Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her reply on the Union Budget, 2019 in the Upper House of the Parliament. She assured that the target that has been set for a 5 trillion dollar economy in the next five years is realistic.

While answering the questions of former finance minister P Chidambaram, Union Minister Sitharaman said that Chidambaram arrived at wrong calculations because he made like-to-like comparisons over custom duty and income tax. She also said that introduction of the GST and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, were one of the major structural reforms made by the Modi-led Government at the Centre.

Nirmala Sitharaman also told the House that allocations for MGNREGA, PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, PM Awas Yojana and PM Gram Sadak Yojana.

Union Minister for Human Resources Ramesh Pokhriyal, in the Lok Sabha, assured that all vacancies will be filled in the central universities in the coming six months.

Supriya Sule, MP from Baramati, of the NCP wanted the provision where tribal girls can study till the 12th standard in Kasturba Gandhi schools.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha, asked the Centre to build universities in areas like Murshidabad to increase literacy among minorities.

BJP MP Rajeev Pratap Rudy introduced a bill to hold simultaneous elections.

Catch all the highlights here:

4:28 PM IST Central Universities Amendment Bill, 2019 passed in Lok Sabha Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal assures that all vacancies will be filled in the universities in the next six months.





01:57 pm IST Rajya Sabha adjourned till 3:00 pm Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 3:00 pm





01:55 pm IST No question of privatisation of railways, some units will be corporatised: Goyal Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday said there was “no question” of privatisation of the railways, but said the ministry will invite investments for new lines and projects in national interest. “There is no question of privatisation of railways. Railways cannot be privatised. However, if we have to increase the facilities in railways then obviously we need investments for it. We have taken a decision to encourage public private partnerships and we will also corporatise some units,” the minister said. “There is no question of privatisation of the railways, but we should invite investment in national interest if there are new projects and lines,” the minister told the House. He also said railway budgets which were earlier presented in Parliament were designed to mislead the public and show them dreams about new trains for political gains, reports news agency PTI.





01:53 pm IST Lok Sabha adjourned till 2:30 pm Lok Sabha has been adjourned till 2:30 pm





01:52 pm IST Budget to boost investment, comprehensive steps envisaged Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said the big picture presented in the Budget is backed with a plan to increase investment without compromising on the fiscal consolidation roadmap. Replying after a general discussion on the Union Budget 2019-20 in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said, “Comprehensive steps” have been envisaged for the next 10 years. Sitharaman said the mid-term target of the government is to make India a USD 5 trillion economy. The target of putting India in the USD 5 trillion club is not “without a plan”, she said and listed out measures proposed in the Budget, reports news agency PTI.





01:49 pm IST Ashwini Choubey on Acute Encephalitis Syndrome Minister of State Health on ‘whether any study has been carried out by Government on various aspects of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome/Japanese Encephalitis’: Around 90 samples were tested for infectious agents at Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) & non-ICMR Institutes. Minister of State Health, in Lok Sabha on 'whether study carried out by Govt on aspects of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome/Japanese Encephalitis': Ltd no.of serum&litchi samples were tested for methylenecyclopropylglycine (MCPG) toxin. At least half were found MCPG positive. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/ctrljRhVRj — ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2019





12:53 pm IST Smriti Irani: Child Sex Ratio has declined in 21 States/UTs Union Minister Smriti Irani in Lok Sabha: As per latest reports of Health Management Information System of Ministry of Health and Family welfare reveal that Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) shows improving trends & SRB has increased from 923 to 931 at national level between 2015-16 & 2018-19, reports news agency ANI. Smriti Irani, Union Minister for Women & Child Development: Yes. As per the census 2011, the Child Sex Ratio (CSR) in comparison of census 2001 has declined in 21 States/UTs. (2/3) pic.twitter.com/D6yTjBGYoH — ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2019





12:46 pm IST Piyush Goyal hits out at Opposition Hitting out at Opposition, Union Minister Piyush Goyal says, “Previous budgets were announced to win elections. We are here to work on the ground, not to gives false hopes.”





12:33 pm IST Piyush Goyal is speaking on the Demands for Grants under the control of the Ministry of Railways Union Minister Piyush Goyal continues to speak in the Lok Sabha on the Demands for Grants under the control of the Ministry of Railways 2019-20





12:29 pm IST Nirmala Sitharaman: This is the second budget after GST came into place Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “This is the second budget after GST came into place. This Union Budget (2019) is very important in that regards”.





12:23 pm IST Discussion on Budget concludes in RS Discussion on Union Budget, which was presented by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on July 5, concluded in Rajya Sabha. Sitharaman concludes the discussion with a thank you note.





12:23 pm IST Nirmala Sitharaman thanks all Rajya Sabha members Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman thanks all the Rajya Sabha members for a discussion on the Union Budget 2019





12:20 pm IST Piyush Goel: PM Modi has never been biased Railway minister Piyush Goel in Rajya Sabha: Prime minister Narendra Modi has always been fast-forward. He finishes work without taking breaks. And just like him, Railway is moving forward with the same speed. On his directives, railway is progressing fast.”





11:45 am IST Vijay Goel: Narendra Modi didn’t want to become the PM BJP’s Vijay Goel in Rajya Sabha says, “’It was not PM Modi who wanted lead the nation. The country wanted Narendra Modi to be the Prime Minister.”





12:13 pm IST GVL Narasimha Rao: This Budget is gender-biased BJP’s GVL Narasimha Rao says, “This is a gender-biased and developmental budget. From ‘politics of lies’ to ‘politics of ethics’, and from ‘raajneeti’ to ‘raashtraneeti’, this is a transformational budget.”





11:11 pm IST Discussion on Union Budget underway Discussion on Union Budget underway in Rajya Sabha. The Budget was presented by Nirmala Sitharaman on July 5.





11:09 am IST Lok sabha begins the question hour The House discusses shortage of MBBS doctors in the country





11:05 am IST Political instability will have an impact on economy: P Chidambaram Accusing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of creating political instability in states like Karnataka and Goa, former Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday said that instability will have an impact on the economy and deter foreign investors. Participating in the debate on Union Budget 2019-20 in Rajya Sabha, he said: “What we’ve seen in Karnataka and Goa may appear to be political upmanship but it has a very damaging effect on the economy. Foreign investors, rating agencies, international organisations don’t follow Indian media. What they hear and read on political instability will have an impact on the economy.”





11:04 am IST P Chidambaram on unemployment “Gravity of unemployment can be looked by only 1 ex- for 62,907 khalasi posts,82 lakhs people applied,4,19,137 of them were BTech graduates & 40,751 had Masters in Engineering.This is the economy you inherited. I don’t blame her for that,” said P Chidambaram during discussion in Rajya Sabha on Budget on Thursday.





11:03 am IST Farmers suicide on the rise: Rahul Gandhi “Yesterday,a farmer in Wayanad committed suicide due to debt. In Wayanad, bank notices for non payment of loans given to 8000 farmers. Under a relevant act their properties are attached against their bank loans, this is resulting in rise in farmers suicide,” said Rahul Gandh





11:02 am IST Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha “Why does the government behave as if the farmers are inferior to the poor. No efforts have been made in the Budget 2019 to for the benefit farmers,” said Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.





11:00 am IST Congress leaders protested in Parliament House Complex on Thursday Congress leaders protested over Karnataka and Goa developments in the Parliament House Complex on Thursday. Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Anand Sharma are participating in the protest. “We are protesting against Karnataka and Goa issue,” Rahul Gandhi told news agency ANI.





10:52 am IST Congress MP Motilal Vora gives Zero Hour Notice in RS Congress MP Motilal Vora has given Zero Hour Notice in Rajya Sabha over ‘suppressing of information about frauds by the banks’, reports news agency ANI. Congress MP Motilal Vora has given Zero Hour Notice in Rajya Sabha over 'suppressing of information about frauds by the banks'. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/ysRFyWmxFK — ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2019



