The Eight Bills To Be Tabled In The Five-Day Long Special Session Of Parliament

Special Session Of Parliament

A five-day long special session of Parliament is set to start off on Monday, September 18, with eight bills in the pipeline, lined up for deliberation. The much anticipated session is speculated to disclose unprecedented legislative proposals by the government on the completion of Parliament’s 75-year long journey as the House proceedings transition to the new building. According to the information provided in a Lok Sabha bulletin, the session will celebrate the illustrious history of the Parliament of India and commit to transform ‘Bharat’ into a developed nation by 2047. 

Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Jagdeep Dhankar hoisted the national flag, earlier on Sunday. Following a ceremony in the Central Hall in the current building, the session will transition to the new Parliament building stated Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi. He further mentioned that a total of eight bills were scheduled for deliberation and pending approval during the session. At an all-party meeting held on Sunday the floor-leaders were informed that an additional bill with regard to the well-being of senior citizens and three bills focussed on the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes order have been added to the agenda for the scheduled  special session. 

Although there hasn’t been an official confirmation on the bills listed certain reports suggest that few of the bills might include- The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2022; The Post Office Bill, 2023; The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023; The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023; Senior Citizens Welfare Bill, 2023; and The Constitution (SC/ST) Order, 2023. 'The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023' and 'The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023',  have already been passed by Rajya Sabha on 3 August, 2023 while ‘The Post Office Bill’ was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on August 10, 2023.

The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2022

The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2022 introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 19, 2022 seeks to repeal 65 laws that are obsolete or have been made redundant by other laws. It also rectifies a minor drafting error in the Factoring Regulation Act, 2011.

The Post Office Bill, 2023

The Bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha on August 10, 2023. It repeals the Indian Post Office Act, 1898 and provides for matters related to the functioning of the Post Office, an undertaking of the central government (also known as India Post). The Act allows issuance of postage stamps as per the Rules prescribed by the central government. It also states that the Post Office will have the exclusive privilege of issuing postage stamps.

The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023

Introduced in Rajya Sabha on August 1, 2023, the bill amends the Advocates Act, 1961- that consolidates the law related to legal practitioners and constitutes Bar Councils and the All-India Bar.  The Bill repeals certain sections related to touts under the Legal Practitioners Act, 1879. 

The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023

The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023 was introduced in Rajya Sabha on August 1, 2023.  It repeals the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867.The Bill allows the Press Registrar General to suspend a periodical’s registration for a minimum period of 30 days which can extend to 180 days and empowers the Press Registrar General to impose penalties for publishing periodicals without registration (up to five lakh rupees), or failing to furnish annual statement within the specified time (up to Rs 20,000 on first default). 

Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioner Bill

The bills previously listed include the appointment of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners. Introduced in the Rajya Sabha in the last monsoon session, this bill faced aversion from the opposition as it sought to pose service conditions of the chief election commissioner and two election commissioners on par with the cabinet secretary, rather than a Supreme Court judge, as per the current practice. 

The move is viewed to allow the government more autonomy and control over the appointment of members of the poll panel as it seeks to replace the CJI with a cabinet minister in the panel to select the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners.

The Supreme Court, in March had ruled that a three-member panel headed by the Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India will appoint the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners till a law on their appointment is put in place in the Parliament. They would have also had the power to consider even those not short-listed by the cabinet secretary-led Search Committee, according to a bill introduced in Parliament. 

Speculated Bills 

Although there is no official confirmation on the new legislation, the general view, including in the BJP circles, that the list includes a bill to ascertain women’s representation in elected legislatures like the Lok Sabha and  state assemblies. However, when probed about the government’s stand on the demands by several parties to table the women’s reservation bill in the special session, Joshi replied that the government would make a "decision at an appropriate time”. The two issues rumoured to be on the agenda for the special session of Parliament are the ‘One Nation, One Election’ bill and the proposal to rename India as ‘Bharat’. These issues have now long been contested between the opposition parties and the central government. 

As per the bulletin released by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, a group photograph session for all Members of Parliament (MPs)  has also been scheduled for 9.30 am on Tuesday. The government's legislative activities are set to begin in the new building from September 20.