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Parliament’s most productive monsoon session since 2000 ended Friday

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The monsoon session of the Parliament drew to a close on Friday, August 10, as the ‘most productive’ one since the year 2000, according to a report by PRS Legislative Research (PRS).

The session had 18 scheduled sittings (July 18, 2018 to August 10, 2018), out of which one day was cancelled for a festival and another was adjourned after the obituary was read for Mr. Karunanidhi.

For the first in the 16th Lok Sabha, a no-confidence motion against the government was moved and discussed. This was the 27th no-confidence motion. The motion was discussed for 12 hours by 51 members, at the end of which the motion was defeated.

The election of the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha was also held with Mr. Harivansh Narayan Singh becoming the Deputy Chair.

During the session, Lok Sabha worked for 110% of its scheduled time, while Rajya Sabha worked for 66%. So far in the 16th Lok Sabha, the average productivity of Lok Sabha is 86% and that of Rajya Sabha is 67%. This was the most productive Monsoon Session of Lok Sabha since 2000. However, Rajya Sabha lost time due to disruptions (including on account of protests against Assam’s draft National Register of Citizens).

Nearly half the session time spent on legislative business: the highest in 16th Lok Sabha. Both Lok Sabha (50%) and Rajya Sabha (48%) spent the highest portion of their time on legislative business. This is the highest amount of time spent on legislative business by both Houses in the 16th Lok Sabha, second highest since 2004.

In this session, 20 Bills were introduced, of which 11 were passed by at least one House of Parliament. Out of the total Bills introduced, six were to replace Ordinances. These included Bills related to anti-trafficking, amendment to insolvency law, and change in punishment for rape. So far in the 16th Lok Sabha, 39 ordinances have been issued, i.e., an average of nearly 10 ordinances per year.

Fewer Bills are being referred to Parliamentary Committees (26%), as compared to the 15th Lok Sabha (71%) and the 14th Lok Sabha (60%). In this Session, the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment) Bill, 2017 and the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2018 were referred to parliamentary committees.

In the 16th Lok Sabha, highest number of government Bills were introduced by the Ministry of Law and Justice and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. In the 15th Lok Sabha, highest number of Bills were introduced in Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Law and Justice.

Of the 68 Bills pending in the 16th Lok Sabha, the highest number of Bills were introduced by the Ministry of Law and Justice and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. These include the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, the Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2015, and the National Medical Commission Bill, 2017.

The session also saw one of the most productive Question Hours of the 16th Lok Sabha. Lok Sabha functioned for 84% of its scheduled Question Hour time while the Rajya Sabha functioned  for 68% of its scheduled time.

The monsoon session also had highest number of Private Member Bills (999) introduced in Lok Sabha since 2000. Though nearly 1000 Bills were introduced in the 16th Lok Sabha, less than 10 were taken up for discussion, for a total of 50 hours. No Private Member Bill has been enacted into law since 1970.

Rajya Sabha discussed issues related to the misuse of social media to spread violence, the final draft of the National Register of Citizens in Assam, and the non-implementation of the Andhra Pradesh Re-organization Act, 2014.

Lok Sabha discussed the flood and drought conditions in the country. In addition, the Supplementary Demands for Grants 2018-19 were discussed in Lok Sabha.

The Personal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018 was introduced in Lok Sabha on Friday. It amends several existing Acts such as the Divorce Act, 1869, the Hindu Marriage Act,1955, and the Special Marriage Act, 1954. The Bill amends these Acts to remove leprosy as grounds for divorce.

The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill was passed in Lok Sabha. The Bill amends the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. It includes provisions to establish an independent body called Arbitration Council of India (ACI) to promote arbitration, mediation and provide a redressal mechanism.

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Parliament winter session: Government lists 15 bills, including Waqf bill

The session will kick off on November 25 and conclude on December 20.

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The government has listed five new ones and one to amend the contentious Waqf law out of 15 bills for the winter session of Parliament. The session will kick off on November 25 and conclude on December 20.

The government has introduced five new bills, including the Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024, which aims to promote coasting trade and increase the participation of Indian-flagged vessels owned and operated by Indian citizens for both national security and commercial purposes.

Another significant legislation that will be introduced by the government is the Indian Ports Bill, 2024. This bill is designed to implement measures for the conservation of ports, enhance security, and manage pollution, ensuring compliance with India’s international obligations and statutory requirements.

Additionally, the government plans to introduce the Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024, which aims to meet India’s obligations under maritime treaties and support the development of Indian shipping while ensuring the efficient operation of the Indian mercantile marine in a way that serves national interests.

Pending legislation includes the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which is awaiting consideration and passage after the joint committee of both Houses submits its report to the Lok Sabha. The committee is expected to report by the end of the first week of the winter session.

Currently, there are eight bills, including the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, pending in the Lok Sabha, while two additional bills are in the Rajya Sabha.

Furthermore, the government has also listed the Punjab Courts (Amendment) Bill for introduction, consideration, and passage, which seeks to increase the pecuniary appellate jurisdiction of Delhi district courts from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 20 lakh.

The Merchant Shipping Bill, along with the Coastal Shipping Bill and the Indian Ports Bill, is slated for introduction and eventual passage.

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International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant against Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu over war crimes

The court accused Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Gallant of crimes against humanity, including murder, persecution, inhumane acts, and the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare.

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International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant against Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu over war crimes

The International Criminal Court (ICC) today issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The court accused Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Gallant of crimes against humanity, including murder, persecution, inhumane acts, and the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare. The leaders allegedly restricted essential supplies such as food, water, and medical aid to civilians in Gaza, resulting in severe humanitarian crises and deaths, including among children.

Last year in October, Israel had launched attacks on Gaza in retaliation for the surprise attack by Hamas. The Israel-Hamas war has led to the death of thousands of civilians, while lakhs have been displaced. The major infrastructures in Gaza, including hospitals and schools, were also destroyed as Israel vowed to wipe out Hamas.

The International Criminal Court stated that it found reasonable grounds to believe the accused intentionally targeted civilians and limited medical supplies, forcing unsafe medical procedures, which caused immense suffering. This ruling was based on the findings from at least October 8, 2023 until at least May 20, 2024.

The court remarked that it has assessed that there are reasonable grounds to believe that PM Netanyahu and Defence Minister Gallant bear criminal responsibility as civilian superiors for the war crime of intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population of Gaza.

Furthermore, it also noted that the lack of food, water, electricity and fuel, and medical supplies created conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of part of the civilian population in Gaza, leading to death of civilians, including children due to malnutrition and dehydration.

Additionally, the International Criminal Court dismissed two challenges by Israel against its jurisdiction in the situation in the State of Palestine.

Notably, Israel had contested the ICC’s jurisdiction, claiming it could not be exercised without Israel’s consent. Nonetheless, the Chamber ruled that the Court has jurisdiction based on Palestine’s territorial scope, including Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. It further noted that Israel’s objections were premature, as jurisdictional challenges under the Rome Statute can only be made after an arrest warrant is issued.

Reportedly, Israel had also requested a fresh notification regarding the investigation, started in 2021. Denying the request, the court stated that Israel had earlier declined to request a deferral, making additional notifications unnecessary.

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Yogi Adityanath accords tax-free status to Sabarmati Report film in Uttar Pradesh

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have also praised this film.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday accorded a tax-free status to ‘The Sabarmati Report’ film, based on the train burning incident at Godhra in Gujarat in 2002, in the state.

The announcement was made after Chief Minister Adityanath attended the screening of Vikrant Massey and Raashii Khanna-starrer ‘The Sabarmati Report’ in Lucknow with the film’s cast.  

Speaking to reporters, actor Vikrant Massey thanked the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister for making ‘The Sabarmati Report’ film tax-free in the state. “I want to thank Yogi Adityanath ji. This is an important film and I appeal to everyone to go and watch this film,” he said.

Chief Minister Adityanath along with many of his cabinet colleagues watched the film ‘The Sabarmati Report’ under a special screening at a cinema hall in the capital, said a spokesperson of the state government.

Several people associated with the film unit were also present on the occasion. Later the chief minister announced to make this film tax-free in UP.

The BJP-ruled states have been praising the makers of The Sabarmati Report, claiming the team has tried to bring out this truth in front of the people of the country through the film.

The saffron party is appealing to people to watch this film and try to get closer to the truth of Godhra.

Uttar Pradesh becomes the sixth BJP-ruled state after Haryana, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat to declare lead actors Vikrant Massey and Raashii Khanna’s film tax-free.

Adityanath said along with identifying the faces of those who are conspiring against the country for political gains, there is also a need to expose them. The film team has discharged its responsibilities to expose the truth, he said, adding an attempt has been made to bring the real truth in front of the country in a big way through the film.

The Sabarmati Report is said to be based on the incident of setting fire to a train full of ‘karsevaks’ in Godhra on February 27, 2002, killing 90 devotees. After this incident, communal riots broke out in Gujarat. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have also praised this film.

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