Parliament Diary

Rajya Sabha adjourned early and scheduled business could not
be taken up. The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, the Indian Medical
Council (Amendment) Bill, and the Dentists (Amendment) Bill were listed in the
agenda today.

The Speaker of Lok Sabha set up a nine-member inquiry committee
to probe into the incident of video recording within the Parliament house by a
member.  The Committee has been asked to
submit its report by August 3, 2016.

Lok Sabha took up discussion on the Institutes of Technology
(Amendment) Bill, 2016. During the debate members raised their concerns with
regard to limited seat capacity, shortage of funding to existing IITs, need for
promoting more research initiatives, the need to increase teacher intake, etc.

The Bill seeks to add six new Indian Institutes of
Technology (IITs) in Tirupati, Palakkad, Goa, Dharwar, Bhilai, and Jammu.  It also seeks to bring the Indian School of
Mines, Dhanbad within the ambit of the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961.  All these institutions will be declared as
institutions of national importance.

The Bill provides for the incorporation of IIT (Indian
School of Mines), Dhanbad.  It states
that until the statutes in relation to IIT (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad
are made under the Act, the statutes applicable to IIT Roorkee will apply to
it.

Lok Sabha was sitting
at the time of sending this diary.