Key Points

On August 1, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government was ready to hold discussions on any issue under the rules, but the SIR could not be debated as it was a process carried out by a constitutional body--the Election Commission of India.

"I want to clarify that the government is ready to hold discussions on any issue as per the rules. There cannot be a discussion on SIR because it is a process undertaken by a Constitutional body, and it is not happening for the first time..." Rijiju told ANI.

Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha on Friday is set to consider and pass the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025, with Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya moving the legislation. He is also scheduled to move amendments to the National Anti-Doping Act, 2022.

The National Sports Governance Bill aims to promote sports, ensure welfare measures for sportspersons, and introduce ethical practices based on international standards, the Olympic and Paralympic Charters, and best governance principles. It also seeks to create mechanisms for resolving sports-related grievances and disputes in an equitable and effective way.

Union Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will move the Indian Ports Bill, 2025, which aims to consolidate laws on ports, promote integrated development, improve ease of doing business, and make optimum use of India's coastline. The bill also proposes setting up State Maritime Boards and a Maritime State Development Council, along with measures for port safety, pollution management, navigation, and data handling.

The Lok Sabha is also expected to take up private members' bills in the evening. BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy will move amendments to the Mental Healthcare (Amendment) Bill, 2024. Reports of the Committee on the Welfare of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) will be presented by BJP MPs Ganesh Singh and Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, focusing on implementation of welfare measures, reservation policy, and OBC representation in government jobs.

Congress MP Saleng A Sangma and BJP MP Manju Sharma will present standing committee reports on the appointment of notaries, reforms in the election process, and the review of recruitment organisations.

On Thursday, the Lok Sabha passed the Manipur Appropriation (No. 2) Bill, 2025, and the Manipur Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025. Both bills were cleared amid opposition protests over the SIR issue.

The appropriation bill authorises payment from the Consolidated Fund of Manipur for the 2025-26 financial year. The bills were passed after brief remarks by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who criticised the opposition's protests.

- ANI