HIV/AIDS bill in next parliament session

November 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The long pending legislation on HIV/AIDS that aims to protect the rights of people living with the disease, will be tabled in parliament in its next session, said Oscar Fernandes, chairman of the Parliamentary Forum for HIV and AIDS, Friday. "The consultation work on the bill has been expedited as we want it to be tabled in the next session of parliament.

November 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A bill seeking 50 percent reservation for women in urban local bodies was introduced Tuesday in Parliament. Introducing the constitutional (112th Amendment) bill in the Lok Sabha, Urban Development Minister S.

November 23rd, 2009 SYDNEY - Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd could get his wish and have legislation for a national carbon-trading scheme through Parliament before he attends next month's climate conference in Copenhagen. Rudd's Labour government Tuesday sealed a deal with the conservative coalition it beat at the last election that should see rules for a European-style cap-and-trade scheme on the books before the end of the week.

November 11th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - The Shiromani Akali Dal Wednesday said it will involve like-minded parties in raising the plight of the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in the winter session of parliament. "The Akali Dal, along with all like-minded parties, will raise the issue of the Congress's deliberate attempts to scuttle the trial of Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler on flimsy grounds in the winter session of parliament and force the government to expedite trial in this 25 years old case," Akali Dal president and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said here.

October 23rd, 2009 HYDERABAD - A bill to amend the Emigration Act, 1983, enacted to protect from exploitation the workers going to the Gulf countries, with new provisions to protect interests of emigrants to other places in the world would be tabled in the winter session of parliament, an official said Friday. Protector General of Emigrants Ranbir Singh said the new provisions will improve the management of migration.

October 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - After much persuasion and a mass protest, Law and Justice Minister Veerappa Moily said he will discuss the latest draft of the HIV/AIDS bill with the health ministry which, according to patients and civil society, have "key provisions" missing. Raman Chawla of the Lawyers' Collective, who led a six-member team from the Network of HIV Positive People to meet Moily late Wednesday, said the minister assured them of sorting out the differences as soon as possible.

October 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Highly dissatisfied with the third draft of the HIV/AIDS bill which the law ministry has proposed, nearly 200 people, including those living with HIV, staged a protest outside the ministry office in the capital Wednesday. According to the protesters, many of whom have come from as far as Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata to take part in the protest, 38 key provisions necessary to safeguard the rights of HIV positive people have been deleted in the draft.

October 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Barely five days after it was launched, the civil society movement to support the passage of the women's reservation bill has started gaining momentum. Nearly a hundred people have signed up the online petition to the president and scores of others have taken up the cause on the social networking site, Facebook.

October 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A letter everyday to President Pratibha Patil, communities on social networking sites and blogs -- these are the new initiatives announced by rights group campaigning for the passage of Women's Reservation Bill in parliament. Ranjana Kumari, director of the Centre for Social Research who is heading the campaign, said: "We are tired of the government's slow progress towards passing of the Women's Reservation Bill.

October 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily Thursday said the government will set up four new schools for law which will be centres of excellence with international standards.

October 3rd, 2009 LAHORE - A petition challenging the Kerry-Lugar Bill has been filed in Sindh High Court pleading that the bill as it seemed serious threat for sovereignty and constitution of Pakistan. The plaintiff, Advocate Sohail Hameed, on Friday submitted that the US Kerry-Lugar Bill is against the self-respect of the country, and if the bill is granted to the government of Pakistan, it would weaken the constitution of the country.

September 20th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India's law ministry is soon expected to clear the draft of a bill that aims to prevent discrimination against HIV patients in a country that has one of the highest number of people afflicted with the disease. But activists and health officials say this has come after many delays and hiccups.

September 20th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A comprehensive Bill making it mandatory for the Judges of Supreme Court and the High Courts to declare their assets on regular basis will be introduced in the winter session of Parliament. According to official sources, the Judges Declaration of Assets and Liability Bill 2009 is being redrafted after the maiden attempt to introduce it in the Budget Session failed following protests by the Opposition parties in the Parliament.

September 16th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Supreme Court Wednesday reserved its verdict on a lawsuit asking if parliament's first meeting each year should also be considered its first session, requiring the president's address. A constitution bench headed by Chief Justice K.G.

September 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Asserting that his ministry has fulfilled all promises for the first 100 days, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal Thursday said he will bring in six new bills, including one to replace education regulators like the UGC and the AICTE with a commission. Our ministry has circulated the draft bill about an autonomous overarching authority for higher education.