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Parliament Monsoon Session begins tomorrow: Here's what to expect
Ahead of the start of the session on Monday, the government convened an all-party meeting on Sunday, July 19. Leaders who attended the meeting included Congress Members of Parliament (MPs) K Suresh and Jairam Ramesh, Union minister Anupriya Patel, NCP-SCP MP Supriya Sule, Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, and BJP MP Ravi Kishan.
Biju Janata Dal's (BJD's) Sasmit Patra raised the issue of self-immolation by a college student in Odisha, saying the Centre can't escape responsibility for the "failing" law and order in BJP-led states and Parliament should debate it, PTI reported.
Parliament Monsoon Session: Bills to be discussed
The government plans to introduce and pass several important bills in the upcoming monsoon session. Key bills include Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025; National Sports Governance Bill, 2025; and Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025 among others. Here's a list of some bills scheduled for discussion:
Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill
National Sports Governance Bill
Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill
Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill
Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill
Geo-Heritage Sites and Geo-Relics (Conservation and Maintenance) Bill
Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill
National Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill
Indian Ports Bill
Income Tax Bill
During the Budget Session this year, the Waqf Amendment Bill was passed.
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First Post
19 minutes ago
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Mohammad Hidayatullah: The only Indian vice-president who also officiated as President and CJI
As India's second-highest office falls vacant with the resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar, history recalls the only man to have held the top three read more In an unprecedented development in India's constitutional history, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar tendered his resignation, citing health-related reasons. His exit from the second-highest constitutional office marks the first time a sitting vice president has voluntarily stepped down before completing the term. The resignation has created a temporary vacancy in the Rajya Sabha chair and prompted fresh discourse on constitutional succession. The Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed the resignation under Article 67A of the Indian Constitution, with immediate effect. Following the announcement in the Rajya Sabha by BJP MP Ghanshyam Tiwari, Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh assumed responsibility for chairing proceedings. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This development brings to mind a moment from 1969, when India faced a similar constitutional gap and a remarkable figure—Mohammad Hidayatullah—rose to fill it. A stalwart of the Indian judiciary and polity, Hidayatullah remains the only individual in Indian history to have held the offices of Chief Justice of India (CJI), Acting President, and Vice President. A star in the Indian judiciary Hidayatullah was elevated to the position of Chief Justice of India in February 1968, under Article 124 of the Constitution. He was the first Muslim to hold the post and earned respect for his sharp constitutional insights and erudition. Assuming the presidency in a time of crisis The summer of 1969 brought a constitutional conundrum. President Zakir Husain passed away in office and Vice-President VV Giri stepped in as acting president. However, when Giri resigned to contest the presidential election, both the top posts stood vacant. Under the provisions of Article 65 and the President (Discharge of Functions) Act, 1969, Chief Justice Hidayatullah was called upon to act as the President of India from July 20 to August 24, 1969. This was a moment of historical significance. It was the first and only time the chief justice had to act as the president due to vacancies in both the president and vice-president's offices. The Constitution, in its foresight, allowed for such an eventuality, highlighting the depth and resilience of India's legal framework. Vice-presidential tenure After retiring from the judiciary, Hidayatullah remained an influential figure in public life. In 1979, he was elected unopposed as the sixth Vice President of India, serving until 1984. His election was guided by Articles 63 to 68 of the Constitution, which regulate the post. During his tenure, he again briefly served as 'Acting President' in 1982 when President Zail Singh was abroad, reiterating his unique role in India's constitutional machinery. Landmark judgments and legal philosophy Hidayatullah's legacy as a jurist is rich with landmark cases and scholarly judgments. In the Golaknath vs State of Punjab case, he opposed Parliament's unrestrained power to amend the Constitution, especially concerning Fundamental Rights. His judgment in Ranjit D Udeshi vs State of Maharashtra also set important boundaries around freedom of expression and obscenity laws. His opinions combined legal precision with literary elegance, reflecting his vast intellectual horizon. Beyond the courtroom Hidayatullah remains a towering figure whose constitutional journey is unmatched. His ability to serve in the judiciary's highest post, temporarily hold the presidency and later serve as vice president highlights the flexibility of India's constitutional provisions and the depth of leadership they can foster. At a moment when India's vice-president's office stands vacant, reflecting on Hidayatullah's legacy provides both historical perspective and institutional reassurance. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD


Indian Express
19 minutes ago
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The browser is built on the Chromium framework, which is an open-source architecture framework for web browsers maintained by Google. This framework is also the backbone of popular browsers such as Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Opera. Comet would support Chrome extensions, bookmarks, and even sync with a user's settings if they import them. The AI-first browser is built from the ground up with Perplexity AI agents that are integrated directly into the browser. It not only helps users with search but also acts on their behalf across tabs, services, and platforms — this is why Perplexity describes Comet as an 'agentic browser'. Its search capabilities come from Perplexity's answer engine that is based on a mixture of foundational LLMs like GPT-4o and Claude 4.0 Sonnet, along with its proprietary model Sonar. Perplexity AI was launched a month after OpenAI's ChatGPT created ripples across the world. 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The futuristic browser comes with some powerful features that make web browsing efficient and more productive. With Comet, you browse less and prompt more, and the AI takes care of the rest. It comes with a plethora of use cases that could likely make it a daily essential, much like what Google Chrome is to millions of users. From scheduling meetings from Gmail to comparing products across tabs, Comet is more than a browser. This is possible because it can read an email, find a suitable time for a user's calendar, draft a reply and create a tentative event with a Google Meet link. And all of these from within Gmail, without switching tabs. Similarly, if a user is shopping for a camera online, they can ask Comet to summarise and compare specs like recording quality or frame rates. If they have multiple tabs open, Comet will pull context from all these open tabs and offer a clean, structured summary to help them make an informed decision. One of the most useful use cases is the ability to summarise videos or articles. Comet can reportedly summarise an open YouTube video or web article in seconds. The video summaries are generated using transcripts and content on web pages. Some users with early access have also revealed that Comet can also accept LinkedIn requests. It can review pending requests and bulk-accept the ones it deems most relevant, saving users time. Comet's built-in assistant is placed at the top-right corner. The assistant can help in summarising the page a user is on; perform actions like clicking, filling forms or navigating; look up things across open tabs, and act simultaneously across sites. Users can even @mention tabs by name for specific tasks at open pages. For example, @YouTube – find the top comment. It needs to be noted that Comet will ask a user for confirmation before posting and notify them of the outcome. 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The Hindu
19 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Opposition protests in Bihar Assembly over electoral roll revision
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