Parliament Diary

Lok Sabha today took up discussion on the Demands for Grants of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship for 2016-17. During the debate several members raised their concerns about the sector related to inadequate financing, need for greater efforts for placing  trained candidates, improving vocational training, among other things.

The Ministry has been allocated Rs 1,804 crore in 2016-17. This is a 74% increase in funds from revised estimates of 2015-16.  The Ministry was allocated Rs 1,543 crore in 2015-16, which was reduced to Rs 1,037 crore in the revised estimates of that year.  

In Rajya Sabha members called the attention of the Minister of Finance to the imposition of Central Excise Duty on the gold jewellery by the government.

The Upper House also took up discussion on the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

The Constitution empowers the President to specify the Scheduled Castes in various states and union territories.  Further, it permits this list of notified Scheduled Castes (SC) to be modified by Parliament.

Recently, some states proposed certain modifications to this list.  The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill states that the Bill has been introduced to give effect to the changes proposed by the states.

The Bill adds certain communities to the list of Scheduled Castes in Haryana, Kerala, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal.

The Committees examining the  Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2015 submitted its report.

The Standing Committee examining the  Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Bill, 2015 also presented its report.

Both the houses were sitting at the time of sending this diary.