Parliament LIVE Updates: The Centre on Wednesday told the Lok Sabha during a session of the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament that the personal data of at least 21 out of approximately 121 Whatsapp users may have been accessed by the attacker involved with the Pegasus software row in November.

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The Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared the contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill, which will be tabled in the Lok Sabha on 9 December, according to media sources.

The Bill will be moved by the Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri for consideration and passing. The Bill will recognise ownership rights on the basis of power of attorney, agreement of sale, will, possession letter or any other document, conveyance deed or authorisation slip. Rights will be granted after payment of registration charges.

In the Lower House, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will lay a copy of the annual report of the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Pune, for the year 2018-2019, alongwith audited accounts.

Shiv Sena MP raised concerns about the health hazards resulting from mobile phone radiations. He also asked what impact it might have on the aviary population, the numbers of which seem to be diminishing. In response, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that there are no serious health hazards as emission regulations are ten times better than the prescribed standards. Fines are also being imposed to take care of this aspect, the minister added. On the issue of birds, Prasad says birds are safe in India. “I see a lot of birds in Delhi. If the member is talking about a particular area, I request him to give the details,” he said.

India is destined to be surrounded by two hostile neighbors — China and Pakistan, Congress’ Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said. “We can change history but not geography. We raise our voices against Pakistan, owing to its terror activities and our government deals with their activities strongly. Terrorists are shielded by Pakistan and Pakistan is shielded by China,” he said. China has started sending ships to Andaman and Nicobar islands, he said. “50-60 kilometers of our territory are held by China, I would like to submit,” Chowdhury said. “If we are so strong in our responses to Pakistan, why the weakness in the way we respond to China. Are we scared of China?” he asked.

Singh also said that there is no mutually agreed Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China, due to which some incidents of incursion occur.

“China and India have had long-standing perceptional differences over borders,” he said.

In response to Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s concerns over the Chinese intrusion into Arunachal Pradesh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh assured the Lok Sabha that India’s forces are vigilant in guarding the borders.

Nominated member Narendra Jadhav said that binary gender identity hurts trans persons, asking if the government has any plans to incorporate infrastructure for trans persons. Congress’ Viplove Thakur also asked if the government will provide skill training to the community.​ Santosh Kumar Gangwar said that the government has already allocated funds in this direction.​

RSP’s NK Premachandran said that the signal of BSNL is weakest in Delhi, while Trinamool Congress’ Nusrat Jahan asked about the implementation of 4G spectrum in BSNL. In response, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the public sector telecom operator will be revived. He said that installing a tower in Delhi is very difficult, adding that other operators should also improve connectivity.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned after the Question Hour concluded and members discussed matters of public importance.

Responding to Congress allegations over Chinese incursions in Arunachal Pradesh, Rajnath tells the Lower House, "Our forces are fully vigilant about border security and are guarding the borders with great vigor. Our forces are capable of facing any challenge. The government is aware of the security needs of the country. Infrastructure is being strengthened along the India-China border."

Cabinet approves Personal Data Protection Bill which will be introduced soon, reports have said. With respect to the bill, it needs to be seen whether the government will send the bill to a Standing Committee or insist on its passing in Winter Session itself. This bill has been in making for more than a year, but the last publicly available version could use many improvements, reports have suggested.

Congress' Rajya Sabha member Ripun Bora (Assam) has moved adjournment motion and demanded amendments in the RTI rules which are framed under amended RTI Act. According to rules, any Member of Parliament can move a statutory motion to demand annulment or modification of Rules, but it has rarely done so by MPs. With respect to RTI Rules, they were notified in October and laid in Parliament recently.

DMK's Kanimozhi brings up issue of financial assistance to pregnant women under the Maternity Benefits Scheme. The MP said that this was reduced to ₹5,000 per woman and restricted to only the first living child.

P Chidambaram, who was granted bail by the Supreme Court in the INX Media case, will attend Parliament starting tomorrow. "I am very happy that he is going to be back home, I am relieved. He will also be attending Parliament session tomorrow," Karti Chidambaram told ANI.

Parliament will take up the bill for consideration in Lok Sabha on 9 December.

Calling the Citizenship Amendment Bill "fundamentally unconstitutional," Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said , "The basic idea of India is violated in this Bill. Those who believe that religion should determine a nation, that was the idea of Pakistan. Mahatma Gandhi, Nehruji, Maulana Azad, Dr. Ambedkar said that religion cannot determine nationhood and ours is a country for everybody. Everybody irrespective of religion has equal rights in our country. Today, this Bill violates that fundamental principle."

"There is a ruling of the Supreme Court that new bench of any high court has to be established only after receiving a recomendation of the principal bench of that particular high court," he said during Question Hour.

New benches of any high court are established only on recommendation of the principal bench of the particular high court, Ravi Shankar Prasad said in Lok Sabha. Prasad also said that the law ministry is yet to receive a recommendation of the Allahabad High Court to set up its bench in Meerut.

Union Cabinet approved the withdrawal of Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Second Amendment) Bill, 2019. The bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha on 5 August by the Home Minister Amit Shah. The Bill amends the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004, which provides for reservation in appointment in state government posts, and admission to professional institutions, for certain reserved categories. Professional institutions include government medical colleges, dental colleges, and polytechnics.

"As far as Central Information Commission is concerned, 33,487 number of second appeals/complaints are pending as on 28 November, 2019," Singh stated. He said government has started a web portal whereby Right to Information (RTI) applications can be filed online by Indian citizens, including those who are living abroad.

Over 33,000 complaints and appeals are pending with the Central Information Commission, the Lok Sabha was informed by Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh in awritten reply.

During the discussion on Supplementary Demand for Grants in the Lok Sabha, Congress' Shashi Tharoor said that the budget was based on unrealistic revenue projections. "Every year, the Finance Minister has made commitments and failed to meet them. Arun Jaitley kept having to adjust the fiscal deficit target every single year he was Finance Minister. Now in the present scenario, even the Finance Mnister has admitted to media that there's a possibility of fiscal slippage in the current fiscal year," he added. Tharoor said that the government has fallen on its revenue collection targets and will also slip in its fiscal management targets. "GDP will not pick up till its pillars start working. The GDP has showed slow growth for sixth consecutive quarter. Household consumption is at a four-decade low and unemployment is at an all-time high," he said.

Lawmakers from Assam registered their protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill by lying on the floor of the state Assembly corridor. The contentious bill received a nod from the Union Cabinet today and will be tabled in the Parliament on 9 December, according to sources. Meanwhile, BJP MP defended the Bill, saying that it is a "proud moment for all Hindus".

During the Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha, BJP MP Narasimha Rao protested against the Maharashtra government's reported move to withdraw criminal cases against activists in the Koregaon Bhima incidents. He said there are "attempts to politicise" police investigation in some cases that pose threat to national security as some of the people arrested in the case have been charged under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

Minister of State, Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri moved the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Unauthorised Colonies) Bill, 2019 in the Rajya Sabha. "We are not stopping with unauthorised colonies. We will use the PM Awas Yojna and are now going to implement this in a record period of time," he said. He pointed out that Delhi had 1,797 unauthorised colonies in 2008. Puri called the Bill a way to regulate unauthorised colonies, which are prima facie illegal. In 2011, a Supreme Court judgement said that deed, will and others could not be used for transferring ownership.

Hardeep Singh Puri said that a panel has identified 1,731 colonies as unauthorised colonies. "From 2008 to today, it was deemed that it was a difficult task (to legitimise unauthorised colosies), but today we're about to finish it. Maps of all 1,731 colonies are completed and will be uploaded online in a few days," he said. Puri said that a second portal of the DDA will be ready by 16 December, on which documents for unauthorised colonies can be uploaded online and online registration can be done. "Money spent on rejuvenation of such colonies has increased by six times in the last five years," he said.

The Centre on Wednesday told the Lok Sabha during a session of the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament that the personal data of at least 21 out of approximately 121 Whatsapp users may have been accessed by the attacker involved with the Pegasus software row in November.

Meanwhile, K Somaprasad of the CPM questioned the timing of introducing the Bill, a few months ahead of the Delhi Assembly election. He said it was "drafted in view" of the polls.

Patnaik quoted a Peruvian economist to state that "giving property rights to people in such colonies aids in their economic development".

Ram Nath Thakur of NDA ally JD(U) and Amar Patnaik of the BJD on Wednesday spoke in support of the Unauthorised Colonies Bill moved by Minister of State, Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri for the National Capital Region of Delhi in the Raya Sabha. While Thakur said the legislation was "pro-poor", and said that the Centre was "working to give respect" to people living in the unauthorised colonies.

"After the implementation of 7th Pay Commission recommendations, there has been an over expenditure of Rs 22,000 crore for salaries and pension of railway employees. This has contributed to the overall operating loss," he was quoted as saying during Question Hour.

Union railway minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday informed the Lok Sabha that the Indian Railways has been spending an extra fund of Rs 22,000 crore on salaries and pensions after the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission recommendations, "which has hit its financial health", The Indian Express reported.

Lauding the legislation, the Rajasthan MP criticised the Arvind Kejriwal government for failing to fulfill their promise of regularising the colonies. His criticism caused an uproar from the Opposition, specifically AAP's MP Sanjay Singh.

BJP MP Vijay Goel on Wednesday spoke in support of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Unauthorised Colonies) Bill, 2019 that was moved by MoS Hardeep Singh Puri in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

During the discussion on Supplementary Demand for Grants in the Lok Sabha, Congress' Shashi Tharoor said that the budget was based on unrealistic revenue projections. "Every year, the Finance Minister has made commitments and failed to meet them. Arun Jaitley kept having to adjust the fiscal deficit target every single year he was Finance Minister. Now in the present scenario, even the Finance Mnister has admitted to media that there's a possibility of fiscal slippage in the current fiscal year," he added. Tharoor said that the government has fallen on its revenue collection targets and will also slip in its fiscal management targets. "GDP will not pick up till its pillars start working. The GDP has showed slow growth for sixth consecutive quarter. Household consumption is at a four-decade low and unemployment is at an all-time high," he said.

Lawmakers from Assam registered their protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill by lying on the floor of the state Assembly corridor. The contentious bill received a nod from the Union Cabinet today and will be tabled in the Parliament on 9 December, according to sources. Meanwhile, BJP MP defended the Bill, saying that it is a "proud moment for all Hindus".

During the Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha, BJP MP Narasimha Rao protested against the Maharashtra government's reported move to withdraw criminal cases against activists in the Koregaon Bhima incidents. He said there are "attempts to politicise" police investigation in some cases that pose threat to national security as some of the people arrested in the case have been charged under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

Minister of State, Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri moved the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Unauthorised Colonies) Bill, 2019 in the Rajya Sabha. "We are not stopping with unauthorised colonies. We will use the PM Awas Yojna and are now going to implement this in a record period of time," he said. He pointed out that Delhi had 1,797 unauthorised colonies in 2008. Puri called the Bill a way to regulate unauthorised colonies, which are prima facie illegal. In 2011, a Supreme Court judgement said that deed, will and others could not be used for transferring ownership.

Hardeep Singh Puri said that a panel has identified 1,731 colonies as unauthorised colonies. "From 2008 to today, it was deemed that it was a difficult task (to legitimise unauthorised colosies), but today we're about to finish it. Maps of all 1,731 colonies are completed and will be uploaded online in a few days," he said. Puri said that a second portal of the DDA will be ready by 16 December, on which documents for unauthorised colonies can be uploaded online and online registration can be done. "Money spent on rejuvenation of such colonies has increased by six times in the last five years," he said.

Centre informs the Lok Sabha that WhatsApp believes it is likely that personal data within the WhatsApp app of approximately 21users may have been accessed out of approximately 121 users in India whose devices the attacker attempted to reach. #WhatsApp #Pegasus pic.twitter.com/2ZlHT0jFMD

The Centre on Wednesday told the Lok Sabha during a session of the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament that the personal data of at least 21 out of approximately 121 Whatsapp users may have been accessed by the attacker involved with the Pegasus software row in November.

Meanwhile, K Somaprasad of the CPM questioned the timing of introducing the Bill, a few months ahead of the Delhi Assembly election. He said it was "drafted in view" of the polls.

Patnaik quoted a Peruvian economist to state that "giving property rights to people in such colonies aids in their economic development".

Ram Nath Thakur of NDA ally JD(U) and Amar Patnaik of the BJD on Wednesday spoke in support of the Unauthorised Colonies Bill moved by Minister of State, Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri for the National Capital Region of Delhi in the Raya Sabha. While Thakur said the legislation was "pro-poor", and said that the Centre was "working to give respect" to people living in the unauthorised colonies.

"After the implementation of 7th Pay Commission recommendations, there has been an over expenditure of Rs 22,000 crore for salaries and pension of railway employees. This has contributed to the overall operating loss," he was quoted as saying during Question Hour.

Union railway minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday informed the Lok Sabha that the Indian Railways has been spending an extra fund of Rs 22,000 crore on salaries and pensions after the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission recommendations, "which has hit its financial health", The Indian Express reported.

Lauding the legislation, the Rajasthan MP criticised the Arvind Kejriwal government for failing to fulfill their promise of regularising the colonies. His criticism caused an uproar from the Opposition, specifically AAP's MP Sanjay Singh.

BJP MP Vijay Goel on Wednesday spoke in support of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Unauthorised Colonies) Bill, 2019 that was moved by MoS Hardeep Singh Puri in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

He also said that the Centre was attempting to make the process as "concrete as possible". He said, "If only ownership had to be given, there was no need for a bill. The government doing is as concretely as it can, so that it is not further challenged in the high court or Supreme Court."

On the accusation that the government was bringing in the law with an eye on the upcoming Assembly election, Goel said, "This nation has an election every few months, when can we bring a bill? We can bring bill for one nation, one election, but you aren't ready."

"This bill proves that this government is for the poor people. Delhi is deteriorating. There are around 60 lakh people on the roads, slums, and unauthorised colonies. Delhi has become hell, the Supreme Court has also said that it is not liveable. Various governments couldn't do it in 30 years, but our government did in 30 days."

BJP MP from Rajasthan, Vijay Goel argued in favour of the Centre's bill on unauthorised colonies and said that the NDA government had achieved in "30 days, what various governments hadn't done in 30 years".

Parliament LATEST Updates: The Centre on Wednesday told the Lok Sabha during a session of the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament that the personal data of at least 21 out of approximately 121 Whatsapp users may have been accessed by the attacker involved with the Pegasus software row in November.

Minister of State, Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri moved the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Unauthorised Colonies) Bill, 2019 in the Rajya Sabha. Meanwhile, Congress' Shashi Tharoor said that the budget was based on unrealistic revenue projections and has fallen on its revenue collection targets.

Lawmakers from Assam registered their protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill by lying on the floor of the state Assembly corridor. The contentious bill received a nod from the Union Cabinet today and will be tabled in the Parliament on 9 December, according to sources. Meanwhile, BJP MP defended the Bill, saying that it is a "proud moment for all Hindus".

Cabinet approves Personal Data Protection Bill which will be introduced soon, reports have said. With respect to the bill, it needs to be seen whether the government will send the bill to a Standing Committee or insist on its passing in Winter Session itself. Meanwhile, P Chidambaram, who was granted bail by the Supreme Court in the INX Media case, will attend Parliament starting tomorrow. "I am very happy that he is going to be back home, I am relieved. He will also be attending Parliament session tomorrow," Karti Chidambaram told ANI.

Home Minister Amit Shah said in the Rajya Sabha that the government looking at amending the Criminal Procedure Code and Indian Penal Code to deal with incidents of mob lynching. He also said that states have been asked to take strict action against such incidents.

China has started sending ships to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, also highlighting Beijing's incursion into Arunachal Pradesh. “If we are so strong in our responses to Pakistan, why the weakness in the way we respond to China. Are we scared of China?” he asked.

In response to Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s concerns over the Chinese intrusion into Arunachal Pradesh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh assured the Lok Sabha that India’s forces are vigilant in guarding the borders. “China and India have had long-standing perceptional differences over borders,” he said.

Underscoring the significance of the Citizenship Amendment Bill, the BJP leadership has asked party MPs to be present in large numbers when Home Minister Amit Shah tables the contentious legislation in a crucial Union Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Rejecting the Opposition's criticism of the Citizenship Bill, which seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan if they faced religious persecution there, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday asserted that the BJP has always worked to unite the country and its people.

With Home Minister Amit Shah holding discussions with key political leaders, with representatives of students' bodies and civil society members from the Northeast over the past few days, including a meeting which took place on Tuesday, there is a strong likelihood that the Bill could be cleared at the Cabinet meeting scheduled at 9.30 am on Wednesday.

Rajya Sabha

The proposed legislation is likely to be introduced by the government in the Upper House on 10 December, reported media sources.

In the Rajya Sabha, Dr Vikas Mahatme and Mukut Mithi to lay on the Table, reports of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Coal and Steel.

Bill considered for passing will be moved by Hardeep Singh Puri to provide special provisions for the National Capital Territory of Delhi for recognising the property rights of resident in unauthorised colonies by securing the rights of ownership or transfer or mortgage in favour of the residents of such colonies.

Lok Sabha

In the Lower House, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will lay a copy of the annual report of the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Pune, for the year 2018-2019, alongwith audited accounts.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will submit report of the Law Commission of India No. 277 – Wrongful Prosecution (Miscarriage of Justice), August 2018.