Parliament budget session highlights: DMK submits breach of privilege notice against Dharmendra Pradhan over NEP row

Parliament budget session highlights: Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha reconvened today as the second part of the budget session begins.

According to the Lok Sabha’s list of business, several bills and standing committee reports are scheduled for presentation.Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had presented her eighth consecutive budget on February 1, and the session is set to conclude on April 4.Both Houses were adjourned until March 10 after the JPC report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was tabled in Parliament.

Additionally, they completed discussions on the Union Budget, with Sitharaman addressing the debates.The JPC report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was laid before both Houses.

BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, chairperson of the JPC, tabled the report in Lok Sabha, while party MP Medha Vishram Kulkarni presented it in Rajya Sabha.

A record of evidence from the panel’s proceedings was also submitted.However, opposition members protested in Lok Sabha, claiming their dissenting notes were excluded from the report.

Responding to this, Union home minister Amit Shah remarked, “the government would have no opposition if the opposition's dissent notes were added to the report.”What’s on the agenda today?• Union home minister Amit Shah will introduce the "Tribhuvan" Sahkari University Bill, 2025, to establish the Institute of Rural Management Anand as "Tribhuvan" Sahkari University and grant it the status of an institution of national importance.• Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present a statement outlining Manipur's estimated revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2025-26.• Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal will introduce the Bills of Lading Bill, 2024, which seeks to transfer rights of suit and liabilities to the consignee named in a bill of lading and its endorsee, facilitating the transfer of ownership of goods and addressing related legal provisions.• Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi will present standing committee reports on Home Affairs, including the 251st report on the government's response to recommendations from the Two Hundred Forty-Fifth Report on 'Prison – Conditions, Infrastructure, and Reforms.'• In Rajya Sabha, Amit Shah will submit documents, including a proclamation issued by the President on February 13, 2025, under Article 356 of the Constitution concerning Manipur, as per Clause (3) of the article.• Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will propose that the Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which has already been passed by Lok Sabha, be taken up for consideration in Rajya Sabha.New Income Tax Bill, 2025Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the New Income Tax Bill, 2025, aimed at simplifying tax laws, modernising definitions, and ensuring greater clarity on various tax-related aspects will be effective from April 1, 2026.The bill, tabled in Lok Sabha, seeks to replace the Income Tax Act, 1961 and implement changes affecting individuals, businesses, and non-profit organisations.Sitharaman proposed referring the bill to a select committee for further examination.

One key reform in the bill is the use of simplified language and modern terminology, replacing outdated terms to better reflect the current economic landscape.For instance, the bill introduces a "tax year" in place of the existing financial and assessment year systems.

It also formally defines terms such as "virtual digital asset" and "electronic mode", recognising the increasing role of digital transactions and cryptocurrencies in today's financial ecosystem.