Maintaining the ecological balance

29 September 2021(https://www.dailypioneer.com/2021/columnists/maintaining-the-ecological-balance.html)
By Devender Singh Aswal (EX-Additional Secretary, Lok Sabha)

The objective of environmental laws is to conserve, sustain and manage the environment without which the ‘right to life’ remains inconceivable You must show it is a ministry for environment and not just of environment”, chastised the Supreme Court as recently as in June, 2021, when the Ministry of Environment, challenged the order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) finding faults with a government notification of 2017, diluting effluent discharge norms for the sewage treatment plants. The Court bemoaned the constant dilution of environmental standards and refused to stay the NGT order. In a landmark judgement passed on August 31, 2021, the Court refused to i ...   Read more

 

Games politicos play

    18 July 2020 (https://www.dailypioneer.com/2020/columnists/games-politicos-play.html)
    By Devender Singh Aswal (EX-Additional Secretary, Lok Sabha)

 The high political theatre in Rajasthan and earlier in Madhya Pradesh has yet again brought to the fore the efficacy or otherwise of the anti-defection law enshrined in the Constitution by the 52nd Amendment, which was later further amended by the 91st Constitution (Amendment) Act, in 2003. The sum and substance of these constitutional amendments is that a member of the legislature, whether of the Union or the State Legislature, shall be disqualified, if s/he is disqualified under the Tenth Schedule. The precise grounds for disqualification of a legislator, as per the Tenth Schedule are, if s/he has voluntarily given up his/her membership of such political party, or if s/he votes or abst ...   Read more

 

THE OLD ORDER CHANGETH YIELDING PLACE TO NEW

    16 Jul 2020 ( Please visit this link to read Hindi version of this article https://www.jagran.com/editorial/apnibaat-new-parliament-house-better-to-have-new-building-equipped-with-facilities-than-old-and-weak-building-of-parliament-20516701.html )
    By Dr. Yogendra Narain (Ex-Secretary General, Rajya Sabha)

 The present Parliament Building planned, designed and constructed under the supervision of Lutyens and Herbert Baker was inaugurated on 18th January 1927 by the then Governor General of India Lord Irwin. It was meant primarily to house the Central Legislative Council. The Central Hall was designed to be the reading room of the Library of the Central Legislature. It was remodeled in 1946 when seating arrangements had to ...   Read more

 

Virtual Parliament to Corona Combat


The corona pandemic has made the traditional parliamentary proceedings untenable. So, parliaments around the world are adapting to the unprecedented health challenge thrown by the novel coronavirus. Many Parliaments have become virtual or hybrid to facilitate remote participation by the members. Some Members of the Opposition in our parliament are demanding, and rightly, virtual committee sittings as they meet more frequently during the recess. The committees – hailed as ‘parliament at work’ – too need to have remote participation as they transact a great deal of business and exercise unremitting oversight over the government. The Monsoon Session of parliament is almost two months away. It’s t ...   Read more

 

Top 8 tips in taking care of mental health | COVID-19 pandemic

    20 April 2020
    By PARI Staff Reporter

At a time when the world is going through a severe health crisis, it is important to take care of one’s mental health along with physical health. The outbreak of COVID-19 has meant that many countries in the world have imposed differing degrees of lockdowns to break the chain of contamination. However, these lockdowns can be both stressful and anxiety causing and hence, taking care of one’s mental health is crucial. It is important to remember that everyone reacts differently to stressful situations and may be differently affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemic is causing panic, anxiety, loneliness, hopelessness, and depression amongst all kinds of people, but especially amongst the elderly, people with chronic diseases, people with already existing mental health issues, children, health care service ...   Read more

 

Making India the global hub of higher education

    July 25, 2019 (https://www.thestatesman.com/opinion/making-india-the-global-hub-of-higher-education-1502781786.html)
    By Devender Singh Aswal (EX-Additional Secretary, Lok Sabha)

 After Ayushman Bharat, the largest health insurance scheme of the world, the next ambitious agenda of the Modi government is to make India one of the leading global hubs of higher education. According to the All India Survey of Higher Education-2018 (AISHE- 2018), the country has 907 universities and 50,000 higher education institutions with enrolment of 33 million students. The Indian higher education system is the third largest with USA and China being the first and the second respectively in quantitative terms. According to the Association of Indian Universities, India has huge potential to attract and retain internation ...   Read more

 

Re-imagining undergraduate education

    July 5, 2019 (https://garhwalpost.in/re-imagining-undergraduate-education/)
    By Devender Singh Aswal (EX-Additional Secretary, Lok Sabha)

 The report of the Dr Kasturi Rangan Committee on Draft National Higher Education Policy (DNEP 2019) covers a wide gamut, almost all aspects of an overarching national education policy that should be holistic. There can be no gainsaying that education is a critical contributor to sustainable livelihoods, economic development and plays a catalytic role in improving human well being, and developing the nation as a democratic, just, socially conscious, cultured, and humane society, with liberty, equality, fraternity, and justice for all. As India moves towards becoming a true knowledge society and with the onset of the fourth industrial revolution, even more young Indians are aspiring for higher education. Havi ...   Read more

 

FACT FILE | No-Confidence Motion in Lok Sabha | Monsoon Session 2018

    August 2018
    By PARI Staff Reporter

A Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to Lok Sabha and it remains in office till it enjoys confidence of majority of the members in Lok Sabha. Thus, a motion of no-confidence is moved to remove the council of ministers and thus oust the government from office. While Article 75 of the Indian Constitution specifies that the council of ministers shall be collectively responsible to the House of the People - there is no mention of a no-confidence motion. All it indicates is that the majority of Lok Sabha members must be with the Prime Minister and his Cabinet. Article 118 of the Constitution permits each house of Parliament to make its own rules for conduct of business. Rule 198 of the Lok Sabha specifies the procedure for a motion of no-confidence. Any member may give a written notice before 10 am; the Speaker will read the ...   Read more

 

संसद में अवरोध की राजनीति

    04 Apr 2018 (https://www.livehindustan.com/blog/story-devender-singh-aswal-article-in-hindustan-on-05-april-1886830.html)
    By देवेन्द्र सिंह असवाल, पूर्व अपर सचिव, लोकसभा 

 नोक-झोंक, रोक-टोक, आकस्मिक व्यवधान, व्यंग्य-विनोद, हाजिर जवाबी और तर्क चातुर्य ऐसी विधाएं हैं, जो संसद की कार्यवाही को जीवंत बनाती हैं। ये मौलिक बहस का सृजन और साथ ही सांसदों की तत्क्षण स्फूर्त बोलने की क्षमता का निर् ...   Read more

 

Ganga: Purifying the Purifier

    June 6, 2016 https://www.indialegallive.com/science-and-environment/ganga-purifying-the-purifier
    This mission, also called Namami Gange, was started in May 2015 with an outlay of Rs. 20,000 crore and aims for complete rejuvenation of the Ganga. But that seems easier said than done.
    By Devender Singh Aswal (EX-Additional Secretary, Lok Sabha)

 The story of the Ganga is the story of India’s civilization. For countless millions, the “Tri-path-gamini” (traveler of the three worlds) Ganga is a river of eternal faith. The promise to purify mother Ganga, declared one of the 10 most polluted rivers of the world, galvanized the electoral campaign of the 16th Lok Sabha. Elected to power, the new government rechristened the Water Resources Ministry as the Ministry for Water Resources, River De ...   Read more