The special parliamentary session begins today with eight bills; Everything you need to know

In addition, discussions will focus on Parliament’s 75-year history, and there will be a transition of House work to a new building.

Earlier on Sunday, Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Jagdeep Dhankhar hoisted the national flag at the new Parliament building. Joshi said the session will transition to the new parliament building after a ceremony in the main hall of the current building.

Pralhad Joshi announced that a total of eight bills are scheduled for discussion and approval during the session. At an all-party meeting on Sunday, workplace leaders were informed that a supplementary bill on the welfare of senior citizens and three bills related to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes order have been included in the agenda.

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Among the bills mentioned earlier is one regarding the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners. This bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha during the previous monsoon session and was opposed by the Opposition.

The controversial aspect of this bill is its purpose to align the terms of service of the Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners with those of the Cabinet Secretary, instead of a Supreme Court judge, which is the current practice.

While there has been no official confirmation regarding possible new legislation, certain reports have suggested that some of the bills in question could include: the Repeal and Amendment Act, 2022; The Post Office Act, 2023; The Advocates Act (Amendment Act), 2023; Press and Registration of Journals Bill, 2023; Elderly Care Act, 2023; and the Constitution Act (SC/ST), 2023.

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There has been a perspective, even within the BJP circles, advocating a bill to ensure women’s representation in elected bodies like the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. When asked about the government’s stand on this request, Joshi said the government would “take a decision at an appropriate time”.

According to information in a Lok Sabha bulletin, the event will honor the extensive history of the Indian Parliament and make a commitment to transform ‘Bharat’ into a developed nation by 2047.

Two items rumored to be on the agenda for the special session of Parliament are the ‘One Nation, One Election’ bill and a proposal to change India’s official name to ‘Bharat’. According to details in a Lok Sabha bulletin, the aim of the event is to celebrate the rich heritage of the Parliament of India and reaffirm the goal of making ‘Bharat’ a developed nation by 2047.

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As per the Lok Sabha Secretariat bulletin, a group photo session for all MPs has been scheduled at 9.30 am on Tuesday.

An official reports that preparations have been made for this group photo in the courtyard of the old building. The government’s legislative activities will begin in the new building from September 20. It is worth noting that all members of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been invited for the group photo on Tuesday morning.

(With inputs from PTI)

Updated: Sep 18, 2023 06:29 IST