A case of blocking of 129 betting websites has come to light on the basis of fake orders issued in the name of Rajasthan and Allahabad High Court. Following Reuters investigation, the Prime Minister's Office has sought a reply from the Telecom Secretary. The police and the ministry have started separate investigations.
New Delhi: The matter of blocking 129 online betting websites in the country on the basis of fake court orders has reached the Prime Minister's Office. Investigation by news agency Reuters revealed that the Department of Telecommunications acted on two such orders issued in the name of Rajasthan and Allahabad High Courts, which had no mention in the official records of the courts. After the matter came to light, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has called Telecom Secretary Amit Aggarwal to give clarification. The police have also started investigation for forgery and fraud against unknown people.
Parliament session may start in the first week of December
According to the report of news agency PTI, the winter session of Parliament may be held in early December. The government is currently considering the date of the session and legislative work.
Earlier, such reports had also come out that the Parliament session could start from November 30 or December 4. However, none of these dates have been officially confirmed.
Another option before the government is to call a special session of Parliament before the winter session. In this, proposals related to women's reservation and delimitation can be presented.
The last monsoon session of Parliament was adjourned sine die on August 13, 2026. Since then, discussions are going on among political parties regarding when the next session will be held.
Government's emphasis on implementing women's reservation law
The priorities of the central government include implementing 33 percent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
The law related to women's reservation was made in 2023, but the process of implementing it is linked to the census and subsequent delimitation.
Now the government is considering bringing a constitutional amendment proposal to change this system. Its purpose is said to be to pave the way for early implementation of women's reservation.
According to government sources, the government wants the reservation system for women to become effective before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
However, the final outline of the proposal and the timeline for its implementation will be clear only from the bill to be introduced in Parliament.
Why can there be a dispute regarding delimitation?
Along with women's reservation, the issue of delimitation is also under discussion. Under delimitation, the boundaries of parliamentary and assembly constituencies and the number of seats are reviewed on the basis of population and other prescribed rules.
The government is also considering a proposal to increase the number of seats to implement women's reservation.
How many MPs' support is required to amend the Constitution?
If there is a need for constitutional amendment in the proposal related to implementation of women's reservation, the government will have to achieve the prescribed special majority in both the houses of the Parliament.
According to Article 368 of the Constitution, for such an amendment, majority of the total membership of the concerned House and the support of at least two-thirds of the members participating in the voting are required.
In a PTI report on November 12, government sources had claimed that talks were underway to garner the necessary support. Sources said that the government is expecting to get 15 to 18 more votes than the required number.
However, this is the claim of sources associated with the government. The real situation will become clear only after voting on the bill.
Opposition may raise questions on SIR of voter list
Special intensive revision of the voter list in the winter session can also become a subject of debate.
Many opposition parties have expressed apprehension that names of eligible voters may be removed from the list during the SIR process. The opposition says that during the scrutiny of voter list, the voting rights of any eligible citizen should not be affected.
On the other hand, the Election Commission has clarified in the affidavit filed in the Supreme Court that its objective is to ensure the names of all eligible citizens in the voter list.
The Commission has informed that those whose names were earlier in the voter list but are not in the new draft list, can apply again under the prescribed conditions.
The opposition may demand a discussion in Parliament on the transparency of this process and the problems faced by the voters.
It will be important to build consensus between the government and the opposition
This time, along with legislative work, political debate can also be important in the winter session of Parliament.
The government wants to take forward the proposals related to women's reservation and delimitation. At the same time, the opposition can register its objections on issues like the nature of these proposals, representation of states and SIR.
Since a special majority is required for constitutional amendment, the government may need the support of parties other than allies.
Now all eyes are on the official announcement of the Parliament session and the proposed legislative agenda of the government.