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New Delhi [India], July 24 (ANI): A <keyword id="4261957" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="general-discussion" source="Orion">general discussion</keyword> on the <keyword id="19908389" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-Budget" source="keywords">Union Budget</keyword> and the budget for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for the fiscal year 2024-25 will be held in the <keyword id="19895369" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajya-Sabha" source="keywords">Rajya Sabha</keyword> later on Wednesday. <keyword id="19956758" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="finance-minister" source="keywords">Finance Minister</keyword> <keyword id="19916618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> presented both the Union Budget and the <keyword id="22525621" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jammu-and-Kashmir-Budget" source="keywords">Jammu and Kashmir Budget</keyword> in the House on July 23. The discussion is crucial as both the budgets shape the financial direction of the country and the Union Territory, respectively. The Union Budget outlines the government's revenue and expenditure plans for the upcoming fiscal year, while the budget for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is a significant event considering the developmental needs. As per the list of businesses of the Rajya Sabha, the discussion on these two budgets will be convened later in the day. The discussion over these two budgets is expected to start in the second half of the day. According to the list of business of the Rajya Sabha, the ministers that are set to lay the papers on the table are Jayant Chaudhary for the Ministry of Education; Pankaj Chaudhary for the Ministry of Finance; Nityanand Rai for the Ministry of Home Affairs; and Sukanta Majumdar for the Ministry of Education. Besides, Rajya Sabha Secretary General PC Mody will lay on the table the Public Accounts Committee reports. This includes the 124th Report on Construction of Toilets in Schools by CPSEs; the 125th Report on Rejuvenation of the Ganga (Namami Gange); the 126th Report on Avoidable Payment due to Non-Charging of Service Tax/GST from the Passengers; and the 127th Report on Action Taken by the Government on the Observations and Recommendations of the Committee contained in their 46th Report (16th Lok Sabha) on Implementation of the Public-Private Partnership Project at Chhatrpati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai, among others. The reports were presented to the Speaker on February 23 and April 29, 2024, and to the Chairman, Rajya Sabha, on February 28 and May 13, 2024, before the dissolution of the 17th Lok Sabha. The Speaker had ordered the printing, publication and circulation of the reports. As per the business list of the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju will move the motion for election to the committee on the welfare of other backward classes. Kiren Rijiju will also move the motion for nomination to the committee on the welfare of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. The motion for nomination to the committee on public accounts will also be moved by Union Minister Rijiju in the House today. Moreover, Kiren Rijiju will move the motion for nomination to the committee on public undertakings. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2024-25 on Tuesday during the Monsoon Session of <keyword id="19895397" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Parliament" source="keywords">Parliament</keyword>. Nirmala Sitharaman became the first finance minister to present seven consecutive budget speeches, surpassing former prime minister Morarji Desai's record of six consecutive budgets as finance minister between 1959 and 1964. In her seventh budget, Nirmala Sitharaman outlined key priorities aimed at fostering economic growth and creating ample opportunities. These included productivity and resilience in agriculture, employment, and skilling and services. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hailed the Union <keyword id="15478236" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="budget-2024" source="Orion">Budget 2024</keyword> presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. "This budget strengthens every section of society. It takes the country's poor, village and farmers on the path of prosperity," the prime minister said in a video message. The Prime Minister praised the budget, emphasising its potential for job generation by incentivizing the top 500 companies to recruit more youth and also induct interns. The PM said the budget would help India achieve its objective of becoming the third largest economy, besides laying a strong foundation for Viksit Bharat. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday also said the Union Budget 2024-25 is game-changing and will go down in history for coupling Bharat's economic growth with the torque of its youth power. He also lauded the government's decision to provide training and internship programmes to youth. The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, welcomed the Union Budget 2024 laid before Parliament on Tuesday. Calling the Union Budget 2024 a 'visionary document', Sonowal said, "The Union Budget, 2024 lays the roadmap for renewed and holistic growth towards Viksit Bharat. This visionary budget is aimed at empowering the 'Garib' (poor), 'Mahilayen' (women), 'Yuva' (youth), and Annadata' (farmers) so that the process of development reaches every citizen of the country." Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday that Union Budget 2024 stands out for its unprecedented push towards employment generation and powering small businesses.

Rajya Sabha to hold general discussion on Union Budget, Jammu and Kashmir Budget today

The <keyword id="26362" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="government" source="Orion">government</keyword> on Thursday introduced in the <keyword id="48510" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajya-sabha" source="Orion">Rajya Sabha</keyword> a contentious bill that seeks to replace the <keyword id="45053" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chief-justice-of-india" source="Orion">Chief Justice of India</keyword> with a cabinet minister in the panel for selection of the <keyword id="50926" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chief-election-commissioner" source="Orion">chief election commissioner</keyword> and election commissioners, amid an uproar by the <keyword id="6360456" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="opposition" source="Orion">opposition</keyword>. Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal moved the <keyword id="50926" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chief-election-commissioner" source="Orion">Chief Election Commissioner</keyword> and other Election Commissioners (Appointment Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023 in the Upper House in the post-lunch session. According to the bill, future chief election commissioners and election commissioners will be selected by a three-member panel headed by the prime minister and comprising the leader of <keyword id="6360456" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="opposition" source="Orion">opposition</keyword> in the Lok Sabha and a cabinet minister. Opposition parties, including the Congress and the AAP, have raised strong objections to the bill and accused the <keyword id="26362" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="government" source="Orion">government</keyword> of diluting a Supreme Court Constitution bench order. The bill comes months after the Supreme Court in March ruled that the selection panel should comprise the prime minister, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha and the <keyword id="45053" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chief-justice-of-india" source="Orion">Chief Justice of India</keyword> (CJI), till a law is framed by Parliament on the appointment of the chief election commissioner (CEC) and election commissioners (ECs). A vacancy will arise in the Election Commission early next year when Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey demits office on February 14 on attaining the age of 65 years. His retirement will come just days before the likely announcement of the 2024 Lok Sabha poll schedule by the commission. On the past two occasions, the commission had announced parliamentary polls in March. The apex court in its March verdict had aimed at insulating the appointment of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners from the Executive's interference. The bill seeks to regulate the appointment of the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners. According to the bill, the CEC and ECs shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of a selection committee consisting of the prime minister, who will be the chairperson; the leader of opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, and a Union Cabinet minister to be nominated by the prime minister. It also states that the appointment of the CEC and ECs "shall not be invalid" merely by reason of any vacancy in or any defect in the constitution of the selection committee.

Bill seeking to replace CJI with cabinet minister in panel for selection of CEC, ECs tabled in Rajya Sabha

New Delhi, India has probably seen its youngest millionaire in Ekagrah <keyword id="20076454" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rohan-murty" source="keywords">Rohan Murty</keyword> - the four-month-old grandson of Infosys founder N.R. <keyword id="19920910" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="narayana-murthy" source="keywords">Narayana Murthy</keyword>. According to a regulatory filing, <keyword id="20482766" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="narayana" source="keywords">Narayana</keyword> Murthy has gifted shares worth more than Rs 240 crore to his grandson. <keyword id="21000975" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ekagrah-murty" source="keywords">Ekagrah Murty</keyword> received 15 lakh shares, or 0.04 per cent stake, in Infosys. The 77-year-old Infosys founder gifted shares to his grandson in an off-market transaction. With this, Narayana Murthy's holding in the IT bellwether fell to 0.36 per cent, or more than 1.51 crore shares. At the price of Rs 1,620 per share on Monday, Ekagrah Murty received a whopping Rs 243 crore. Narayana Murthy and his wife and now <keyword id="19967755" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajya-sabha-mp" source="keywords">Rajya Sabha MP</keyword> <keyword id="20077886" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sudha-murty" source="keywords">Sudha Murty</keyword> became grandparents in November last year after their son Rohan Murty and wife Aparna Krishnan welcomed a baby boy. Engineer-turned-philanthropist and author Sudha Murty took oath as Rajya Sabha MP last week in the presence of her husband.

Born with a golden spoon: 4-month-old old Ekagrah Murty now owns ₹240 crore Infosys stock

New Delhi, More than 10 years after a Supreme Court judgement paved way for introduction of the <keyword id="20335981" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nota" source="keywords">NOTA</keyword> button on EVM for polls, the number of voters choosing it still remains low, with the experts dubbing it as a "toothless tiger" with no implications on the results. NOTA (None of the Above) was introduced in India through the Supreme Court's judgement in September 2013. The need to introduce NOTA was felt to discourage the parties from fielding tainted candidates. The Supreme Court directed the Election Commission to make necessary provision in the ballot papers/EVMs so that the voters can decide not to vote for any of the candidates in the fray. Introduced in 2013, the NOTA option on electronic voting machines has its own symbol - a ballot paper with a black cross across it. After the Supreme Court order in September 2013, the Election Commission added the NOTA button on the EVMs as the last option on the voting panel. One ballot unit has 16 buttons. Before the apex court order, those not inclined to vote for any candidate had the option of filling what is popularly called form 49-O. But filling out the form at the polling station under Rule 49-O of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, compromised the secrecy of the voter. However, even as NOTA has secured over 1.29 crore votes in the state assembly elections and the <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> elections combined in the last five years, the number of candidates with criminal records has increased in both the general and the assembly elections. According to a report by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), the share of MPs with declared criminal cases against them has been increasing in the last decade. While 30 per cent elected MPs had criminal cases against them in 2009, which went up. Of the 543 winners analysed by the ADR in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, 162 (30 per cent) had declared criminal cases against them, with 76 (14 per cent) had serious criminal cases against them. In 2019, the share of MPs with criminal and serious criminal cases increased to 43 per cent and 29 per cent. "NOTA has made no difference as far as criminality is concerned, in fact the number of candidates with criminal cases has increased," Major General (Retd) Anil Verma, Head of ADR, told PTI. "The concept of NOTA was that some pressure would be on the parties not to field tainted candidates. It has not happened," he said. Overall in different state and general elections, votes polled on NOTA have been between .5 per cent to 1.5per cent, according to data compiled by the ADR. It secured around 1.06 per cent votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, and among states, highest was when it got 1.98 percent of the total votes in the 2018 Chhattisgarh Assembly polls. The lowest number of votes NOTA in the Lok Sabha was 100 votes in Lakshadweep, and among the state polls, it secured the lowest percentage of vote share - 0.46 percent in both the Delhi State Assembly Elections, 2020, and the Mizoram State Assembly Elections, 2018. "Unfortunately, it turned out to be a toothless tiger. It merely provided a platform to express dissent or one's anger for political parties to take note and nothing more," <keyword id="20887282" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="maj-gen-verma" source="keywords">Maj Gen Verma</keyword> (Retd) said. He, however, pointed out that overall, the percentage of NOTA votes in seats reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribe has been slightly higher, which may indicate there are more grievances among these groups. "In the reserved constituencies, we have seen the percentage of NOTA votes are higher. Perhaps the tribals and SCs have more grievances so they go in larger numbers for NOTA," he said. Constituency wise, NOTA has secured as high as 27,500 votes in Maharashtra's Latur Rural constituency, a seat reserved for the SC community, over 13 per cent of the total votes. NOTA got the second spot, with Congress' Dhiraj Deshmukh winning with over 67 per cent of the total votes. In 'Red Alert Constituencies', the seats with three or more candidates with criminal cases contesting the elections, NOTA secured 26, 77,616 votes (26.77 lakhs) in the state assembly elections since 2018. It ranges from 1.63 per cent in Bihar in 217 red alert constituencies to 0.43 per cent in Delhi. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the highest number of NOTA votes (51,660) were polled in Bihar's Gopalganj, another reserved SC constituency, where it secured the third spot getting 5.03 per cent of the total votes. Axis India chairman <keyword id="20816878" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pradeep-gupta" source="keywords">Pradeep Gupta</keyword> said there is a requirement to give more teeth to the NOTA option. "I believe that candidates, who have lost against NOTA should not get a chance to contest again. That is what the logic is all about. Since there is no such rule, many voters think what is the point of choosing NOTA," Gupta told PTI. "In 2014, 1.08 pc voters chose NOTA, the percentage was 1.06 pc in 2019. It is a sizeable number but I believe it is more due to error and less due to intention," Gupta said. "But if a rule is brought in barring the rejected candidates from contesting again, I believe the number will go up like anything. The political parties understand the sensitivity of this and that is why I believe no one will favour such a law and hence NOTA is a toothless option," he added. Calls have also been made for scrapping NOTA. Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel had last year sought scrapping NOTA, stating that in certain cases it polled more votes than winning margin. In 2018, the Supreme Court had ruled that NOTA option should not be given in the <keyword id="19895369" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajya-sabha" source="keywords">Rajya Sabha</keyword> elections.

None of the Above or NOTA toothless without right to reject, say experts

Mumbai, Feb 23 (PTI) Former <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> Speaker Manohar <keyword id="19952829" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="joshi" source="keywords">Joshi</keyword> passed away at a Mumbai hospital on Friday, where he was admitted after suffering a cardiac arrest. Joshi (86) was admitted to <keyword id="20694838" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hinduja-hospital" source="keywords">Hinduja Hospital</keyword> in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on February 21 and passed away early Friday, the private medical facility said. Joshi Sir, as he was popularly known, was the first chief minister of the undivided Shiv Sena and held the post during 1995-1999. He was admitted to the hospital in May last year after suffering a brain haemorrhage. He was also elected as a member of Parliament and was the Lok Sabha Speaker from 2002 to 2004 when the Vajpayee government was in power. Born on December 2, 1937 in coastal Konkan region of Maharashtra, Joshi obtained his Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the prestigious Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI) in Mumbai. His political career began with his involvement in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and he later became a member of the Shiv Sena. In the 1980s, Joshi emerged as a key leader within the Shiv Sena, and was known for his organisational skills. He was the Lok Sabha Speaker from 2002 to 2004 when the Vajpayee government was in power. The former Union minister was married to Anagha Joshi, who died in 2020 at the age of 75. He is survived by a son and two daughters. Joshi began his career as a teacher and entered politics in 1967. He was associated with the Shiv Sena for more than four decades. He was a municipal councilor in Mumbai during 1968-70 and Chairman, Standing Committee of the Mumbai municipal corporation in 1970. He was the Mayor of Mumbai during 1976-1977. He was then elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Council in 1972. After serving three terms in the Legislative Council, Joshi was elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 1990 and was the Leader of the Opposition in the assembly during 1990-91. In the 1999 general elections, Joshi won from the Mumbai North-Central Lok Sabha Constituency as a Shiv Sena candidate, and was later Union minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises. Condoling Joshi's demise, Union minister Nitin Gadkari, who was a member of the Maharashtra ministry when the former was the CM, said the state had lost a "cultured face" of politics. Joshi's family said his last rites will be performed at Shivaji Park crematorium in Dadar area.

Former Lok Sabha speaker Manohar Joshi passes away at 86

New Delhi, <keyword id="19955404" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="finance" source="keywords">Finance</keyword> Minister Nirmala <keyword id="19916494" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sitharaman" source="keywords">Sitharaman</keyword> on Tuesday said the inflation has come down within the tolerance band as a result of the steps taken by the government to check price rise, especially in perishable commodities. Replying to a question in the <keyword id="19895369" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajya-sabha" source="keywords">Rajya Sabha</keyword>, Sitharaman said Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is working with the government on de-humidification of onions through Gamma Rays to give it a longer shelf life. "The government is seized of the difficulties, which arise due to shortage of perishable goods, which are not grown in <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword>. The committee sits and reviews periodically, and the efforts have shown on the ground that inflation is now within the tolerable band," she said. India's retail inflation has declined from an average of 6.8 per cent in April-December 2022 to 5.5 per cent in the corresponding period of 2023. The retail inflation is now stable and within the notified tolerance band of 2 per cent to 6 per cent. The minister said that in order to check the volatility in prices of onion, the government has progressively increased its buffer size from 1 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) in 2020-21 to 7 LMT in 2023-24. As of February 3, 2024, a total of 6.32 LMT of onion was procured, and 3.96 LMT of Grade-A onion was released through retail sales, e-Nam auction and bulk sales. "Currently, steps are being taken so that the preservation of very highly perishable commodities, like onion, can be improved," she said, adding lots of steps have been taken by the government, particularly for meeting the shortage in supply of perishable goods. Sitharaman said India has imported 8.79 lakh metric tonnes of <keyword id="20059821" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tur-dal" source="keywords">Tur Dal</keyword> and 15.14 lakh metric tonnes of Masoor Dal in calendar year 2023. Similarly, the country imported other dals and released them in the market. India has also brought the branded 'Bharat Dal' through which Chana Dal is made available at Rs 60/kg for one kg pack and Rs 55/kg for 30 kg packs. 2.97 lakh metric tonnes of Chana have been sold already as of January 30, 2024. 'Bharat Dal', which is coming at a concessional price, is available in all retail markets. "Since we don't grow enough pulses in the country and due to a shortfall in supply, prices of pulses normally keep fluctuating, for which, by analysing the crop estimates, we start tying up for imports," Sitharaman added. Retail inflation, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), in December 2023, stood at 5.69 per cent.

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Rajya Sabha to hold general discussion on Union Budget, Jammu and Kashmir Budget today

ANI

Bill seeking to replace CJI with cabinet minister in panel for selection of CEC, ECs tabled in Rajya Sabha

PTI

Born with a golden spoon: 4-month-old old Ekagrah Murty now owns ₹240 crore Infosys stock

IANS

None of the Above or NOTA toothless without right to reject, say experts

PTI

Former Lok Sabha speaker Manohar Joshi passes away at 86

PTI

Inflation within tolerance band; govt taking steps to check price rise: Sitharaman

PTI

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