Parliament's Monsoon session from July 21 to August 21
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said President Droupadi Murmu has approved the government's proposal to convene the Session from July 21 to August 21.
The Hon'ble President of India has approved the proposal of the Government to convene the Monsoon Session of Parliament from 21st July to 21st August, 2025. In view of the Independence Day celebrations, there will be no sittings on the 13th and 14th of August. pic.twitter.com/ReWs8T7Czk — Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) July 2, 2025
"In view of Independence Day celebrations, there will be no sittings on the 13th and 14th of August," Mr. Rijiju said in a post on X.
Earlier, the session was to conclude on August 12, but now it has been extended by a week.
The longer duration of the session comes amid the government's plans to bring in key legislations, including one to facilitate the entry of the private sector in the atomic energy domain.
Also Read | Congress claims that Centre plans to convene special session of Parliament to mark 50th anniversary of the Emergency
The government is planning to amend the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act and the Atomic Energy Act to implement the announcement in the Union Budget to open up the nuclear sector for private players.
The opposition has been demanding a debate on Operation Sindoor — the strike on terror sites in Pakistan by the Indian armed forces in response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22.
The opposition parties have also been demanding answers from the government on US President Donald Trump's claims of mediation in the India-Pakistan conflict to avert a nuclear war.
The government has rejected Mr. Trump's claims with Prime Minister Narendra Modi telling him, during a phone call last month, that India has never accepted mediation and would not ever accept it in future.
PM Modi also told Mr. Trump that the decision to end military action came after Pakistan — facing heavy damage to nine of its key air bases— requested a ceasefire through existing military communication channels.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
28 minutes ago
- NDTV
$1,000,000,000: This Is How Much Harvard Will Lose If Trump Okays Fund Cuts
New Delhi: Harvard University may lose up to $1 billion annually if US President Donald Trump goes ahead with his plans to cut research funding, tax policy and student enrollment, according to a new report in a leading American daily. An analysis of the worst-case scenario losses shows that America's oldest institution may have a budget deficit of over a billion dollars annually, should the impasse in the Harvard-Trump tussle prevail. According to The Wall Street Journal, a loss of $240 million in Endowment Fund, $700 million in research funding and $110 million in college, graduate school revenue puts the total number at over a million. Even though Harvard has a massive $53 billion endowment, which is still wealthier and more powerful than its peers, the university doesn't have much flexibility with that money. Much of the endowment is designed for specific purposes, such as some funds are allocated only for medical research, others for scholarships and some are locked in long-term investments. In addition to this, Harvard is a tax-exempt university. But with Trump's intention to take away the tax-exempt status and impose an 8 per cent tax on endowment, it could lose hundreds of millions of dollars a year. The US General Services Administration (GSA) on Tuesday asked all federal agencies to rethink their contracts with Harvard University and instead look for alternative businesses/companies for future endeavours. Harvard University has a higher percentage of international students, more than 7,000, who pay full tuition fees. With the Trump administration threatening to block the university from enrolling these students, it could reduce tuition fees. Since April, the US administration has taken away over $2 billion in research and education funding. With cuts to this, Harvard University might have to slash programs or departments, lay off professors or researchers, and reduce student scholarships. One of its major schools, the Kennedy School of Government, has started laying off employees and cutting down some of its departments or programs. The university has also started selling investments at a loss. They sold $1 billion worth of private equity investments at a 7 per cent discount. Katharine Meyer, an education policy fellow at the Brookings Institution, said that losing $100 million contract may seem small by itself, but if this keeps happening, the university won't be able to cover all the lost money from federal contracts, grants, and other income sources. She said, "This $100 million dollar contract pullback is certainly the smallest effort that we've seen, but I think the cumulative impact is hurtling toward a point where eventually Harvard does not have infinite funds to be able to fill in where they've lost federal contracts and grants and any other sources of their revenue." Over the last few months, the Trump administration has been at loggerheads with Harvard, particularly after anti-Israel protests over Benjamin Netanyahu's brutal war on Gaza and American support for what demonstrators called a genocide of Palestinians. The administration has also accused to varsity of giving safe space to people with antisemitic views. Karoline Leavitt, the White House Press Secretary, told reporters that Harvard had broken US civil rights laws. She said that if any organisation breaks federal law, like these civil rights laws, they should not be given federal funding, such as grants for research or education. The Trump administration has also removed Harvard University from its electronic student immigration registry. This is used to track international students studying in the US, so if a university is removed, then international students can't legally study there. The US has asked embassies to reject student visa applications of those looking to study at Harvard.
NDTV
28 minutes ago
- NDTV
Trump's Big Bill Cuts Clean Energy Tax, Residential Solar To Get Hit Fast
As Republicans in Congress rushed forward with a massive tax and spending cut bill, a North Carolina renewable energy executive wrote to his 190 employees with a warning: Deep cuts to clean energy tax credits were going to hurt. '(The changes) would almost certainly include the loss of jobs on our team,' wrote Will Etheridge, CEO of Southern Energy Management in Raleigh. 'I'm telling you that because you deserve transparency and the truth — even if that truth is uncomfortable.' The bill now in the House takes an ax to clean energy incentives, including killing a 30% tax credit for rooftop residential solar by the end of the year that the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act had extended into the next decade. Trump has called the clean energy tax credits in the climate law part of a 'green new scam' that improperly shifts taxpayer subsidies to help the 'globalist climate agenda' and energy sources like wind and solar. Businesses and analysts say the GOP-backed bill will likely reverse the sector's growth and eliminate jobs. 'The residential solar industry is going to be absolutely creamed by this,' said Bob Keefe, executive director of E2, a business group that advocates for pro-environment policies. President Donald Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' takes aim at renewables broadly, including phasing out tax credits enjoyed by utility-scale solar and wind. But cutting the residential solar credit will happen sooner. Companies have announced more than $20 billion in clean-energy investments in North Carolina in recent years. Etheridge, whose company installs solar panels and helps ensure buildings are energy efficient, was among many in the sector to lobby Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina for changes in the bill. Tillis ultimately was one of three Republicans to vote against the measure, but in a sign of Trump's power over legislators to pass it, Tillis said he wouldn't seek reelection after Trump said he'd likely support a primary challenger. Now, Etheridge says losing the tax credit will likely mean laying off 50 to 55 of his workers. He called the elimination of residential tax credits a 'bait and switch.' 'I made a decision from being an employee to taking out a loan from my grandmother to buy into my business and put my house on the line' in part because of the stability of the tax credits, he said. He said he'll scramble now to figure out ways to diversify his business. 'If you require a money-spigot from Washington to make your business viable, it probably shouldn't have been in business in the first place,' said Adam Michel, director of tax policy studies at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank. Michel said he doubted many clean energy companies would go out of business, but 'I think that they will be right sized for the market and that the people that are employed with them will find better jobs and more stable jobs in industries that are actually viable and don't require billions of dollars of federal subsidies.' Even ahead of debate over the bill, experts at E2 said in May that $14 billion in clean energy investments across the country had been postponed or cancelled this year. The bill the Senate passed Tuesday removes a tax on some wind and solar projects that was proposed in a previous version and gives utility-scale projects some time to begin construction before phasing out those tax credits. Karl Stupka, president of Raleigh-based NC Solar Now that employs about 100 people, said the Senate's bill eased the impact on commercial projects 'while destroying the residential portion of the tax credits.' Roughly 85% of his business is residential work. 'They took it away from every average American normal person and gave it to the wealthier business owners,' he said. Stupka said if the bill becomes law, companies will rush to finish as many solar jobs as they can before the credit ends. He expected to lay off half his employees, with 'trickle-down' job losses elsewhere. 'It would cause a pretty severe shock wave,' he said.
NDTV
28 minutes ago
- NDTV
Chhattisgarh Government Allows Employees To Invest In Shares But...
The Chhattisgarh government has issued a formal notification regulating stock market investments by state government employees. As per the new rules, government officials and employees are now allowed to invest in shares, securities, debentures, and mutual funds-but only for long-term purposes. Intraday trading, futures and options (F&O), buy-today-sell-tomorrow (BTST), and cryptocurrency investments have been categorically prohibited and classified as "misconduct." The notification, issued by the General Administration Department (GAD), amends Section 19 of the Chhattisgarh Civil Services Conduct Rules, 1965. The move aims to provide clarity on financial conduct for government employees, who until now operated in a regulatory grey area. "Earlier, the conduct rules did not specify the permissible forms of investment, creating confusion and even the possibility of disciplinary action. This amendment gives employees a safe, transparent investment pathway," said Mahendra Singh, President of the Ministerial Officers Association. According to Mr Singh, the notification issued on June 30 is a welcome step that balances financial autonomy with caution. "Employees now have the freedom to invest their earnings safely. At the same time, banning high-risk, speculative instruments like intraday and crypto is a protective measure for employees and their families," he added. The government maintains that the restrictions are meant to ensure that speculative trading does not interfere with official responsibilities during working hours. "Buying and selling throughout the day can disrupt official work. This decision safeguards both productivity and transparency," said BJP spokesperson Amit Chimnani. However, the opposition Congress is criticising the move as regressive and anti-employee. "The government has completed just one month, and such decisions reflect their control-oriented approach. Employees should have full personal freedom to invest their hard-earned money as they see fit," said Congress spokesperson Ajay Gangwani. While the employee unions have largely welcomed the clarity and exemption for long-term investing, the political opposition is using the moment to target the Vishnu Deo Sai-led government. The notification doesn't specify a strict time frame for what qualifies as a "long-term" investment, leaving room for future clarification. For now, Chhattisgarh becomes one of the few states in India to formally codify trading rules for its public servants-allowing safe avenues for wealth creation while drawing a red line on speculation.
