The Parliament ‘s winter session started on November 18, 2019. The 250th session of the Parliament is going to be a significant one as several key bills will be tabled. At present, 43 Bills are pending in Parliament. Out of these, 27 Bills are listed for introduction, consideration, and passing, 12 Bills are listed for consideration and passing, and 7 bills are listed for withdrawal. There will be 20 sessions of the Parliament before adjourns on December 13, 2019.
In this post, I have provided a summary of the significant developments in both the houses so far:
Surrogacy Regulation Bill 2019
This bill prohibits commercial surrogacy and introduces the constitution of the National Surrogacy Board and respective State Surrogacy Boards in order to regulate the practice of surrogacy. I feel that the bill is a welcome move given that it aims to put an end to unethical practices, exploitation of surrogate mothers, abandonment of children born out of surrogacy and exploitation of human embryos and gametes. This bill has been passed by the Lok Sabha on August 5, 2019, during the monsoon session. The bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha by the Union Health Minister, Harsh Vardhan ji. Following the objections from the Rajya Sabha members, the government has now referred the bill to a Select Committee of Rajya Sabha.
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019
This bill is intended to protect the rights of transgender persons and also provides for their welfare. The bill also sets out a framework for social, economic and educational empowerment of transgenders. This bill has been passed by the Lok Sabha on August 5, 2019, during the monsoon session. Shri Thawar Chand Gehlot ji, the Minister for Social Justice, introduced the bill for consideration and passage in the Rajya Sabha. There have been several concerns raised by the transgender community in relation to the provisions of the bill. Till the adjournment of the Upper House today, there was no firm conclusion. There is a possibility that the bill may be referred to a Select Committee. In any event, I am sure that the cabinet will make a decision that will be the furtherance of the welfare of the transgender community.
The Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2019
The objective of the bill is to facilitate the orderly development of the chit fund industry in the wake of several scandals in the past. The bill sought to amend the Chit Funds Act, 1982. Strong regulation is required to protect the investors of chit who belong to the economically weaker sections, and also provide them adequate investment opportunities. This bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha during the monsoon session, and I am happy to note that it was passed by the house on November 20, 2019.
Other developments and discussions
As a much-needed move, I am happy to note that the Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal ji has announced that the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill will be introduced in the lower house next week. At present, the Act provides security to the prime minister and the members of his immediate family, and any former prime minister or to the members of his immediate family for a period of one year from the date on which the incumbent ceases to hold office, and beyond one year based on the level of threat. As per the proposed amendments, the family members of the former prime ministers would not be entitled to the SPG security cover. This is important because the protection by the elite group of commandos should be given to those with an extremely high level of security risk. My heartiest congratulations to Shri Amit Bhai Shah ji for taking this decision.
The ongoing issue of the rising levels of pollution in Delhi was also discussed in the Lok Sabha as well as Rajya Sabha. Irrespective of the political affiliations, all the members agreed that the situation in Delhi was very serious and immediate actions have to be taken. I think that Gautam Gambhir ji, who is an MP from the East Delhi constituency made a pertinent point by noting the Ghazipur landfill is a big menace, and simply penalizing farmers for stubble burning is not a sustainable solution to pollution. I note that the Minister for Environment and Forest, Shri Prakash Javadekar ji has said that we will take lesser time than Beijing to reduce the problem of air pollution in Delhi. I am wholeheartedly looking forward to this and hope that the pollution levels are minimized at the earliest.
I look forward to the next round of discussions in the Houses and hope for positive developments.
