Parliament on Monday cleared a bill that seeks to enhance the functioning and independence of the Railway Board. The Railways (Amendment) Bill 2024 was cleared in the Rajya Sabha with a voice vote.

On December 11 last year, it was passed in the Lok Sabha. The Bill repeals the 1905 Act.

I strongly condemn Union Education Minister @dpradhanbjp for his disgraceful remarks calling Tamil Nadu and its people uncivilized. On behalf of the DMK and 8 crore Tamilians, I demand an immediate apology!
His words have deeply hurt and pained the people of Tamil Nadu. What… pic.twitter.com/Gsbbu8cRv3

— Kanimozhi (கனிமொழி) (@KanimozhiDMK) March 10, 2025

DMK Minister Kanimozhi moves notice for breach of Parliamentary privilege against Union Education Minister and BJP MP Dharmendra Pradhan over his remark in the Parliament on the three language issue.

Several opposition members on Monday condemned remarks by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan amid a row over the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) in Tamil Nadu, following which the Lok Sabha proceedings were briefly adjourned.

DMK members protested in Parliament over Mr Pradhan's remarks that the Tamil Nadu government was "dishonest" in implementing the PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme. The Education Minister later withdrew his remarks.

Union Minister JP Nadda slammed the Opposition after their walk out from the House over the issue of delimitation and New Education Policy (NEP) and suggested a "refresher course" for the leaders to understand the functioning of the House.

Addressing the House, Mr Nadda said, "For the past few days, I have been noticing that under Rule 267 in the House, members are giving notices early in the morning. This practice, by the opposition, is a malicious attempt to damage the institution by undermining the Parliament. It's a vicious design to demean the institution of the Parliament. They are not interested in debate; they want to give the impression that the government does not want to answer or engage in a discussion."

Mr Jadda further suggested a "refresher course" for the opposition to understand the rules and regulations. "But there are certain rules and regulations for a debate to proceed. For the next 10 days, there will be discussions on the budget, and everyone will get an opportunity to speak. First, they (the Opposition) should learn to read the laws. This irresponsible behaviour of the opposition is unacceptable. I would suggest, including the Leader of Opposition, that they undergo a refresher course. They should understand the rules and regulations," he said.

The central government on Monday cited a new report from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in Parliament and said the water in the Ganga at Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj was fit for bathing during the recently concluded Maha Kumbh. Triveni Sangam is where the Ganga meets the Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers.

The government also said it had provided a total of Rs 7,421 crore to the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) for cleaning the river in 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 (until March 9).

In response to a question from Samajwadi Party Member of Parliament Anand Bhadauria and Congress minister K Sudhakaran, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said that according to the CPCB report, the median values of pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and faecal coliform (FC) at all monitored locations were within the permissible limits for bathing.

DO refers to the amount of oxygen in water, BOD measures the oxygen needed to break down organic matter and FC is an indicator of sewage contamination. These are key indicators of water quality.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee on Monday said that his party will give notice in the Parliament regarding the role and function of the Election Commission. Speaking to ANI, Kalyan Banerjee said, "We are going to give 193 notice regarding the role and function of the Election Commission... 3 voters have the same EPIC number, which is not permissible as per the law. We are raising this issue strongly. We will raise it in Parliament..."

The Trinamool minister further said that he has also proposed that parliamentary proceedings be held on Saturday, March 15 to make up for the holiday on March 13.

#BudgetSession2025
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw moves The Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in #RajyaSabha for consideration and passing.@RailMinIndia @AshwiniVaishnaw pic.twitter.com/dSrpjLrmrR

— SansadTV (@sansad_tv) March 10, 2025

Congress Minister Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla a short while ago.

#budgetsession2025
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal moves The Bills of Lading Bill, 2024 in Lok Sabha for Consideration and Passing.@sarbanandsonwal @shipmin_india @LokSabhaSectt @loksabhaspeaker pic.twitter.com/aIUwVQnzdW

— SansadTV (@sansad_tv) March 10, 2025

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Monday demanded a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the issue of voter lists on which several political parties have raised certain questions. Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi said the entire opposition has been demanding a discussion on voter lists.

"We accept your remarks that the government does not make voter lists. But we demand a discussion on the issue," the Congress leader said.

"The voter lists are being questioned across the country. Questions have been raised by the opposition in one voice in every state, including Maharashtra," he said.

पूरा विपक्ष संसद में वोटर लिस्ट पर विस्तृत चर्चा की मांग कर रहा है।
महाराष्ट्र की वोटर लिस्ट में गड़बड़ियों को लेकर मेरी प्रेस कॉन्फ्रेंस को एक महीने से अधिक हो गया है।
मगर पारदर्शिता को लेकर चुनाव आयोग से हमने जो मांगें की थीं, वो अब तक पूरी नहीं की गई हैं। सवाल आज भी वैसे ही… pic.twitter.com/YJ2Y5wVkN9

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 10, 2025

Rajya Sabha MP Rekha Sharma accused the opposition of always obstructing the House and stated that they will do similar things today also.

"The opposition always obstructs the House and important issues are left behind...Today also they will do something similar and we are ready for that too...only those issues will come up in Parliament which are for the public...whatever is in our agenda will happen..." Ms Sharma told ANI.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Dinesh Sharma also hit out at the opposition and said that the opposition is always ready for uproar and to obstruct the House.

He further said, "Today's need of democracy is that the opposition should have a healthy discussion and question the ruling party and the ruling party should satisfy the opposition by informing them about its good work but the opposition is not ready. The opposition is ready for uproar and to obstruct the House..."

Led by the Congress, the opposition parties staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha after their notices for discussions on issues ranging from 'duplicate' voter ID cards to US funding to voter turnout were rejected, even as Union minister J P Nadda insisted that the government is ready to discuss any issue provided they are under the rules.

The opposition MPs raised slogans after the deputy chairman of the House, Harivansh, said a dozen notices under Rule 267, which calls for setting aside the business of the day to take up discussions on urgent matters, have been rejected.

Citing the rejection, Harivansh did not allow Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to make his submission.

The opposition MPs then protested for a while before staging a walkout.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan strongly criticised the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party regarding the ongoing controversy over the three-language policy in the New Education Policy. During his address in Lok Sabha, Mr Pradhan accused the DMK of being "dishonest" and playing "politics" at the cost of Tamil Nadu students' future.

"They (DMK) are dishonest. They are not committed to the students of Tamil Nadu. They are ruining the future of Tamil Nadu students. Their only job is to raise language barriers. They are doing politics. They are doing mischief. They are undemocratic and uncivilised," Mr Pradhan said.

In the Rajya Sabha the DMK staged a walkout after raising the issue of the three language policy and the issues of delimitation.

Within the first few minutes of the Parliament reconvening, chaos ensued as the Opposition raised an uproar over the ongoing language row.

While the DMK echoed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin's view of Hindi imposition challenging the cultural ethos of a non-Hindi-speaking state, the education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the party is misleading the youth. He alleged "political opportunism" by the Stalin-led party.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore has given a motion for the adjournment of the business of the House in the Lok Sabha, calling for a discussion on the "internal security crisis in Manipur and Jammu," specifically focusing on the escalating violence and government accountability.

Congress MP K Suresh announced that Congress will raise significant issues in during the second part of the ongoing budget session, particularly focusing on the delimitation process and its effects on southern states, including Tamil Nadu.

Suresh said, "Today in Parliament, during the second part of the budget session...we are going to raise so many important issues in Parliament. Especially the delimitation issue, which has affected southern states. Tamil Nadu already reacted, and other states have also expressed their views. The Government of India is going to start delimitation without any discussion with stakeholders..."

Earlier, DMK MP Tiruchi Siva raised a Suspension of Business Notice in the Rajya Sabha to discuss the critical concerns surrounding the upcoming delimitation exercise, particularly its impact on India's federal structure and its effects on the southern states' fair representation.

Before the House reconvenes, the Congress is expected to hold a meet to formulate its strategy for the second half of the budget session that will continue till April 4. The INDIA parties are expected to coordinate with the Congress.

The government is expected to get the Finance Bills passed that would complete the budgetary process. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will also table the budget for Manipur, which has been under President's Rule since last month.

The Opposition is also expected to resist the Waqf Amendment bill, which has been cleared by the cabinet and is scheduled to be tabled in this session. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has said the government is keen on early passage of the Bill. 

US President Donald Trump's tariff offensive and the deportation of illegal Indian immigrants in chains is also expected to be among the issues that would be raised by the Opposition.