August 12, 2026: Parliament witnessed several key legislative developments on Wednesday, with the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 and NCDC (Amendment) Bill, 2026 receiving approval. The Lok Sabha also referred the FCRA Amendment Bill, 2026 to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for further scrutiny. The government also highlighted digital railway ticketing, Kavach 4.0 deployment and discussions on the NEET paper leak issue.
Top India Headlines
- Parliament approves Bill to change Kerala’s name to Keralam
Parliament has passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, with the Rajya Sabha approving the legislation. The Lok Sabha had passed the Bill on August 11. It seeks to change the state's name from Kerala to Keralam in the First Schedule of the Constitution. - Parliament passes NCDC Amendment Bill to strengthen cooperative sector
The National Co-operative Development Corporation (NCDC) (Amendment) Bill, 2026 has been passed by Parliament after receiving Rajya Sabha approval. The Lok Sabha had already passed the legislation. - FCRA Amendment Bill referred to JPC for further scrutiny
The Lok Sabha has referred the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for further examination. The Bill seeks to amend the FCRA, 2010, with the stated objective of making the use of foreign contributions more transparent and effective. - Government ready to discuss students’ issue in Parliament: Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the government is fully prepared to discuss the students’ issue and answer questions raised by Parliament members. He said the government is ready to address the matter in the House. - Kiren Rijiju says Opposition avoiding discussion on NEET paper leak issue
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Opposition is shying away from a discussion on the NEET paper leak issue. He said Home Minister Amit Shah has again written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla expressing readiness for a detailed discussion. - Railways approves Kavach 4.0 deployment at ₹295 crore
Indian Railways has approved Kavach Version 4.0 for 660 route kilometres of the Izzatnagar Division of North Eastern Railway at an estimated cost of ₹295 crore. - 89% of reserved railway tickets now booked online: Ashwini Vaishnaw
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said around 89% of reserved tickets are now booked online, compared with approximately 49% in 2013-14. Railways has also launched the RailOne App to support digital passenger services. - Three Sanchar Mitras selected as ITU Generation Connect Youth Envoys
The Department of Telecommunications facilitated the selection of three Sanchar Mitras from India as Generation Connect Youth Envoys of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), coinciding with International Youth Day 2026. - Nationwide plantation drive plants over 50,000 saplings
More than 50,000 saplings were planted across the country on Hariyali Amavasya under a nationwide plantation campaign led by Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, in collaboration with Vriksh Mitra Parivar. - AYUSH Minister highlights ‘One Herb, One Standard’ initiative
AYUSH Minister Prataprao Jadhav said the One Herb, One Standard initiative aims to strengthen the quality and credibility of traditional medicines and protect India's traditional medicine heritage.
