Parliament Winter Session: Day 9 HIGHLIGHTS

The Lok Sabha passed a bill to give scheduled tribe status to the members of the Hattee community in Himachal Pradesh. Piloting that Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment) Bill 2022, Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda said that the bill seeks to provide justice to the Hattee community of Trans Giri area of Sirmour district in the hilly state of Himachal Pradesh. The minister said that the Hattee community members living in Uttarakhand were included in the list of scheduled tribes, but the benefit was not accorded to those living in Himachal Pradesh.

Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani and Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury indulged in a spat in Lok Sabha on Friday over the use of the word 'gentleman'. While responding to a supplementary question by Chandra Sekhar Sahu of the BJD on fortified food for children, Irani referred to him as "gentleman" which was objected to by Chowdhury who said that as per parliamentary procedures she should have referred to him as "honourable member". Irani said Chowdhury was interrupting her reply to impress his "political masters". Chowdhury was supported by another Congress member, K Suresh. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi was also present in the House.

The Lok Sabha has been adjourned till 2:20 p.m.

The Deputy Chairman adjourned the Upper House till 2:30 p.m. after completing the Question Hour.

The Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting of the Rajya Sabha will be held at 3 pm in Parliament today.

Union Minister Smriti Zubin Irani repled to a question raised by BJD MP Chandra Sekhar Sahu during Question Hour in Lok Sabha regarding schemes for children.

Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 12:00 Noon after the Opposition created a ruckus.

Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala gave Suspension of Business Notice under Rule 267 in Rajya Sabha to discuss the border situation with China; also asks the Chairman to ask the Prime Minister and the Government to make a statement on the issue.

AAP MP Raghav Chadha gave Suspension of Business Notice under Rule 267 in Rajya Sabha to discuss the amendments in laws to ensure stringent punishment to culprits in sacrilege incidents.

Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan gave Suspension of Business Notice under Rule 267 in Rajya Sabha to discuss the unemployment in the country.

DCW Chief Swati Maliwal has written a letter to Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar urging them to suspend today's parliamentary sessions. Her letter comes in the backdrop of the 10th anniversary of the Nirbhayta gang rape today (16th December, 2022).