Here are the updates from Wednesday:

  1. Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu suspended six Trinamool Congress MPs for the day citing “gross disorderly conduct”, NDTV reported. The MPs – Dola Sen, Nadimul Haque, Abir Ranjan Biswas, Shanta Chhetri , Arpita Ghosh and Mausam Noor – had entered the Well of the House and displayed placards while protesting about the Pegasus surveillance allegations.
  2. The proceedings of the Lok Sabha were adjourned twice as Opposition parties held protests over the Pegasus allegations, The Indian Express reported. Legislators of the Congress, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Trinamool Congress and Left parties rushed to the Well of the House demanding to discuss whether India used Israeli-made Pegasus spyware to monitor politicians, journalists and activists.
  3. In a joint statement, Opposition parties said they stand firm and united on their demand for a discussion on the Pegasus controversy in both Houses of Parliament, The Hindu reported. The demanded that the home minister should speak about the matter, as it involves national security.
  4. The Union Home Ministry told the Rajya Sabha that 1,948 people were arrested under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act in 2019. A total of 34 people were convicted under the UAPA in that year, the ministry said, citing National Crime Records Bureau figures.
  5. A total of 941 people have died in the country while being engaged in cleaning of sewers or septic tanks, the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment told the Rajya Sabha. The minister, however, did not specify the time frame in which these deaths took place.
  6. The Lok Sabha passed the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Bill, 2021, PTI reported. The Bill seeks to set up a statutory authority to tackle air pollution in the National Capital Region and neighbouring areas.
  7. Trinamool Congress MP and former Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar took oath as a Rajya Sabha member. He was elected unopposed to the Upper House of Parliament earlier this week.
  8. Two MPs from Punjab, Congress’s Ravneet Singh Bittu and Akali Dal’s Harsimrat Kaur Badal, were seen arguing outside Parliament on the new farm laws, NDTV reported. A day earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had held a breakfast meeting in a show of Opposition unity against the central government.
  9. The Rajya Sabha passed the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, 2021, the Economic Times reported. The Bill seeks to expand the scope of determining tariffs for smaller airports, thereby encouraging further investment in them.
  10. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that private hospitals in the country were not fully using the 25% coronavirus vaccine quota allotted to them. He added that unutilised doses will now be used by government facilities.