Rush Hour: Centre’s amendment bill for delimitation defeated and more

Sugar-free products with sugar. ‘Real’ juices with artificial ingredients. Misleading food ads are fuelling a public health crisis in India. Help Scroll expose the systemic failure. Support our investigation.

The Union government’s bill to amend the 2023 Women’s Reservation Act and redraw the boundaries of electoral constituencies was defeated in the Lok Sabha. The 2026 Constitution 131st Amendment Bill, one of three draft legislations, required a two-thirds majority of votes in Parliament to pass.

With 528 MPs present in the Lower House, 352 votes were required to take up the draft legislation for passing. However, the consideration of the bill was rejected after only 298 MPs voted in its favour and 230 against it.

The government decided to withdraw the two other bills, saying that they were linked to the bill that had been defeated and could not be taken up for consideration separately. Read on.

The Supreme Court declined Congress leader Pawan Khera’s petition to lift the stay on a Telangana High Court order granting him transit anticipatory bail in a case registered by the Assam Police. The bench also declined to extend Khera’s transit bail till Tuesday, so that he could approach an Assam court.

Neither the High Court’s observations nor the Supreme Court’s stay order should influence...

Read more