New Delhi, Dec 1: The first day of the winter session witnessed repeated adjournments of the Lok Sabha and an opposition walkout from the Rajya Sabha over the demand for a debate on Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, as the government asserted that it is not averse to a discussion, but a timeline cannot be set.

In the Lok Sabha, amid disruptions, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced two new bills that seek to repurpose levies on ‘sin goods’ such as tobacco, pan masala, and related products.

The bills were introduced ahead of the scheduled phase-out of the GST compensation cess levied on them. In the Rajya Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju asserted that the government was not averse to holding a discussion on SIR or electoral reforms and asked the opposition not to insist on setting a timeline.

He was responding to opposition members who were demanding an immediate discussion on the SIR or electoral reforms in the House.

Not satisfied with the minister’s response, members of several opposition parties staged a walkout from the Upper House.

Responding to the opposition parties’ demand to start an immediate discussion on the ongoing SIR exercise in nine states and three union territories, Rijiju sought more time to respond to the matter.

Rajya Sabha Chairperson C P Radhakrishnan had earlier disallowed notices given by nine opposition members on several issues, including a discussion on SIR, leading to protests by the opposition.

Separately, Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury triggered a row when she arrived in Parliament with a rescued stray in her car.

As some ruling party MPs accused her of indulging in drama, the former union minister hit back, saying “those sitting inside bite, dogs don’t”.

Chowdhury said she had picked up the stray earlier in the day and was taking it to a veterinarian.

She also claimed that the government does not like animals and questioned the objections raised by the ruling party MPs, saying there was no law against rescuing a stray dog.

In the Lok Sabha, a relentless opposition repeatedly trooped into the well and raised slogans demanding debate on SIR, prompting Speaker Om Birla to caution them against lowering the dignity of the House.

The House saw two adjournments before being adjourned for the day around 2:20 pm as disruptions continued.

The Lower House also passed the Manipur GST Bill to replace an ordinance promulgated to implement the GST 2.0 reforms in the northeastern state.

The Bill was introduced on Monday and cleared after a brief debate.

It was the first day of Radhakrishnan as the presiding officer after being elected as the vice president in September, following the sudden resignation of Jagdeep Dhankhar.

Addressing the House, Radhakrishnan urged members to uphold the Constitution and follow parliamentary norms while adhering to the ‘Lakshman Rekha’ as envisaged under the rules of the Upper House.

He also called upon members to respect institutions and understand their responsibilities towards the nation.

Welcoming the new Chair, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the rise of Radhakrishnan from an ordinary background to the office of Vice President reflects the true strength of democracy, and expressed hope that his experience and guidance would aid in the smooth running of the Rajya Sabha.

At the start of the winter session of Parliament, PM Modi congratulated him and wished that the House, under this guidance, would have meaningful discussions and take crucial decisions.

“I congratulate you, and I am confident that every member of this House will honour its traditions and uphold your dignity as well,” the PM said.

The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, while welcoming Chairperson Radhakrishnan, made a mention of the “unexpected and sudden exit” of his predecessor, Dhankhar, which triggered sharp reactions from the treasury benches.

In his brief speech, Kharge urged the Rajya Sabha Chair to maintain a balance between both sides and allow the opposition members also to raise their issues in the House.

New Delhi, Dec 1: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant a general extension for the registration of waqf properties under the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.

Bar & Bench reported that a Bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Augustine George Masih said that those seeking more time must approach the waqf tribunal under Section 3B of the Act. “Go before the tribunal. If six months is not sufficient, that point has already been examined,” the Bench observed.

The six-month deadline for mandatory registration, from the commencement of the amended law, ends this week. The UMEED online portal, launched by the Centre for registrations, also came under criticism during the hearing, but the Court declined to examine technical issues without proof. Petitions, including one by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, sought more time citing practical difficulties and slow portal functioning. Senior advocates argued that lakhs of mutawallis may struggle to approach tribunals individually. However, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the registration requirement has existed since 1929 and that the law already provides for individual extensions. The Court maintained that any request for more time must be dealt with on a case-by-case basis by the tribunal.

New Delhi, Dec 01: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday conducted searches at several locations in Jammu & Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh as part of its investigations in the Delhi car bomb blast case.

In a statement issued, the agency said that various digital devices and other incriminating materials were seized during the searches conducted at the premises of several accused and suspects in the two states. A total of eight locations were searched in the districts of Shopian, Kulgam, Pulwama and Awantipora of J&K, and one location in Lucknow (U.P).

NIA had earlier, on 26th and 27th November, conducted extensive searches at the premises of the prime accused, Dr Muzammil Shakeel Ganie and Dr Shaheen Saeed, in the Al Falah University complex and other places in Faridabad (Haryana). A huge quantity of cash, foreign currency, gold and other incriminating materials were seized during those searches, and the same are being minutely examined to unravel the conspiracy that culminated in the bombing.

The anti-terror agency has arrested 07 key accused so far in the case RC-21/2025/NIA/DLI. NIA teams are questioning the arrested accused while continuing to pursue various leads in connection with the November 10 blast outside the Red Fort in Delhi. Eleven persons were killed and several others injured in the deadly terror attack, statement reads.

NIA continues to work closely with various state police forces to track and arrest every member of the terrorist module involved in the bomb attack, statement further reads.

New Delhi, Dec 01: Gold prices surged by Rs 3,040 to Rs 1,33,200 per 10 grams in the national capital on Monday, tracking strong global trends and a weak US dollar, according to the All India Sarafa Association.

Analysts said sustained jewellery demand amid the ongoing wedding season supported the precious metal.

The precious metal of 99.5 per cent purity zoomed by Rs 3,040 to Rs 1,32,600 per 10 grams (inclusive of all taxes).

Gold is now inching closer to its all-time high of Rs 1,34,800 per 10 grams (99.9 per cent purity) and Rs 1,34,200 per 10 grams (99.5 per cent), respectively, traders said.

“Gold extended last week’s rally, supported by a softer US dollar, growing expectations of a Federal Reserve rate cut next week, upbeat forecasts from major banks, and continued robust central bank buying, all of which are helping drive the market higher,” Saumil Gandhi, Senior Analyst – Commodities at HDFC Securities, said.

Silver continued its upward march for the fifth straight day, surging by Rs 5,800 to Rs 1,77,000 per kilogram (inclusive of all taxes), as per the association.

In the international market, spot gold rose by USD 42.29, or 1 per cent, to USD 4,261.52 per ounce, as the dollar index was quoting 0.19 per cent lower at 99.27, lending support to bullion prices.

“Spot gold held its gains and trades above USD 4230 per ounce ahead of US manufacturing PMI, ADP employment, services PMI and the core PCE index, alongside speeches from Federal Reserve officials and the Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s remarks later in the day,” Kaynat Chainwala, AVP Commodity Research, Kotak Securities, said.

She added that prospects of Kevin Hassett, who is widely viewed as favouring lower rates, emerging as a frontrunner to replace Fed Chair Powell may reinforce rate-cut bets if US economic indicators soften further.

Since the beginning of the year, the yellow metal has surged by USD 1,656.57, or 63.6 per cent, from USD 2,605.77 per ounce on December 31, 2024.

Rising for the sixth straight day, spot silver gained 2 per cent to hit a fresh record of USD 57.85 per ounce in the global markets. The metal jumped 15.7 per cent over the past week and has doubled so far in 2025, rallying 100 per cent from USD 28.97 per ounce on December 31, 2024.

“Silver’s price has nearly doubled in just 11 months and risen more than gold, even though gold was the most popular commodity in 2025.

“Over the past 12 months, silver has climbed significantly higher than gold, rising 100 per cent in 2025, whereas gold has only increased by 60 per cent,” Renisha Chainani, Head – Research at Augmont, said.

She further stated that it is anticipated that the economy would continue to slow down until 2026 and that the Federal Reserve will probably drop interest rates, which is attracting some investors back.

Chainani explained that in the face of growing supply concerns and rising prospects of additional rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, silver continued to rise, approaching a record USD 58. Due to a short squeeze, silver’s increase this year surprised a lot of investors.

“The 2025 silver bubble, in contrast to previous investment waves, was dependent on a combination of low supply, high Indian demand, industrial demand, and tariffs,” she said.