The Winter Session of Parliament on Wednesday concluded with recorded productivity of 27 percent in the Rajya Sabha. During the month-long proceedings, five bills were passed by both the Houses of Parliament. Informing about the business in the Upper House, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Narendra Singh Tomar said that “Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die on Wednesday which provided 18 sittings spread over a period of 30 days”.
During the Session, five bills were introduced in the Upper Houses in which four were passed. Three bills replacing the ordinances — Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance-2018, Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance-2018 and Companies (Amendment) Ordinance-2018 — were passed by Lok Sabha and are presently in Rajya Sabha.
Apart from this, the other major bill that was passed by Rajya Sabha is the Constitution (One Hundred Twenty Four) Amendment Bill which will provide 10% reservation in services and educational institutions for economically weaker sections in general category.
During the session, four bills that were pending in the Rajya Sabha were withdrawn. Those bills were Nalanda University (Amendment) Bill-2013, Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Bill-2005, Homeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill-2005 and the Homeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill-2015.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel on Thursday said that the “passing of the historic 124th Constitutional Amendment Bill is a proof of the fact that the government has been ready to discuss all issues of National Importance in the Parliament and pass important bills, provided the government received support from all political parties”.
This year, the productivity in the Upper House has halved in comparison to the last winter session. In 2017, Rajya Sabha recorded 56.29 per cent productivity in the Winter Session.
Bills Introduced in Rajya Sabha
1. The Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill, 2018
2. The National Commission for Homeopathy Bill, 2019
3. The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill, 2019
4. The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2019
5. The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Second Amendment) Bill, 2019
Bills Passed in Rajya Sabha
1. The National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Central Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple (Disabilities) Amendment Bill, 2018
2. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2019
3. The National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill 2019
4. The Constitution (One Hundred Twenty Four) Amendment Bill, 2019
