New Delhi, Aug 20: Gold prices dropped Rs 400 to Rs 1,00,020 per 10 grams in the national capital on Wednesday due to continuous selling by stockists, according to the All India Sarafa Association.

The precious metal of 99.9 per cent purity had settled at Rs 1,00,420 per 10 grams in the previous market close.

In the local market, gold of 99.5 per cent purity slipped Rs 350 to Rs 99,700 per 10 grams (inclusive of all taxes) on Wednesday. It had closed at Rs 1,00,050 per 10 grams on Tuesday.

“Gold prices extended losses on Wednesday as the US dollar continued to trade with minimal gains, surging to a one-week high. A decline in the geopolitical risk premium followed a positive outcome from President Donald Trump’s meetings with Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and European leaders.

“This development raised hopes for a potential resolution to the ongoing conflict, which appears to be the leading factor in the decline in gold prices in recent times,” Saumil Gandhi, Senior Analyst, Commodities at HDFC Securities, said.

Additionally, silver prices plunged Rs 1,500 to Rs 1,12,500 per kilogram (inclusive of all taxes) on Wednesday. The white metal had ended at Rs 1,14,000 per kg on Tuesday.

In the overseas markets, spot gold was trading marginally higher at USD 3,326.04 per ounce.

“Gold prices inched lower to their lowest level in nearly three weeks as the dollar strengthened, while investors awaited US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s last speech at the Jackson Hole symposium on Friday.

“Meanwhile, the US dollar index climbed to its highest level in more than a week and USD/INR fell at 87 level, weighing further on domestic prices,” Manav Modi, Analyst, Precious Metal Research, Motilal Oswal Financial Services, said.

However, spot silver was trading at USD 37.07 per ounce, down by nearly 1 per cent in the global markets.

Investors will closely watch Federal Reserve’s meeting minutes to be released later in the day, which is anticipated to offer further insights into the central bank’s monetary policy stance and bullion price trajectory, Modi added.

New Delhi, Aug 20: The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025; the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025′ were referred to the Joint Committee of Parliament after Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced them in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Before Lok Sabha was adjourned till 5pm, the Speaker Om Birla objected to behaviour of opposition members. The Speaker said members should not lower dignity of the House.

“People are watching. Opposition members had earlier objected to the introduction of three bills,” the speaker further added.

The bill was referred to a Joint Committee of the Houses consisting of 21 Members of this House to be nominated by the Speaker Lok sabha and 10 Members of Rajya Sabha to be nominated by Deputy Chairman.

Earlier in the day, opposition MPs tore and threw the copies of the three Bills towards Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Lok Sabha, which seek to remove the Prime Minister or Chief Ministers who are facing allegations of corruption or serious offences and have been detained for 30 consecutive days.

Shah tabled the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025, to further amend the Constitution of India and the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025, apart from the bill to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. He also proposed sending the bllls to a joint committee of Parliament.

The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2025 seeks to amend section 54 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, to provide a legal framework for the removal of the Chief Minister or a Minister in case of arrest or detention in custody on account of serious criminal charges.

Several Opposition MPs opposed the bills amid huge sloganeering, prompting the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to adjourn the House till 3 pm.

Opposing the Bills, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said, “I stand to oppose the introduction of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2025, the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill 2025, and the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill 2025. This violates the principle of separation of powers and undermines the right of the people to elect a government. It gives executive agencies a free hand to act as judge and executioner based on flimsy allegations and suspicions.”

Congress MP KC Venugopal and Home Minister Amit Shah engaged in a verbal spat over the “morality” regarding the bills.Venugopal said, “This bill is meant to sabotage the basic principles of the Constitution. BJP members are saying that this bill is to bring morality into politics. Can I ask the Home Minister a question? When he was the Home Minister of Gujarat, he was arrested — did he uphold morality at that time?”

Replying to Venugopal, Shah recalled that false allegations were made against him.”Before I was arrested, I resigned on moral grounds, and until I was declared innocent by the court, I did not accept any constitutional position,” he said.

Amit Shah further requested the Speaker to refer the three Bills to a Joint Committee of the Houses consisting of 21 Members of the Lok Sabha to be nominated by the Speaker and 10 Members of the Rajya Sabha to be nominated by the Deputy Chairman.

New Delhi, August 20: A Bill to promote and regulate the online gaming sector, including e-sports, educational games and social gaming and to provide for the appointment of an authority for coordinated policy support, strategic development and regulatory oversight of the sector was introduced in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, has been introduced by Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

It seeks to prohibit the offering, operation, facilitation, advertisement, promotion and participation in online money games through any computer resource, mobile device or the internet, particularly where such activities operate across State borders or from foreign jurisdiction.

The bill seeks to protect individuals, especially youth and vulnerable populations, from the adverse social, economic, psychological and privacy-related impacts of such games.

It seeks to ensure responsible use of digital technologies and to maintain public order and protect public health.

The bill seeks to safeguard the integrity of financial systems and the security and sovereignty of the state and establish a uniform, national-level legal framework in the public interest.

Vaishnaw had told Parliament earlier this year that policies of the Central government are aimed at ensuring an open, safe, trusted and accountable internet for its users.

To help achieve this aim, the Central government has taken suitable steps to regulate financial transactions and user data protection for digital platforms, including online gaming platforms, he said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

Vaishnaw had said to bring certainty in the levy of income tax in the online gaming sector. The government, vide Finance Act, 2023, has introduced income tax at the rate of thirty per cent on the net winnings in the online games with effect from the assessment year 2024-25.

In addition, the government has introduced GST at the rate of 28 per cent in online gaming from October 1, 2023. The supplier of online money gaming shall obtain a single registration under the Simplified Registration Scheme referred to in the Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (IGST Act).

The suppliers of offshore online money gaming are also being regulated under the IGST Act, he said.

New Delhi, August 20: Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav on Wednesday lashed out at the Centre over the Constitution Amendment Bill, which seeks to remove a Central or State Minister who is facing allegations of corruption or serious offences and has been detained for thirty consecutive days.

Yadav stressed that the Modi government has brought another method to remove the Chief Ministers from the non-ruled BJP states.

“Even if there is no charge against someone, charges can be made and are being made under this Government. People are being jailed under false, serious charges. In states that do not have BJP CMs or Ministers, another method to remove them power is being brought by this Government. Democratic norms are not left anymore. Those who are bringing this Bill, are not getting one thing – once they go out of power, they won’t come back. Their own people have started opposing them,” Ram Gopal Yadav said.

However, BJP leader Boora Narsaiah Goud termed the move a “historical necessity” and a long-pending bill.

“The decision of the government of India to introduce the historical bill to remove the prime minister or any other state minister who is arrested for more than 30 days in any corruption case that involves more than five years of imprisonment is a very historical necessity and a long-pending bill,” Goud told ANI.

“Today, every voter believes that all politicians are corrupt. Because of PM Modi and the NDA government, some credibility is brought into politics… The entire population of the nation will welcome this bill, except the corrupt INDIA bloc alliance,” he said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will introduce three bills in Lok Sabha on Wednesday – including the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025, which seeks to remove a Central or State Minister who is facing allegations of corruption or serious offences and has been detained for at least 30 days.

According to the List of Business in the Lok Sabha, Shah will introduce the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025, to further amend the Constitution of India and the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025, apart from the bill to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.

The Union Home Minister will further move to refer these Bills to a Joint Committee of the Houses consisting of 21 Members of the Lok Sabha to be nominated by the Speaker and 10 Members of the Rajya Sabha to be nominated by the Deputy Chairman.

The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2025 seeks to amend section 54 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, to provide a legal framework for the removal of the Chief Minister or a Minister in case of arrest or detention in custody on account of serious criminal charges.

It stated that a Minister facing allegations of serious criminal offences, who is arrested and detained in custody, may undermine the principles of constitutional morality and good governance, ultimately eroding the constitutional trust people have in him.