Monsoon Session Day 1 news: The 18-day Monsoon Session of Parliament begins today with the Opposition all set to raise the issues of ongoing India-China standoff in Ladakh, handling of the coronavirus pandemic and economic slowdown. The 18-day Parliament session is being held amid unprecedented precautionary measures against Covid-19 due to a continuing spike in cases. On the eve of the session, the Union Health Ministry reported 94,372 fresh cases in 24 hours. The government has, meanwhile, listed 23 new legislations for consideration and passage including 11 bills replacing ordinances. There also 20 other bills pending in either Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha.
PM Modi speaks on LAC standoff
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday lauded soldiers guarding the Line of Actual Control. In his address to media, PM Modi said all MPs stands behind the armed forces at LAC.
MPs chose duty over corona: PM Modi addresses media
Addressing media ahead of the start of Monsoon Session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the session is being held in unprecedented times.
Opposition to oppose 4 legislations govt proposes to bring in Parliament to replace ordinances
The Congress and other opposition parties will oppose four of the 11 legislations the government proposes to bring in the Monsoon Session of Parliament in place of ordinances issued earlier.
Party leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said the Congress is in touch with other like-minded parties and has decided to strongly oppose the three agriculture-related legislations and the amendment to the Banking Regulation Act in both houses of Parliament.
Addressing a virtual press conference, Ramesh said, “We want a discussion in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on the situation at the border with China, the state of the economy, the closure of businesses, the state of the MSME industry, the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and other issues like airport privatisation and the draft EIA notification.”
DMK MPs protest against NEET
Delhi: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MPs TR Balu and Kanimozhi stage protest against NEET examination in the Parliament.
Multi-utility Covid-19 kits for MPs
The DRDO will provide multi-utility Covid-19 kits to all MPs. Each kit will contain 40 disposable masks, five N-95 masks, 20 bottles of sanitisers of 50 ml each, face shields, 40 pairs of gloves, a touch-free hook to open and close doors without touching them, herbal sanitation wipes and tea bags to enhance immunity.
New seating arrangement in Parliament
A new seating arrangement following social distancing guidelines has been prepared by both houses for their respective members. The MPs will also be allowed to address the Chair while seated and wearing their masks so that the risk of infection might be minimised.
Monsoon Session under Covid-19 shadow: What measures have been taken
Parliament is prepared for the 18-day Monsoon Session under the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic with many firsts, including sitting of the two Houses in shifts without any off day, entry only to those having a negative Covid-19 report and compulsory wearing of masks.
The first-of-its-kind Monsoon Session will see Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha sitting in two different shifts, while special seating arrangements have been made for MPs in adherence to social distancing guidelines. Barring on the first day, Rajya Sabha will convene in morning shift from 9 am till 1 pm, and Lok Sabha in evening shift from 3 pm to 7 pm. The chambers of both houses along with their respective galleries will be used for sitting of the members in each shift.
In between the two shifts, the entire complex will be sanitised.
Frequent sanitisation of the entire parliament complex will also be carried out, while arrangements have been made to sanitise various parliamentary papers as well as footwear and cars of MPs. Frisking of people will also make way for touch-less security scanning, while thermal scanning will also be totally touch-free.
Over 4,000 tested for Covid-19 ahead of Monsoon Session
In run-up to the Monsoon Session, over 4,000 people including MPs and staff have been tested for Covid-19.
Bills listed for consideration and passing
1. The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2020: Removes penalty and imprisonment in certain offenses and reduces the amount of fine payable in certain offenses, among others. This Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on March 17, 2020.
2. The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019: Prohibits commercial surrogacy, allows for altruistic surrogacy. It also allows for the constitution of a National Surrogacy Board and respective state Surrogacy Boards to regulate the practice of surrogacy. This bill was passed by Lok Sabha on August 5, 2019.
3. The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020: Increases the threshold for terminating a pregnancy from 12-20 weeks with the opinion of a registered medical practitioner, and from 20-24 weeks with the approval of two registered medical practitioners. Passed by Lok Sabha on 17 Mar 2020.
4. The Industrial Relations Code Bill, 2019: Subsumes and rationalizes the Trade Unions Act, 1926, the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946, and the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. It was introduced in Lok Sabha on November 28 2019 and a report in this regard was presented by the concerned Standing Committee on April 23, 2020.
5. The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2019: Consolidates 13 laws related to health, safety, and working conditions of workers. It applies to establishments with more than 10 workers as well as to all mines and docks. This Bill was first introduced in the Lok Sabha on July 23, 2019. The concerned Standing Committee had presented a report in this regard on February 11, 2020.
Bills listed for introduction, consideration and passing
1. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy (Second) Amendment Bill, 2020: Replaces an Ordinance temporarily suspending initiation of corporate insolvency resolution process under sections 7, 9 and 10 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code for a specified period of six months or such further period, up to one year.
2. The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020: Replaces an Ordinance and strengthens the regulatory framework of co-operative banks, enabling RBI to prepare a scheme for reconstruction or amalgamation of a banking company without imposing a moratorium.
3. The Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation of Certain Provisions) Bill, 2020: Replaces an Ordinance, addressing the challenges faced by taxpayers in meeting the statutory and regulatory compliances due to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.
4.The Salary and Allowances of Ministers (Amendment) Bill, 2020: Replaces an Ordinance, reducing the sumptuary allowance payable to each minister by 30 per cent for a period of one year commencing from April 1, 2020 to meet the exigencies arising out of Covid-19.
5. The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020: Replaces an Ordinance, reducing the salary of Members of Parliament (MPs) by 30 per cent for a period of one year commencing from April 1, 2020 to meet the exigencies arising out of Covid-19.
6. The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020: Replaces an Ordinance, creating an ecosystem to facilitate remunerative prices through alternative trading channels, promotes inter-state and intra-state trade and commerce of farmers’ produce outside the physical premises of markets, and provides a framework for electronic trading.
7. The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Prices Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020: Replaces an Ordinance, providing a national framework on farming agreements to protect and empower farmers to engage with agri-business firms, processors, aggregators, wholesalers, large retailers, and exporters for farm services and sale of future farming produce at a mutually agreed remunerative price framework.
Parliament braces for stormy Monsoon Session; coronavirus, GDP, LAC row to be in focus
Parliament is set to resume on Monday amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The Monsoon Session of Parliament is scheduled to be held between September 14, 2020, and October 1, 2020. There will be a total of 18 sittings. The 18-day session is being held amid unprecedented precautionary measures against Covid-19 due to a continuing spike in cases. The opposition is seeking to corner the government on its handling of the standoff with China at the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, the Covid-19 situation, economic downturn and unemployment, and is pressing for discussions on these issues. The Congress and other opposition parties raised these demands in the first business advisory committee (BAC) meeting for Lok Sabha chaired by Speaker Om Birla today, but the time for these discussions is yet to be allocated. Opposition parties, including the Congress, have drawn up their strategies on how to approach Ordinances brought by the Centre during the pandemic. The Congress, in particular, has decided to oppose bills related to the four Ordinances likely to be tabled by the Center during the session. Currently, 46 bills are pending in Parliament of which, 17 bills are listed for consideration. At the same time, six bills are listed for withdrawal and 23 bills are listed for introduction, consideration, and passing. The Monsoon session will commence at 9 am with both Houses paying obituary references to former President Pranab Mukherjee and other sitting and former members who have died during the interregnum period. Both Houses will be adjourned for an hour after the obituary references. Rajya Sabha will then hold the election to the post of Deputy Chairman, while Lok Sabha will take up ‘The Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020’ and ‘The Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020’, to replace the ordinances issued earlier.
