so, he adjourned the House for the day to reassemble on Monday.
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Government to crack down on unapproved biostimulants' sale
NEW DELHI: Raising questions over sale of certain biostimulants whose efficacy is not proven by proper data, Union agriculture minister Tuesday pulled up officials and asked whether his ministry and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) are truly serving the interests of farmers or merely helping private companies. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now His strong remarks came during a review meeting on the unregulated sale of biostimulants, where he said government will not allow the sale of such products without scientific approval, with strict action being taken against unauthorised manufacturers. Biostimulants are applied to seeds, plants or soil by farmers to stimulate natural plant growth, though use of many such formulations (substances or microorganisms, such as beneficial bacteria, fungi, and plant extracts) is not backed by verified field trial data under the existing regulatory mechanism. Government currently regulates biostimulants through the amended Fertiliser (Inorganic, Organic or Mixed) Control Order, 1985. Questioning the efficacy, regulation, and oversight of biostimulants being sold to farmers in many states, Chouhan directed that such products must undergo scientific evaluation by ICAR to assess their utility and said only those products will be approved that pass all parameters of efficacy. Asking officials to prepare a standard of procedure (SOP) for strict regulations, he said, "Permission will now be given only after scientific approval and the entire responsibility for this will lie on the officials. " The minister's directives came in response to several complaints that he received during his ground visits to many states during a fortnight-long campaign - 'Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan' - in May-June. "After hearing the grievances of innocent farmers, I cannot sit idle. As the agriculture minister, it is my duty to act," he said.
Indian Express
15-07-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Govt not to allow sale of biostimulants without scientific approval: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Two days after he asked chief ministers of states to immediately stop forced sale of nano-fertilisers and biostimulants to farmers, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan Tuesday said the government will not allow the sale of biostimulants without scientific nod. He directed the officials of his ministry to put in place 'clear rules and SOPs (standard operating procedures)' for the sale of biostimulants. Chairing a meeting, Chouhan said that farmers raised numerous complaints about the sale of fake fertilisers, seeds, biostimulants, and nano urea during his visits to villages as part of recently concluded 15-day 'Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan', where he held direct interactions with them. Chouhan questioned why biostimulants, despite repeated renewals and years of sales, were still in the market even after several complaints stated that they were ineffective. 'Now, only those biostimulants that meet all the criteria and are proven beneficial to farmers will be approved. Approvals will now be based solely on scientific validation, and the responsibility for this will rest entirely with the concerned officials,' he said, according to an official statement. Many companies started selling biostimulants without any rules, but the government will not let this happen at any cost, he said, adding that the government will take action against suspicious manufacturers of biostimulants. 'It is necessary to review biostimulants thoroughly to see how much benefit the farmers are getting from it; if not, then permission to sell it cannot be given,' Chouhan said. He also emphasised the need for the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to evaluate biostimulants. Chouhan instructed the officials to put in place clear rules and SOPs, and said that irregularities will no longer be tolerated. Biostimulants are substances or microorganisms (such as beneficial bacteria, fungi, or plant extracts) that, when applied to seeds, plants, or soil, stimulate natural plant processes. The minister pointed out that for several years, around 30,000 biostimulant products were being sold unchecked, and even in the last four years, around 8,000 products remained in circulation. 'After I enforced stricter checks, the number has now come down to around 650,' he said. It is learnt that the meeting was called impromptu and no notice was given to officials. The meeting was attended by the officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the ICAR. The biostimulants market in India was valued at approximately USD 355–362 million in 2024 and is projected to reach between USD 1.13 billion and USD 1.2 billion by 2032. On July 13, Chouhan had asked the state governments to immediately stop the 'forced tagging' of nano-fertilisers or biostimulants along with conventional fertilisers such as urea and diammonium phosphate (DAP). In a letter to chief ministers, Chouhan highlighted complaints that retailers are not selling subsidised conventional fertilisers such as urea, DAP, etc. to farmers unless they purchase nano-fertilisers or biostimulants.
Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Considering mechanism to curb ‘indiscriminate' pricing of pesticides, says Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan
Union Minister for Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the authorities are mulling putting in place a 'scientific' mechanism to curb 'indiscriminate' pricing of pesticides. Speaking after the Annual General Meeting of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on Monday, Chouhan said, 'There is a written MRP (Maximum Retail Price) on pesticides etc, but it is not real. Many times, farmers are charged more money.' 'We will try to fix a mechanism for this in a scientific way, so that farmers are not charged indiscriminate prices,' the minister said, adding, 'We will try to make a mechanism based on the cost incurred.' The government is also working to bring a stringent law to check the sale of substandard seeds and spurious pesticides, Chouhan stated. 'The availability and trustworthiness of good seeds is also necessary. If the seed quality is not good then farmers suffer a lot. In this regard too we have decided to put in place a system to ensure that the farmers receive certified seeds.' 'A stringent law should be enacted to curb sale of substandard quality seeds and spurious pesticides. This has been expressed by all. We are working on that,' the minister said. Last month, Chouhan met farmers during the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (VKSA), held from May 9 to June 12. 'One thing that I found in the whole country was that people expressed concerns about substandard pesticides and seeds, and they said that many times they get looted and harassed due to this. Hence a strict law should be made,' Chouhan said in an interview to The Indian Express earlier. In India, pesticides are used in a little over two-thirds of the country's total cultivated area, and most of it involves the use of chemical pesticides. Pesticide use in Indian farms According to the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (PPQS), which comes under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, the total area under cultivation stood at 213 million hectares in 2023-24 (both rabi and kharif seasons), of which 146 million hectares were under the use of pesticides, while the remaining 67 million hectares did not use any of pesticide. Of the total area under pesticide use, 113 million hectares were under the use of chemical pesticides, 12.8 million hectares under bio-pesticides, and 20 million hectares under both chemical and bio-pesticides. The demand for chemical pesticides has increased by 15 per cent in five years from 69,211 metric tonnes in 2019-20 to 79,706 metric tonnes in 2023-24. Most of this demand is from states like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. Crops that use the most amount of pesticides include cereals, cash crops, vegetables, pulses, and fruits. Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister's Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read More
