Parliament
5 mentions in the news, newest first.
Read the note on this topic →- 2026-10-04
Jaishankar tells parliamentary panel Russia will take around 70,000 Indian skilled workers this year
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on 3 October 2026 chaired a parliamentary consultative committee meeting on India-Russia relations, telling members that Russia has agreed to take around 70,000 Indian skilled workers this year, mainly in construction and logistics. He said India and Russia share an ambition to expand bilateral trade in a balanced manner, including through greater Indian exports in seven areas: automobiles, pharmaceuticals, food, marine products, engineering goods, chemicals and textiles. Jaishankar also updated the panel on India's diplomatic efforts toward ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict, including his recent visit to Ukraine and his meetings with the Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministers on the margins of the UN General Assembly, and said around 140 Indian nationals have so far been discharged from service in the Russian army, with 55 still unaccounted for.
- 2026-09-29
Election Commission notifies Rajya Sabha polls for 12 seats across three states
The Election Commission issued its notification on 29 September 2026 for elections to 12 Rajya Sabha seats, ten from Uttar Pradesh and one each from Uttarakhand and West Bengal, with nominations open until 6 October and polling and counting scheduled for 16 October. Eleven of the seats are biennial vacancies arising as sitting members' terms end on 25 November, while the West Bengal seat is a by-election following the resignation of Trinamool Congress member Rukmini Mallick after her party lost power in the state's assembly polls earlier this year. In Uttar Pradesh, based on the current strength of parties in the Assembly, the BJP led alliance is expected to retain eight of the ten seats while the Samajwadi Party is likely to gain the other two.
- 2026-09-08
Election Commission announces bye-elections to five Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat
The Election Commission of India announced on 7 September 2026 the schedule for bye-elections to five Assembly constituencies and one parliamentary constituency, with polling on 6 October and counting on 9 October 2026. The seats are Madurantakam and Dharapuram, both reserved for Scheduled Castes, in Tamil Nadu, Thattanchavady in Puducherry, Rejinagar and Nandigram in West Bengal, and the Nagaon Lok Sabha seat in Assam, and every vacancy has arisen from a resignation. The gazette notification is to be issued on 9 September, with nominations closing on 16 September and withdrawal on 19 September, and the Model Code of Conduct comes into force immediately in the districts concerned. The Commission noted that the amendment of Section 14 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 by the Election Laws (Amendment) Act, 2021 provides four qualifying dates a year for enrolment as a voter, and that electronic voting machines with VVPATs will be used at all polling stations.
- 2026-08-17
Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill clears Parliament
Parliament passed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, with the Lok Sabha clearing it on 12 August and the Rajya Sabha on 13 August. It amends the parent 1957 Act, letting holders of existing mining leases add critical minerals such as lithium, nickel, cobalt and graphite without extra fees, and removes the 50 per cent ceiling on sales from captive mines. The National Mineral Exploration Trust's scope is widened to also fund mine development, not just exploration.
- 2026-08-17
Parliament passes bill to rename Kerala as Keralam
Both Houses of Parliament have passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, which amends the First Schedule of the Constitution to replace Kerala with Keralam. The Lok Sabha cleared the bill on 11 August and the Rajya Sabha followed a day later, but the change takes legal effect only after presidential assent and a subsequent notification. The bill responds to a resolution passed by the Kerala Legislative Assembly in 2024 seeking a name that more closely reflects the state's Malayalam linguistic identity.