The first phase of the Budget Session of Parliament concluded on Friday after weeks of persistent disruptions, heated exchanges, and repeated adjournments, with proceedings overshadowed by political controversies surrounding the proposed India–US interim trade deal and the unpublished memoir of former Army Chief M. M. Naravane. The House will now reconvene on March 9 following a three-week recess during which parliamentary standing committees will review budgetary allocations for various central ministries under the Union Budget.

Earlier in the day, proceedings were briefly adjourned for an hour after Opposition members staged protests demanding the resignation of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. The Opposition also voiced strong objections to the India–US interim trade agreement, alleging a lack of transparency and consultation.

The session had commenced on January 28 with President Droupadi Murmu addressing a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament, setting the legislative agenda for the year. However, the proceedings soon turned contentious.

Tensions escalated in the Lok Sabha on February 2 when the Chair disallowed Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi from quoting excerpts from Naravane’s memoir related to the 2020 India–China conflict. The decision triggered strong protests, leading to dramatic scenes inside the House.

Members of the Opposition resorted to sloganeering and demonstrations, resulting in multiple adjournments. The disorder culminated in disciplinary action, with seven Congress members and one CPI(M) member suspended for the remainder of the session for unruly conduct, including climbing onto officials’ tables and throwing torn papers towards the Chair.

Amid fears of further disruptions, Speaker Om Birla reportedly requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to attend the Lok Sabha during his scheduled reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address, in an effort to maintain order.

With legislative business repeatedly stalled, much of the session’s focus shifted from policymaking to political confrontation. The upcoming recess will allow committees to scrutinize ministry-wise budget proposals, after which Parliament is expected to resume discussions with renewed focus on financial and legislative matters.

Responding to concerns raised by Jammu and Kashmir National Conference MP Chowdhary Muhammad Ramzan over rising unemployment in the Union Territory, Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje said the Centre has launched multiple initiatives aimed at bringing youth into the employment mainstream.

Speaking during a parliamentary discussion, Karandlaje defended the government’s approach, stating that creating opportunities for young people in Jammu and Kashmir remains a key priority. “To save Kashmir and bring the young people to the forefront is our aim,” she said.

Sharing an anecdote to underline what she described as changing perceptions, the minister said that during a recent flight, a young woman from the region told her that it was the first time a Prime Minister was thinking specifically about the children of Jammu and Kashmir. She cited this as a reflection of the Centre’s renewed focus on youth welfare and employment in the UT under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

Highlighting progress in formal sector inclusion, Karandlaje said around 1.60 lakh individuals from Jammu and Kashmir have enrolled with the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) over the past two years, expanding social security coverage and indicating increased formal employment participation.

The exchange took place amid broader debates in Parliament on unemployment during discussions related to the Union Budget. Opposition members have repeatedly criticised the government over job creation and pointed to regional disparities in employment growth.

Raising the issue, MP Muhammad Ramzan described unemployment in Jammu and Kashmir as a “striking issue” and warned that large-scale joblessness among educated youth is contributing to serious social consequences, including drug addiction.

“Unemployment leads the youth of Jammu and Kashmir to social evils like drugs,” Ramzan said, stressing that the crisis is not only economic but also social in nature. He urged the Centre to spell out concrete, targeted measures to generate jobs and prevent further deterioration.

Experts and several public representatives have linked persistent unemployment in the region to rising substance abuse, saying the trend threatens long-term social stability if not addressed through sustained job creation and youth engagement policies.

While the government has highlighted EPFO enrolment and welfare-linked employment measures, critics argue that Jammu and Kashmir requires stronger region-specific industrial, skill development, and entrepreneurship incentives to tackle the root causes of unemployment.

Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh on Thursday assured the Rajya Sabha that safety remains the foremost priority in India’s atomic energy programme, dismissing concerns surrounding the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant.

Replying to questions during Question Hour, Singh said the nuclear sector operates strictly on the principle of “Safety First, Production Next.” He was responding to AIADMK MP M. Thambidurai, who flagged delays in the Kudankulam project due to safety-related apprehensions and raised queries about the distribution of electricity generated from the plant.

The minister clarified that power sharing is governed by a fixed formula under which 50 percent of the electricity is allocated to the host state, 35 percent to neighbouring states, and 15 percent to the national grid.

Addressing safety concerns, Singh said several apprehensions stem from “extraneous and political reasons” rather than technical or scientific facts. He emphasized that no mishap has occurred at the Kudankulam facility so far.

He also rejected claims that spent nuclear fuel from other reactors would be stored at Kudankulam, stating that such assertions are not based on scientific rationale.

The Delhi High Court on Thursday permitted AAP leader and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to withdraw his petition challenging the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons issued to him in connection with the excise policy-linked money laundering case. The court dismissed the plea as withdrawn while keeping all legal questions open.

Appearing for Kejriwal, senior counsel told the bench that the petition would not be pursued further since the trial court had already acquitted him in cases related to his non-appearance before the ED. He added that constitutional issues would be raised at an appropriate stage if required.

A bench led by Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia recorded the submission and passed the order allowing withdrawal of the petition.

Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, representing the ED, informed the court that the agency would challenge the trial court’s acquittal order in appeal.

On January 22, the trial court had acquitted Kejriwal in two cases filed over his failure to comply with ED summons, holding that the legality of service of summons could be questioned and that intentional disobedience was not established.

Kejriwal had approached the High Court after receiving multiple summons from the ED in 2024. He was later arrested and is currently on interim bail in the money laundering case. The Supreme Court has referred broader questions regarding the “need and necessity of arrest” under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to a larger bench.

The ED alleges that the now-scrapped excise policy was framed to benefit certain accused persons and generate kickbacks for the Aam Aadmi Party. Kejriwal has denied the allegations and has also challenged certain PMLA provisions, claiming misuse of the law for political purposes.