NEW DELHI, July 16:  Proceedings in Rajya Sabha were disrupted today as the opposition pressed for a debate on the Gaza situation but the government steadfastly refused saying it could impact upon India’s diplomatic ties with Israel and Palestine.
The government and opposition locked horns over the issue of discussion and cited rules and precedents in the House, while arguing for and against on whether the business once listed can be altered.
The opposition pointed out that the issue had been listed as part of business for the day and should be taken up first.
Members kept citing rules to argue in favour and against the debate for almost two hours during which the House was adjourned a number of times. It was finally adjourned for the day at 3 PM.
Earlier resisting a debate, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said she had come to know late about the listing of the issue in the day’s business and had written to Chairman Hamid Ansari requesting that it should be dropped.
She said, “We have diplomatic ties with both nations. Any discourteous reference to any friendly country can impact our relations with them.”
Swaraj, along with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu, said the House should take up the debate on Railway Budget till the Chairman’s ruling on her letter came.
Deputy Chairman P J Kurien also said that the House should take up other business till the Chairman’s ruling comes.
The entire opposition refused to budge and insisted that they will not let any other item to be taken up till the issue is resolved.
“We cannot take up the Railway Budget unless the first item is disposed of,” said Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was to speak on the Rail Budget.
“In the larger interest of the country, I urge the House to take up the Railway Budget,” Naidu said amid uproar by opposition.
Swaraj said “this discussion cannot be allowed” and cited rules in this regard asking the Chair to take up the Rail Budget instead. This request evoked a resounding ‘no’ from the opposition benches, who joined hands to corner the government.
Coming to her aid, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said government business gets priority and till Chairman’s decision on the External Affairs Minister’s letter is taken, government business has to be taken up first.
“Railway Budget needs to be taken up first and completed. It is important,” he said.
Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) said this is “not permissible” and cited rules in support of his contention, while Swaraj told him that he should not read the rules in piece meal and rather read them together. She also said the Railway Budget was part of the business listed for the day.
Sukhendu Sekhar Roy (TMC) said he was not aware of the letter written by Swaraj and what its contents were, but said, “there should be sufficient grounds for variation in the list of business”.
Various opposition members cited rules and said once the business is listed even the Chairman has no authority to alter it, saying if done so it will set a bad precedent.
Naidu cited yesterday’s proceedings of the House when the Chair had called for starting the discussion on Railway Budget but the Leader of Opposition said he will speak tomorrow.
Giving his ruling on whether the business of the House can be altered, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said, “I want the House to help the Chair. I am not disagreeing with what is being said. It is true that this item is listed in the business and that it cannot be changed unilaterally. But the Chair is in an unusually peculiar situation.
“Government has to respond when there is a debate…But, government has written disagreeing on a debate. She (Swaraj) has clearly expressed that she is unable to respond to clarifications/discussion on the issue. The Chair cannot ignore that. The Chair needs more time to give ruling and, therefore, we move to next business,” he said. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, July 16:
The HRD Ministry has asked UGC to conduct a thorough investigation into instances where sanction letters were issued to colleges not eligible for grants even as a police probe in the matter was underway.
The Ministry has also asked the UGC chairman to ensure submission of reply on irrigularities pointed by DG of Audit, Central Expenditure in the organisation.
“UGC has reported that instances have come to its notice wherein colleges not eligible for UGC grants were issued sanction letters by UGC secretariat and grants also issued to these colleges.
“Taking note of these instances, HRD Ministry has written to the UGC for a thorough investigation of these matters, fix responsibilities and devise an effective internal control to avoid such lapses,” HRD Minister Smriti Irani told Lok Sabha today.
She said two FIRs have also been lodged by UGC officials and police investigations are underway in the matter. Besides, departmental actions have been initiated against two “erring” UGC officials.
The Minister was replying to a question on whether widespread financial mismanagement and lack of transparency on financial issues in UGC have come to the Government’s notice.
The DG of Audit Central Expenditure in its draft inspection report for 2012-13 had brought out irrigularities in UGC in the nature of audit paras (question/query/suggestion raised by auditing authority for which compliance is must), funds remaining unutilised with universities since long, lack of monitoring and weak internal control mechanism.
The Minister said the UGC chairman has been asked to ensure submission of replies to the pending paras, ensure required inspection to happen and report the outcome of such inspections and expenditure status.
UGC, she said, has reported that it has introduced a system of internal mechanism of checks and balances to safeguard against irregular sanctions and grants.
An internal financial division has also been created in UGC which examines files relating to grants and vets proposals of colleges, she said in her written reply. (PTI)