The 3rd session of the 18th Lok Sabha began on 25 November 2024 and is expected to continue until 20 December 2024. The first week was marred by disruptions in both houses over the opposition’s demand for a discussion on multiple issues.
The winter session of the Parliament began on 25 November 2024. This session is the third session of the 18th Lok Sabha that was elected in June this year. The first two sessions were held between the last week of June and the second week of August. This session also marks the 266th session of the Rajya Sabha.
The winter session is expected to go on till 20 December 2024 providing 19 sittings over a period of 26 days. As per the Business Schedule, a total of 16 Bills and the Demand for Grants for 2024-25 are likely to be taken up during this session.
As the first week of the session ends, we look at some of the key developments and events that took place in Parliament during this period.
Key Developments
The session began within days after the results of the Legislative Assembly elections were announced for the states of Maharashtra and Jharkhand where BJP and I.N.D.I.A bloc won, respectively.
In the Lok Sabha, a new measure has been introduced for attendance registration. Instead of the previous Mobile App, members are now required to sign an electronic tab using a digital pen. This shift aims to reduce paper use.
No business was conducted on the first day of the session and both Houses were adjourned for the day just within an hour after convening due to interruptions. The matters raised by the opposition for discussion in the Upper House included the alleged corruption, bribery and financial irregularities of the Adani Group, ongoing violence and killings in Manipur, violent clashes during a survey in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, and special assistance for the people of Wayanad.
On Tuesday (26 November 2024), there was no sitting of Parliament to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Constituent Assembly’s adoption of the Constitution in 1949.
Wednesday (27 November 2024) also saw continuous disruptions in both the Houses. The Chairman of Rajya Sabha informed the house that he received 18 notices under Rule 267 which included the issues raised by the opposition on Day 1. A notice under Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha rules is a request by a member to raise a matter of urgent public importance, often requiring immediate attention and debate.
However, the Chairman deferred the notices emphasizing the need for consensus, dialogue, and adherence to parliamentary traditions, suggesting that such issues could be raised later through other procedural avenues rather than disrupting the proceedings on a significant day.
Meanwhile, in the Lok Sabha, some of the matters raised under rule 377 include the need to expedite the establishment of Sainik School in Godda, Jharkhand, the need to expedite the construction of the Railway line project between Tindivanam and Nagari in Tamil Nadu, rise in prices of food items, and more. However, the session was adjourned for the day following interruptions that arose.
On Thursday (28 November 2024), Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (Kerala) and Chavan Ravindra Vasantrao (Maharashtra) took oath as MPs in the Lok Sabha. Even though the government had plans to push the Waqf Amendment Bill, the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) sought an extension to present the report until the end of the Budget Session of 2025. The extension as granted.
However, just like the previous day, both Houses were adjourned. Lok Sabha had some discussion under Rule 377 while interruptions arose in the Rajya Sabha as the Chairman deferred the notices.
Friday’s (29 November 2024) business was also no different.
Important standing committee reports
During the first week, no standing committee reports were tabled in the parliament. On 28 November 2024, the Lok Sabha’s Business Advisory Committee presented its fourth report, following its sitting on Monday, 25 November 2024. The report outlines the schedule and agenda for the session, specifying the business that will be taken up in the House during that time. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha is the ex-officio chairperson of the Business Advisory Committee.
In the report, the committee has allocated four hours for the Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and two hours each for the Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2024 and the Bills of Lading Bill, 2024.
Bills introduced and passed
A bill to amend the Disaster Management Act, 2005, was listed for consideration and passing in the Lok Sabha during the week. The bill was to be moved by Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister.
As per the business schedule, the following are the bills that may be taken up in the ongoing session. Some of these are expected to be considered in the coming week.
Legislative Business
- The Bhartiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024
- The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024
- The Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024
- The Bills of Lading Bill, 2024
- The Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill, 2024
- The Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2024
- The Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024
- The Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024
- The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024
- The Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill, 2024
- The Boilers Bill, 2024
- The Rashtriya Sahkari Vishwavidyalaya Bill, 2024
- The Punjab Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2024
- The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024
- The Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024
- The Indian Ports Bill, 2024
Financial Business
- Discussion and Voting on the First Batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for the year 2024-25 and introduction, consideration and passing/return of the related Appropriation Bill.
Notable Questions in Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha
- In the Supreme Court, 2 out of 34 posts were vacant. In the High Courts, there were 364 vacancies out of a total sanctioned strength of 1,122 as of 21 November 2024.
- Between 2021-22 to 2024-25, the allocations in the gender budget in the Union Budget increased by 128% from Rs.1.43 lakh crore in 2020-21 to Rs. 3.27 lakh crore in 2024-25. This budget has been allocated to 43 Ministries/Departments/UTs. Compared to 2023-24, the gender budget has gone up by 37.3%.
- In October 2024, a total of 614 bomb threats were received by airlines in India. Air India, Indigo, and Vistara received 154, 162, and 150 each. According to another response, a total of 1148 hoax bomb threat messages/calls have been received from August 2022 to 14 November 2024 across International and Domestic airlines in India. 999 were reported in 2024 alone. Further, 256 FIRs were filed between January 2024 till 14 November 2024, out of which 163 FIRs were filed in the one month from 14 October- 14 November 2024. As of 14 November 2024, a total of 12 arrests were made in view of hoax bomb threats in 2024 alone.
- As of November 2024, there were 13,86,145 allopathic doctors registered with the State Medical Councils (SMCs) and the National Medical Commission (NMC). Assuming 80% availability of registered allopathic doctors and around 6.14 lakh AYUSH doctors, the doctor-population ratio in the country stood at 1:811.
- The national investment in research and development (R&D) measured in terms of Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) has increased over the years and more than doubled in the last 10 years. India’s GERD as a percentage of GDP remained between 0.6% to 0.7% which is relatively lower than other countries like China (2.4%), the USA (3.5%) and Israel (5.4%) etc. mainly due to relatively less investment by India’s private sector into GERD.
- The amount involved in fraud cases in commercial banks and all India financial institutions has declined from Rs. 9,298 crores in 2021-22 to Rs. 3,607 crores in 2022-23 to Rs. 2,715 crores in 2023-24. This includes only those frauds where the amount involved is Rs. 1 lakh and above in each case and is based on RBI’s data.
- Sovereign Green Bonds (SGrBs) are a type of government debt that the Indian government issues to fund green infrastructure projects and initiatives. The framework was first released in November 2022. In 2022-23 and 2023-24, the Government of India raised Rs. 16,000 crores and Rs. 20,000 crores, respectively, through the issuance of SGrBs. So far, in 2024-25, Rs. 1,697.4 crores have been raised. This money will be allocated for the eligible green projects of the various Ministries/Departments, which help in reducing the economy’s carbon intensity.
