Amid ruckus, Parliament winter session adjourned till November 27
The Winter Session of Parliament, which commenced on Monday, was adjourned within minutes of assembly due to ruckus by the Opposition over the Adani bribery case. The session commenced two days after major electoral results, with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti alliance winning in Maharashtra and the INDIA bloc retaining Jharkhand. The government has scheduled 16 bills for introduction in this session, including Waqf law amendments and five new draft legislations.
Government plans to introduce 16 bills
Among the 16 bills scheduled for introduction is a bill to set up a cooperative university called Rashtriya Sahkari Vishwavidyalaya. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, pending in the Lok Sabha, is also due for consideration and passage after a joint committee of both Houses submits its report. Opposition members on the committee have sought more time to submit their report, accusing committee chair Jagdambika Pal of rushing meetings and seeking Speaker Om Birla's intervention.
Other bills listed for introduction
The agenda of the session also includes the presentation, discussion, and voting on the First Batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2024-25. The Punjab Courts (Amendment) Bill is another legislation on the list for introduction. It seeks to raise Delhi district courts' pecuniary appellate jurisdiction from ₹3 lakh to ₹20 lakh. The Merchant Shipping Bill will also be introduced to ensure India's compliance with maritime treaties.
Coastal Shipping Bill and Indian Ports Bill on agenda
The Coastal Shipping Bill and Indian Ports Bill are also slated to be introduced and passed during this session. Although there have been reports about possible legislation for simultaneous elections, such bills are not yet part of this session's list. The Winter Session is set to end on December 20, leaving plenty of time for these legislative matters to be taken up.
