AIADMK demands Bharat Ratna for J Jayalalithaa

New Delhi: A demand to be conferred Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian honour, on former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa was made by the party MP in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, calling her the ‘mother of welfare programmes’. Raising the issue with his zero hour speech, AIADMK’s M Dhanapal said Jayalalithaa was a transformational leader who combined compassion with administrative efficiency and political courage.

Calling her the ‘mother of welfare programmes’, he continued the numerous, far-reaching welfare programs initiated by her, including Amma canteens (low-cost food), Amma pharmacies, free laptops/bikes for students, and subsidized household items such as mixers/grinders.
He added that approval of Bharat Ratna would be a true tribute to the late leader.

AAP’s Rajinder Gupta sought the setting up of a National Wage School Council on the lines of the GST Council, where the Center and the state could collaborate to decide on fair and transparent wage norms for the states.

Stating that the budget allocation to the education sector continues to be below 6 percent of the GDP as envisaged in the 2020 National Education Policy.
While the private coaching market is growing and schools are charging non-uniform fees rising at 10-15 percent annually, policymakers and officials are wary of sending their children to public schools. While K Laxman of the BJP wanted the establishment of an All India Judicial Service to ensure recruitment of junior judicial judges in all states, his party colleague Laxmikant Bajpyaee of the BJP raised the issue of administrative order of the registrar of Allahabad High Court, ignoring the Supreme Court order mandating electronic filing (e-filing) for all types of cases.

While JMM’s Sarfraz Ahmad wanted the Howrah-Gaya Vande Bharat Express to be re-routed to connect three districts in Jharkhand, Harsh Varhdhan Shringla (Candidate) raised the issue of lack of adequate number of CGHS wellness centers in Darjeeling town and Sikkim.

Ashok Singh (Cong) raised the issue of AI eliminating jobs in the IT sector, which was once considered an engine of employment.

Sat Paul Sharma of BJP called for long-delayed elections to Cantonment Boards, Sasmit Patra raised the issue of farmers in Odisha having to sell distressed paddy due to non-removal of their crops by mandis, while Sumer Singh Solanki of BJP flagged the issue of fake caste certificates being used to snatch jobs and other opportunities from deserving beneficiaries.