Lok Sabha Advances Key Bills Amid Opposition Protests
Lok Sabha Passes Employment Guarantee Bill
The Lok Sabha has approved the 2025 Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, which is set to replace the 2005 Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. This legislation must now be ratified by the Rajya Sabha before it can receive presidential approval.
During the session, opposition members vocally protested, accusing the Union government of removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from the initiative. Their actions included tearing copies of the bill, which led to the adjournment of the Lok Sabha for the day.
Originally introduced by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance in 2004, the MNREGA provided 100 days of guaranteed unskilled work for rural households. The new bill aims to extend this to 125 days and increase the state's funding share to 40%, a shift from the current model where the Centre bears the costs.
Insider Trading Allegations Against Pranav Adani
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has accused Pranav Adani, nephew of billionaire Gautam Adani, of breaching insider trading regulations. He allegedly shared confidential information regarding the Adani Group's open offer for NDTV with family members, as reported by a financial news outlet.
On October 15, SEBI issued show cause notices to Pranav Adani, along with his brothers-in-law Kunal and Nrupal Shah, and his father-in-law Dhanpal Shah. The regulator claims that call records show frequent communication among them during the period when the information was not publicly available.
The Adani Group secured a majority stake in NDTV on December 30, 2022, after acquiring a 27.26% equity stake from co-founders Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy. Prior to this, on August 23, 2022, it was announced that Adani-linked entities would acquire up to 26% of NDTV, with the information remaining unpublished until the market reopened, resulting in a significant rise in NDTV's share price.
Civil Nuclear Sector Bill Passed
The Lok Sabha has also passed the 2025 Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, which aims to allow private entities to participate in the civil nuclear sector. This legislation is now pending approval from the Rajya Sabha, despite opposition calls for it to be reviewed by a parliamentary committee.
The bill permits private companies, joint ventures, and government entities to build, own, operate, and decommission nuclear power facilities. Additionally, it seeks to eliminate a provision that allows operators to sue suppliers for accidents caused by defective equipment.
These amendments are designed to attract investment and support India's goal of achieving 100 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity by 2047.
Decline in Schools Covered by Mid-Day Meal Scheme
The Union government has reported to Parliament that the number of schools participating in a mid-day meal initiative has decreased from 11.1 lakh in 2020-21 to 10.3 lakh in 2024-25. This represents a loss of 84,453 schools over five years under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman scheme.
The most significant drop occurred between 2020-21 and 2021-22, with a reduction of 35,574 schools. The numbers continued to decline, reaching 10.6 lakh in 2023-24 and further down to 10.3 lakh in 2024-25, according to data from the Union Ministry of Education.
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