Parliament Diary

The Defence Minister made a short statement in Parliament today informing Members that a missile was inadvertently released during routine maintenance and inspection on March 9, 2022, which later landed in Pakistan. The Minister assured the House that the government has ordered a high-level investigation into the matter. He added that the Standard Operating Procedures for Operation, Maintenance and Instruction are also being reviewed following the incident.

Later in the day, the External Affairs Minister apprised Parliament on all the steps taken by the government to evacuate 22,500 Indian students from Ukraine. In doing so, he lauded the efforts of the Ministry personnel. The Minister also noted that India has substantial dealings with both Russia and Ukraine and so, an assessment of the economic implications of the conflict is underway.

The budget discussion began today in Lok Sabha with a discussion on the Demands for Grants of the Ministry of Railways. The total revenue expenditure by Railways for 2022-23 is projected to be Rs 2,34,640 crore, an increase of 17% over revised estimates of 2021-22. The total capital expenditure is projected at Rs 2,45,800 crore, an increase of 14% over the revised estimates of 2021-22.

In Rajya Sabha, discussion on the Working of the Ministry of DoNER concluded. The House then took up discussion on the Working of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. The discussion did not conclude.

Proceedings in Lok Sabha were ongoing at the time of uploading this note.