Monsoon Session of Parliament

The much awaited monsoon session of parliament started from July 18 and is expected to conclude on August 12, 2016. The session will have a total of 20 sittings over duration of 26 days and the main focus of the ruling alliance will be to push its economic reforms agenda. We hope that government will work amicably for the benefit of our nation and opposition party will not make ruckus in this session.

The government’s top agenda in monsoon session of parliament is GST Bill and the discussion on the Jammu and Kashmir situation is also on the cards. The GST Bill has been stuck in the Rajya Sabha since May 2015, as the ruling National Democratic Alliance does not have majority in the Upper House. The government has been trying to reach out to the Congress to resolve differences between the two sides and ensure passage of the Bill in the monsoon session of Parliament. A meeting between the government and the Congress on July 15 failed to arrive at any conclusion on the issue. All eyes are glued on the passage of the much awaited GST Bill.

Here’s a list of crucial bills on finance, labour, law, health and strategic affairs, among others, that will be discussed for introduction and passing across 20 sittings of Parliament during Monsoon Session.

Bills pending in the Lok Sabha:

1. The Indian Trust (Amendment) Bill, 2015 (agreeing to amendments made by the Rajya Sabha)
2. The Enforcement of Security Interest and Recovery of Debts Laws and Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment) Bill, 2016 (after report is presented by the joint committee)

Bills pending in the Rajya Sabha: 

1. The Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2015
2. The Regional Centre for Biotechnology Bill, 2016
3. The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty second Amendment) Bill, 2014
4. The Enemy Property (Amendment & Validation) Bill, 2016 (all these bills have been already passed by the Lok Sabha)
5. The Child labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2012
6. The Homeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2015

Bills for Introduction:

1. The High Court’s (Alteration of Names) Bill, 2016
2. The Institute of Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2016
3. The Use and regulation of DNA based technology in Civil and Criminal Proceedings, Identification of Missing Persons and Human Remains Bill, 2016

Just a week into the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Lok Sabha has cleared four Bills during the five sittings viz., the Indian Medical Council Bill,2016, the Dentists (Amendment) Bill,2016 and the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research Bill (Amendment) Bill, 2016. These were among the six Bills introduced in the House last week. The Rajya Sabha passed two bills on July 18 – The Regional Centre for Biotechnology Bill, 2016, as passed by the Lok Sabha earlier, and The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2012.

However, the politics has yet again reigned over national cause with ED proceedings over the weekend against the former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and others in an advance on the National Herald Case. With already the sensitive issue of atrocities on Dalit ongoing in the Parliament, this unexpected state of affairs is going to play a spoil sport and jolt the passage of the much needed GST Bill. No matter what, the Congress party continues to hold a strong hold in the Upper House.

What remains to be seen now is whether Mr Arun Jaitley manages to garner consensus and reduce the differences in today’s meeting with states to make the GST dream of Modi a reality.