Disruption effect: Committee formed to revise Rajya Sabha rules
New Delhi, May 7: A two-member committee to revise the rules and procedure of conduct of business in the upper House of Parliament has been formed by Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu, officials said on Monday.
The two-member committee would be headed by former Rajya Sabha Secretary General V.K. Agnihotri, while S.R. Dhaleta, a former Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Law and Justice would serve as a member.
The committee had been mandated to submit its report in three months, but it could granted further extensions, the officials said, adding that the panel could give some of the recommendations before the monsoon session of Parliament.
According to them, although the committee would have a holistic relook at the rules, the provisions dealing with the disruptions in the House and the provisions, which seem "inadequate" as compared to the rules in Lok Sabha, would get special attention.
The Rajya Sabha saw a complete washout in the budget session due to disruptions and the House could barely pass one Bill during the month-long session. The Chair was often seen expressing its helplessness in effectively dealing with the disrupting members under the present rules.
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Had a very good conversation with friend Modi: Trump
Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump on Friday said he had a "very good conversation" with his "friend" Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He was referring to the talks the two leaders had on Tuesday.
"I had a very good talk with him, and he's a friend of mine from India, and he's doing great. We had a very good conversation," Trump told reporters here as he headed to Las Vegas to address a roundtable on tax cuts.
Trump had called Modi on Tuesday to discuss the bilateral relationship and share perspectives on the situation in West Asia, where the US and Israel have launched a war on Iran.
The US and Iran declared a two-week ceasefire on April 7. They engaged in peace talks with Washington, insisting that Tehran give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons and uranium enrichment.
The war with Iran has sent gas prices soaring as Tehran blocked the sea lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow gateway for a fifth of global oil supplies.
During the Trump-Modi phone call on Tuesday, the two leaders stressed the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure.
According to the US Ambassador to India Sergei Gor, the 40-minute conversation ended with Trump telling Modi, "we all love you".
Tuesday's phone call was the second between the two leaders since the US-Israel war with Iran began on February 28.
