Monsoon Session of Parliament adjourns sine die

New Delhi: The Monsoon Session of Parliament which commenced on July 20, 2023, was adjourned sine die today. The Session provided 17 sittings spread over a period of 23 days. The productivity of the Lok Sabha was approximately 45% and that of the Rajya Sabha was approximately 63%.

No-confidence motion in the Council of Ministers moved by Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi was discussed for approximately 20 hours. 60 Members including Ministers participated in the discussion, which was replied to by the Prime Minister. The Motion was negatived by the House via voice vote.

During the Session, 20 Bills were introduced in Lok Sabha and 5 Bills were introduced in Rajya Sabha. 22 Bills were passed by Lok Sabha and 25 Bills were passed by Rajya Sabha. One Bill each was withdrawn with the leave of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha respectively. The total number of Bills passed by both Houses of Parliament during the Session is 23.

Lists of Bills introduced in Lok Sabha, Bills passed by Lok Sabha, Bills passed by Rajya Sabha and Bills passed by both Houses are attached in Annex.

A Bill replacing the Ordinance, namely, The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023 which was promulgated by the President before the Monsoon Session, was considered and passed by the Houses, resulting in a walkout by the Opposition.

The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023, was also passed by both Houses, inviting criticism from a section of journalists’ bodies. The National Alliance of Journalists and Delhi Union of Journalists in a joint statement claimed the new legislation will affect the media and personal liberties. They claimed the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2023 includes surveillance clauses, which means surveillance of citizens including journalists and their sources. “The lightning speed with which the bill was passed this week without proper debate, casts severe doubts on whether the government is seeking to widen censorship powers,” they stated.

The journalists’ bodies also expressed their concerns at certain clauses in the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023 which they claimed gives enforcement authorities, over and above the Registrar, “draconian new powers which are aimed at censorship of news media”.

“These Bills coming soon after amendments to the IT Rules, 2021 which enable government departments to demand that social media companies take down posts that they object to, are ominous,” they stated.

Some of the major Bills passed by both Houses during the Session are as under:

• The Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2023 seeks to make the process of sanctioning of films for exhibition more effective and in tune with the changed times by including enabling provisions in the Act to check film piracy, introduce age-based categories of certification and remove redundant provisions in the existing Act.
• The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment) Bill, 2023 seeks for the inclusion of the Hattee community of the Trans Giri area of Sirmour district in the list of Scheduled Tribes in Himachal Pradesh. 
• The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Fifth Amendment) Bill, 2023 seeks for the inclusion of Bhuinya, Bhuiyan, and Bhuyan communities as synonyms of the Bharia Bhumia community.  It also includes three Devanagari versions of the name of the Pando community in Chhattisgarh.
• The Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2023 seeks (i) to strengthen governance, enhance transparency, increase accountability reform the electoral process in the Multi-State Cooperative Societies by supplementing existing legislation and incorporating the provisions of Ninety Seventh Constitutional Amendment. (ii) to improve monitoring mechanisms and ensure Ease of Doing Business for Multi-State Cooperative Societies.
• The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2023 seeks to (i) reduce the pressure on wild medicinal plants by encouraging the cultivation of medicinal plants; (ii) encourage the Indian system of medicine; (iii) facilitate the fast-tracking of research, patent application process, transfer of research results while utilising the biological resources available in India without compromising the objectives of United Nation Convention on Biological Diversity and its Nagoya Protocol; (iv) decriminalise certain provisions; (v) bring more foreign investments in the chain of biological resources, including research, patent and commercial utilisation, without compromising the national interest.
• The Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023 seeks to Amend the Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 for introducing Exploration Licences and to delist some minerals from the list of atomic minerals.
• The Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023 seeks to provide for the grant of production leases to the private sector only through auction by competitive bidding to enable early allocation of operating rights through a transparent and non-discretionary process. Also to adopt other features of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, such as the establishment of trusts for mining-affected persons and encouraging exploration, removing the process of discretionary renewals and providing a uniform lease period of fifty years, the introduction of a composite licence, providing for area limits, easy transfer of composite licence or production lease, etc.
• The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 intends to amend the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 by inter-alia clarifying the applicability of the Act in various types of lands and to streamline the process of approvals under the Act.
• The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2023 Besides decriminalisation of minor offences, the Bill envisages rationalisation of monetary penalties, depending on the gravity of the offence, bolstering trust-based governance. Yet another novelty involved in the proposal is an increase of ten per cent. of the minimum amount of fine and penalty levied, after the expiry of every three years, once the Bill becomes a law
• The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023 seeks to accommodate progressive changes in society during the last five decades, making the registration process people-friendly and updating other databases at national and state levels using a database of registered births and deaths.
• The Mediation Bill, 2023 seeks to promote and facilitate mediation, especially institutional mediation, for the resolution of disputes, commercial or otherwise, enforce mediated settlement agreements, provide for a body for the registration of mediators, encourage community mediation and make online mediation as acceptable and cost-effective process and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
• The Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Bill, 2023 seeks to empower the Commander-in-Chief or the Officer-in-Command of Inter-Services Organisations in respect of persons subject to the Army Act, 1950, the Navy Act, 1957 and the Air Force Act, 1950, who are serving under or attached to his Command, for maintenance of discipline and proper discharge of their duties.
• The Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023 seeks to provide for (i) alignment of the IIM Act with Acts governing the IITs and other Institutes of National Importance. (ii) inclusion of NITIE, Mumbai in the schedule of the IIM Act, 2017 and renaming NITIE, Mumbai as IIM Mumbai.
• The National Dental Commission Bill, 2023 seeks to regulate the profession of dentistry in the country, to provide for quality and affordable; dental education, to make accessible high-quality oral healthcare and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
• The National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023 seeks to provide for regulation and maintenance of standards of education and services by nursing and midwifery professionals, assessment of institutions, maintenance of a National Register and State Registers and creation of a system to improve access, research and development and adoption of latest scientific advancement and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
• The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 seeks the inclusion of Mahra, Mahara community as a synonym of Mahar, Mehra, Mehar at Sl. No. 33 in the list of Scheduled Castes of Chhattisgarh.
• The Anusandhan National Research Foundation Bill, 2023 To establish the Anusandhan National Research Foundation to provide high-level strategic direction for research, innovation and entrepreneurship in the fields of natural sciences including mathematical sciences, engineering and technology, environmental and earth sciences, health and agriculture, and scientific and technological interfaces of humanities and social sciences, to promote, monitor and provide support as required for such research and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
• The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023 seeks to provide for the processing of digital personal data in a manner that recognizes both the right of individuals to protect their personal data and the need to process personal data for lawful purposes, and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
• The Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023 seeks : (a) to revise the provisions of the Act so as to reduce the regulatory compliance burden to the stakeholders without diluting the core principles of environment protection in coastal areas; (b) to decriminalize the offence(s) under the Act; (c) to expand the scope of the Act to bring all coastal aquaculture activities under its ambit; and (d) to remove difficulties and regulatory gaps in the Act for effective implementation, and to facilitate ease of doing business.)
• The Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2023 seeks to provide that any person whose name has been entered in the register of pharmacist maintained under the Jammu and Kashmir Pharmacy Act, 2011 or who possesses qualification (medical assistant/pharmacist) prescribes under the said act shall be deemed to have been entered in the register of pharmacist prepared and maintained under chapter IV of the said act subject to the condition that an application to be made in this behalf within a period of one year from the commencement of the Pharmacy (Amendment) Act, 2023 on payment of such fees, in such a manner, as may be prescribed by the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and administration of Union Territory of Ladakh.

Legislative business transacted during the 12th session of the 17th Lok Sabha and 260th session of Rajya Sabha (Monsoon Session)

I – Bills introduced in the Lok Sabha

1. The National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023.
2. The National Dental Commission Bill, 2023.
3. The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023
4. The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023
5. The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023
6. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023
7. The Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023
8. The Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023
9. The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023
10. The Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023.
11. The Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023
12. The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023
13. The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023
14. The Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2023
15. The Anusandhan National Research Foundation Bill, 2023
16. The Central Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023
17. The Integrated Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023
18. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, 2023.
19. The Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, 2023
20. The Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023

II – Bills introduced in the Rajya Sabha

1. The Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2023
2. The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023
3. The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023
4. The Post Office Bill, 2023
5. The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023

III- Bills passed by the Lok Sabha

1. The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2022.
2. The Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022
3. The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023
4. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2023
5. The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2022
6. The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023
7. The National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023
8. The National Dental Commission Bill, 2023.
9. The Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2023
10. The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Fifth Amendment) Bill, 2023
11. The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment) Bill, 2023
12. The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023
13. The Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023
14. The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order Amendment Bill, 2023
15. The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023
16. The Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023
17. The Inter-services Organisations (Command, Control & Discipline) Bill, 2023
18. The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023
19. The Anusandhan National Research Foundation Bill, 2023
20. The Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2023
21. The Mediation Bill, 2023
22. The Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023
23. The Central Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023
24. The Integrated Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023

IV – Bills passed/returned by the Rajya Sabha

1. The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Fifth Amendment) Bill, 2022
2. The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment) Bill, 2022
3. The Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2023
4. The Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2023
5. The Mediation Bill, 2021
6. The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2023
7. The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023
8. The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023
9. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2023
10. The Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023
11. The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023
12. The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023
13. The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023
14. The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023
15. The Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control & Discipline) Bill, 2023
16. The Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023
17. The National Dental Commission Bill, 2023.
18. The National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023
19. The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order Amendment Bill, 2023
20. The Anusandhan National Research Foundation Bill, 2023
21. The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023
22. The Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023
23. The Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2023
24. The Central Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023
25. The Integrated Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023

V – Bills passed by both the Houses of Parliament

1. The Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2023
2. The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Fifth Amendment) Bill, 2023
3. The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment) Bill, 2023
4. The Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2023
5. The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2023
6. The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023
7. The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023
8. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2023
9. The Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023
10. The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023
11. The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023
12. The Mediation Bill, 2023
13. The Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control & Discipline) Bill, 2023
14. The Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023
15. The National Dental Commission Bill, 2023.
16. The National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023
17. The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order Amendment Bill, 2023
18. The Anusandhan National Research Foundation Bill, 2023
19. The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023
20. The Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023
21. The Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2023
22. The Central Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023
23. The Integrated Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023

VI – Bill withdrawn in the Lok Sabha

1. The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019

VII – Bill withdrawn in the Rajya Sabha

1. The Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2019

– global bihari bureau