Parliament Winter Session Ends, Budget Session to Commence from January 29

The Parliament winter session of 2017 which commenced after a prolonged delay concluded on Friday. During the session, 13 bills were passed by the Lok Sabha and 9 bills were passed by the Rajya Sabha. The parliamentarians will again meet for the budget session which is scheduled to commence on 29 January.

With a total of 13 sittings from December 15 to January 5 in this session, a productivity of 92 percent and 56 percent was recorded in the lower and upper houses respectively, according to PRS. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, which was introduced in this session was passed in Lok Sabha but remained pending with the Rajya Sabha as the Opposition demanded that the House recommend the Bill to a select committee.

Question hour productivity was reported as 56% in Lok sabha and 29% in the Rajya Sabha, according to PRS.

Announcing the sine die adjournment, Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan announced that the session was spread over 61 hours and 48 minutes with 15 hours being lost due to disruptions and adjournments.

The Winter Session was inordinately delayed by the ruling party reportedly to accommodate the Gujarat Assembly elections. Many political observers felt that a major reason was to allow the Prime Minister, MPs and ministers to campaign there. This drew the ire of Opposition parties.

Issues that troubled Parliamentarians and caused repeated friction in both Houses were the 2G scam court verdict, the Prime Minister’s comment on former PM Manmohan Singh on the latter’s meeting with some Pakistani leaders, the triple talaq bill, GST, Companies Act amendment bill, Forest Act amendment bill, etc. In the last few days of the Session, atrocities and attacks on Dalits became a major focus of controversy.

The triple talaq bill could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha after Opposition protested at the undue haste in pushing it through.

The National Medical Commission Bill was introduced in Lok sabha causing uproar and a strike by doctors. The govt. later referred it to a Parliamentary committee.

Bills passed by the Lok Sabha in the session are the Repealing and Amending bill, the Repealing and Amending (Second) bill, the Central Road Fund (amendment) bill, the Requisitioning and Acquisition of immovable property bill, the National Capital Territory of Delhi laws (Special Provisions) second (Amendment) bill, the Appropriation bill, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2017, the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) bill, the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Amendment bill, the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) bill, the Appropriation (No. 5) bill, the High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment bill and the Indian Forest (Amendment) bill.

Bills passed in Rajya Sabha in the session are The Companies (Amendment) bill, the Indian Institute of Management bill, the Indian Forest (Amendment) bill, 2017, the Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE) bill, the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill, 2017, the Repealing and Amending Bill, 2017, the Repealing and Amending (Second) Bill, 2017, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Amendment) Bill.