Beyond the third wave: Rural economy, banking recovery, and more

 Budget at a glance: Here’re the key numbers from Union Budget 2022

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday unveiled a bigger Rs 39.45 lakh crore Budget, with higher spending on highways to affordable housing with a view to fire up the key engines of the economy to sustain a world-beating recovery from the pandemic. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was “people-friendly, progressive” and full of possibilities for infrastructure, investment, growth and jobs. In a televised statement, Modi said an important aspect of the Union Budget was the welfare of the poor.

Winter session troubles may hit House again; FM to present Eco Survey today

 The Personal Data Protection Bill is eagerly awaited and may come up in the Budget session

If the winter session of Parliament was a washout, the prognosis for the upcoming Budget session that begins on January 31, with the Preside­nt’s address to both Houses of Parliament, is no better. As Opposition parties reached out to each other to fine-tune parliamentary strat­egy, the Narendra Modi government is expected to be in the Oppo­sition’s cross hairs on issues such as the new revelations on snooping by intelligence interception company Pegasus, farm distress, management of the third wave of Covid-19, the sale of national carrier Air India, and Chinese “incursions” into eastern Ladakh.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Economic Survey 2021-22 on Monday and the Union Budget on Tuesday. This is expected to go off with only sporadic interruption. But the Budget session is taking place amid a heated election campaign in five states – Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa, and Manipur – that go to polls in seven phases from February 10 to March 7.

As parties go head to head in the field, reverberations will hit Parliament as well. This is not all. Some Bills awaiting discussion and passage are also hotly contested. The Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2021, for instance, has been opposed vigorously by several Opposition-ruled states, inclu­ding Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Kerala…Union Budget 2022

Over 240,000 rape and POCSO cases pending in courts: Govt tells LS

Uttar Pradesh tops the list of states with 66,994 pending rape cases followed by Maharashtra with 21,691 and 20,511 in West Bengal

The government on Wednesday said that there are over 240,000 pending cases in courts related to rape and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act across the country till December last year. According to a written reply in Lok Sabha by the Ministry of Law and Justice, Uttar Pradesh tops the list of states with 66,994 pending rape cases followed by Maharashtra with 21,691 and 20,511 in West Bengal.

“As per information received from High Courts, the status of pending cases related to rape and POCSO Act, as on December 31, 2019, is 2,44,001,” Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad informed the Lower House in response to a query by Janata Dal (United) leader Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh.

In furtherance to, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018, a scheme was finalized for setting up of 1,023 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) across the country for expeditious trial and disposal of pending cases related to Rape and Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, in a time-bound manner under Centrally-Sponsored Scheme. So far, the Central’s share of funds amounting to Rs 99.43 crore has been released during 2019-20 to 27 States/UTs which have so far consented to setting up of 649 number of FTSCs.

FM tables ‘Vivad Se Vishwas’ Bill in LS for resolving disputed tax cases

Introducing the Direct Tax Vivad Se Vishwas Bill, 2020, the minister said this bill emphasises on trust building

Fund Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday presented a bill in Lok Sabha which looks to accommodate goals of contested assessment cases including Rs 9.32 trillion. Presenting the Direct Tax Vivad Se Vishwas Bill, 2020, the priest said this bill underlines on trust building.

The plan, she stated, won’t be an open finished plan and can be benefited temporarily. The bill looks to give a recipe based arrangement with no separation, she said. Giving the method of reasoning behind the plan, Sitharaman said it will lessen the case consumption for the legislature and at the equivalent may help in producing some income.

Contradicting the presentation of the bill, Congress pioneer Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the bill’s name is drafted in Hindi and the administration is attempting to force one explicit language on the nation. Simultaneously it will hurt the administration’s assessment assortment, he said. Reverberating comparable assumptions, his gathering partner Shashi Tharoor said this bill disregards guideline of correspondence by similarly treating genuine and exploitative citizens.

In her spending discourse on February 1, Sitharaman had declared Vivad se Vishwas plan to determine 483,000 direct duty questions pending in different courts. Under the plan, citizens whose duty requests are secured debate in numerous discussions can pay due duties by March 31, 2020, and get total waiver of intrigue and punishment…

Keep Reading: Budget Session

PM Narendra Modi announces setting up of trust for Ram temple in Ayodhya

The trust is called ‘Sri Ram Janambhoomi Tirath Kshetra, Modi said in the Lok Sabha

The Union Cabinet has given its nod to set up a trust for the construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Soon after the meeting of the Union Cabinet ended, Modi reached Lok Sabha to make a statement in this regard.

Just before the Question Hour began, he said the trust has been named as the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Shetra. He said the Uttar Pradesh government has agreed to give five acres of land to the Sunni Wakf Board as directed by the Supreme Court in Ayodhya matter.

In its verdict on November 9, the Supreme Court had paved the way for the construction of a Ram temple by a trust at the disputed site at Ayodhya, and directed the Centre to allot an alternative 5-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a new mosque at a “prominent” place in the holy town in Uttar Pradesh. The apex court had said the trust should be formed within three months for the construction of the temple at the site where many Hindus believe Lord Ram was born.

As per the Supreme Court judgment in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid matter, the central government has been directed to formulate a scheme with necessary provisions for the setting up of the trust with a board of trustees or any other appropriate body, the functioning of the trust, the powers of the trustees, transfer of land to the trust and all necessary, incidental and supplemental matters…

BUDGET SESSION : RAFALE JETS WILL STRENGTHEN OUR AIR FORCE, SAYS KOVIND

The Budget session is expected to be a stormy one, with Lok Sabha elections just around the corner. Catch LIVE updates on Budget 2019 session

Interim Budget 2019: The Budget session of Parliament began on Thursday, a day before the Interim Budget 2019 will be presented by Finance Minister Piyush Goyal.

With the Lok Sabha elections around the corner, this year’s Budget session is expected to be a stormy one. The Budget session began with President Ram Nath Kovind addressing a joint session of Parliament. The President said, “India was going through “uncertain times” ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and the Narendra Modi government after assuming power resolved to work towards a ‘New India’, giving hope to the people.”

He said the NDA government has been trying to pass the triple talaq bill to empower Muslim women so that they can live a life without fear. The government has been working to fulfil hopes and aspirations of all sections of people, he said. Highlighting the government’s achievements and various welfare schemes, Kovind said 21 crore poor people were covered under the PM’s life insurance scheme, while over 2 crore households got power connection as part of the PM’s Saubhagya scheme.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

• President Ram Nath Kovind leaves for Rashtrapati Bhawan.
• After decades, Indian Air Force will use ultramodern Rafale aircraft in coming months: Kovind
• President Ram Nath Kovind concludes his speech.
• President Kovind said, “6.8 crore Indians are filing income tax returns”
• Kovind says India is world’s second largest manufacturer of mobile phones
• Under Jan Dhan Yojana, 34 crore people have opened a bank account, said Kovind
• GST is a long-term policy and is a boon for the business sector. The taxpayers in the country trust this government: Kovin To enhance the opportunites for high-level professional education, govt is setting up news educational institutions

 Read full source: Budget Session 2019