India committed to deliver COVID vaccines globally, says Prez Ram Nath Kovind

President of India Ram Nath Kovind is addressing members of both Houses of Parliament on Friday, a customary speech delivered ahead of the commencement of the Budget session. Opposition leaders of 18 parties have decided to boycott his address in solidarity with farmers protesting at Delhi’s borders against the three farm laws. The legislations were passed amid chaos in the Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon session last September.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a statement to the media, called for debate and discussion in Parliament. “The coming decade is vital for India’s progress. We have to remember the vision and dreams of the greats who fought for our nation’s freedom. Let there be detailed debate and discussions on the floor of Parliament,” he said.

With the Budget session expected to be stormy as well, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has convened a meeting of all political parties today to seek cooperation. PM Modi is likely to attend the meeting, reported news agency PTI.

The Opposition is likely to target the government over a number of issues in Parliament including the pandemic economy, stand off with China at the Line of Actual Control and the purported WhatsApp chats between Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami and former CEO of BARC Partho Dasgupta.

On Friday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will also table the Economic Survey 2021. The Survey will give a detailed account of the state of the economy.

The Budget session will be held in two parts, from January 29 to February 15 and from March 8 to April 8. There will be a total of 33 sittings. COVID-19protocol will be in place to ensure the safety of legislators.