New Delhi:

The echo of Jawaharlal Nehru’s historic ‘A tryst with destiny’ speech in Parliament will continue to inspire the country’s elected representatives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today.

The Prime Minister was tracing the nearly eight-decade journey of the old Parliament building that has also been the country’s journey following its Independence from British rule.

Addressing the nation on August 15, 1947, the country’s first Prime Minister Nehru had said, “At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.”

“The echo of Nehru ji’s Stroke of Midnight speech will inspire us. It is also in this House where Atal Bihari Vajpayee said governments will come and go, but this country will stay,” Prime Minister Modi said today as he listed key milestones in the history of the old Parliament building.

The Parliament today met for a five-day special session, which would also witness the transfer of proceedings to the new Parliament building. Today is the last day of proceedings at the old building.

The Prime Minister said this is an occasion to remember everyone who has been part of the Parliament’s historic journey.

In a tribute to former Presidents and former Prime Ministers, he said, “From Rajendra Prasad to Ram Nath Kovind to Droupadi Murmu, this parliament has received their guidance. This Parliament has also witnessed the time of Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shashtri to Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh who gave a direction to this country.”

He said the Parliament proceedings may now be moving to a new building, “but this building will always inspire future generations”.

‘India’ and ‘Bharat’ interchangeable, can be used in official invitation, say legal experts

An official invitation from President Droupadi Murmu to G-20 guests in which she is described as the “President of Bharat” has triggered speculation that the Narendra Modi government could officially change the name of “India” to “Bharat” during the five-day-long Special Session of Parliament that starts on September 18.

Indo-Pacific, China map and trade on agenda as PM leaves for Jakarta

Future cooperation on the Indo-Pacific, trade issues, the situation in Myanmar and the recent controversy over China’s map are likely to be on the agenda as Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves on Wednesday for a two-day visit, during September 6-7, to Jakarta to attend the annual ASEAN-India Summit and the East Asia Summit hosted by Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

PM Modi and President Biden to meet on September 8, says White House

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Jo Biden will hold bilateral talks on September 8 in New Delhi, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed. Mr Biden, who is being closely watched for symptoms of COVID-19, after U.S. First Lady Jill Biden tested positive on Monday, tested negative and is still on track to travel to the capital for the G20 Summit, as per the White House.

What is the agenda for Special Session of Parliament, INDIA parties ask govt.

Opposition parties belonging to the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on September 5 demanded that the Modi government spell out the agenda for the Special Session of Parliament even as the Congress decided that parliamentary party chief Sonia Gandhi will write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issues that the principal Opposition party wants to raise during the session.

Two CJIs, four years apart, had dealt differently with pleas for ‘Bharat’ instead of ‘India’

Four years apart, two Chief Justices of India had reacted differently to demands for ‘Bharat’ instead of ‘India’. While one CJI upheld the right of the individual to choose between the two names, his successor, four years down the line, suggested nudging the government about it. These hearings in the top court had happened years before the 2023 G-20 dinner invite described President Droupadi Murmu as the ‘President of Bharat’ sparking a row over whether the government was planning to drop ‘India’ and keep just ‘Bharat’.

A ‘spiritual strife’ between Swaminarayan sect, other Hindu outfits in Gujarat

The religious leaders at the Shri Kashtbhanjan Dev Hanumanji mandir in Salangpur, Botad district, managed by the Swaminarayan sect’s Vadtal branch, on Tuesday removed two controversial murals of Lord Hanuman kneeling before and praying with folded hands to the 19th century seer Sahajanand Swami (1781-1830), founder of the sect, known by his followers as Lord Swaminarayan.

Congress focuses on minority appeasement, Modi on welfare of tribals, Dalits and poor: Shah in M.P.

Attacking the Indian National Congress in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that the people would have to choose between the ideology of minority appeasement versus one that worked for tribal communities, backward classes, Dalits and the poor. Inaugurating the third of the five Jan Aashirwads Yatras, a pre-election outreach programme in Mandla – a key tribal belt within the Mahakoshal region, Mr. Shah referred to a 17-year-old speech by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as he sought to draw a distinction between the current dispensation led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. 

First meeting of INDIA coordination committee to be held on September 13 in Delhi

The first meeting of the 14-member coordination committee of Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will be held on September 13 at Sharad Pawar’s residence in Delhi. The primary agenda on the table is to fix deadlines for the immediate tasks, seat sharing, presenting vision document/common manifesto and finalising the dates for joint campaign rallies.

Restrictions imposed in Imphal to prevent march to Bishnupur Churachandpur border

Curfew-like restrictions have been imposed in the Imphal Valley amid a call given by a Meitei civil society group to march towards the Bishnupur-Churachandpur boundary on September 6 to remove an Army barricade. The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an influential Meitei group, had asked the youth and locals to come out in large numbers on September 4 to push the barricade further to the hill district of Churachandpur. The group said that the failure of the State and Central governments to remove the barricade by August 30 was the reason behind the protest march.

 There has been no incident at proposed Kuki-Zomi burial site since status quo order, DGP tells Manipur HC

The Director General of Police (DGP) of Manipur has requested the Manipur High Court to close the contempt case, where it was accused of failing to implement an earlier order to maintain status quo at a proposed burial site for 35 Kuki-Zomi people killed in the four-month-long ethnic conflict in the State. 

Mamata threatens economic blockade of educational institutions if Governor continues to ‘interfere’

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday threatened economic blockade of higher educational institutions in the State if Governor C.V. Ananda Bose continued to “interfere” with the functioning of educational institutions in the State. “If the Governor continues to interfere in the affairs of college and universities and any university or college agrees to function as per his will, then I will create economic blockade. On this issue there will be tit for tat, no compromise. Let us see which in college or university you [the Governor] are able to pay salaries to the teachers,” Ms. Banerjee said.

Israeli military kills 2 Palestinians in West Bank, a militant in an army raid and an alleged gunman

Israeli troops killed a Palestinian militant during an army raid in the West Bank on Tuesday, Palestinian health officials said, while elsewhere in the occupied territory a Palestinian gunman opened fire at Israeli soldiers, wounding one before being shot and killed. The events marked the latest violence to roil the territory during one of the most violent stretches of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in nearly two decades. Israel has pressed on with near-nightly raids in the West Bank while Palestinian militants have ramped up shooting attacks against Israelis.

Asia Cup 2023: Super Four, final matches to stay in Colombo

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) on September 5 decided to keep the Asia Cup Super 4 and final matches in Colombo itself as the weather in the Sri Lankan capital has shown signs of improvement. It has been speculated over the last few days that the Super 4 and final games of the Asia Cup could be shifted to Hambantota after heavy rains lashed Colombo.

Tata Steel Chess India: Gukesh among early leaders

Just when it seemed R. Praggnanandhaa would have another excellent day on the chessboard — something he has got used to over the last few months — Vincent Keymer made him pause. In the third-round clash between the two hugely talented teenagers, in the Open rapid section of the Tata Steel Chess India tournament, the German prevailed to move into the joint lead at the end of the first day at the National Library on Tuesday. He is sharing the top spot with first seed Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France, Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan and D. Gukesh.

New Delhi:

The government has called for a “special session of Parliament” to be held from September 18 to 22, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi posted on X (formerly Twitter), adding, that there will be five sittings. “Amid Amrit Kaal, looking forward to having a fruitful discussion and debate in Parliament,” he said.

Government sources have, so far, been tight-lipped on possible agendas.

There is speculation the special session is being called to begin the process of shifting from the old to the new Parliament building. So, this session may begin in the old and end in the new. 

Also, it may not be a joint session of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

Special Session of Parliament (13th Session of 17th Lok Sabha and 261st Session of Rajya Sabha) is being called from 18th to 22nd September having 5 sittings. Amid Amrit Kaal looking forward to have fruitful discussions and debate in Parliament. pic.twitter.com/b3PIRngpOs

— Pralhad Joshi (@JoshiPralhad) August 31, 2023

Government sources have, though, also said the agenda is likely to include Amrit Kaal celebrations and India as a ‘developed nation’. There is no hint of any important bill that will be passed.

The timing of the special session is interesting, though, as it coincides with the mega opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A’s third meeting in Mumbai. The 28-party grouping has declared its intention to bring down the Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in next year’s general election.

READ |INDIA Bloc Has Several Choices For PM Post, BJP Has One: Uddhav Thackeray

The special session will also take place amid several major developments, including India having just hosted the G20 Summit in Delhi; this will be in the national capital between September 8 and 10.

In addition, the session will also take place after the Supreme Court was told the government is open to the conduct of elections in Jammu and Kashmir. During the court’s hearing on multiple petitions challenging the government’s scrapping of Article 370 in J&K, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, said the decision on when to hold elections in the former state lay in the hands of central and state poll bodies.

READ | Kapil Sibal, Centre’s Lawyer In Heated Argument During Article 370 Hearing

However, on a timeline for restoration of statehood to J&K – a question posed by the court on Wednesday, Mr Mehta said the government is “unable to give an exact time period for conversion”.

What Was The Last Parliament Session?

The last session of Parliament was the Monsoon Session, which began on July 20 and wrapped up on August 12; 23 bills were passed by the government on that occasion. The session was marked by several protests from the opposition on a number of issues, including the violence in Manipur and ruckus over the contentious Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

Most significantly, the session also witnessed a dramatic, three-day-long debate on a ‘no confidence’ motion introduced by the Congress and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi ruling in Telangana.

READ | Monsoon Session Ends: Political Tone Set For 2024, Big Ticket Bills Passed

Several top leaders, including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, took on the government, for whom Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the fightback, setting the tone for the big Lok Sabha battle of 2024.