Five new bills were introduced, addressing a range of legislative priorities.

New Delhi, December 21: The Winter Session of the Indian Parliament, which began on November 25, was adjourned sine die on Friday. Over the course of its 26-day duration, the session saw 20 sittings of the Lok Sabha and 19 sittings of the Rajya Sabha.

According to PRS Legislative Research, the Lok Sabha operated for 52% of its scheduled time, while the Rajya Sabha functioned for only 39%. Both Houses initially saw limited activity, with less than 10% of the scheduled time being utilized in the first week. The Lok Sabha did sit on an additional Saturday to discuss the workings of the Constitution.

During the session, two significant bills were passed. The Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024, which replaces the 1934 Aircraft Act, aims to modernize civil aviation regulations while maintaining most provisions of the original law. The Appropriation (No. 3) Bill, 2024, which authorizes additional expenditure for the 2024-25 fiscal year, was passed by the Lok Sabha as a Money Bill and deemed approved by the Rajya Sabha.

Five new bills were introduced, addressing a range of legislative priorities. The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, which seeks to enable simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, was moved to a Joint Parliamentary panel for further examination, following demands from opposition parties. Similarly, the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which proposes synchronized elections for Puducherry, Delhi, and Jammu and Kashmir, was also referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee.

Additionally, the Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024, was introduced to replace the 1958 Merchant Shipping Act, focusing on reforms in ship registration, maritime training, seafarer welfare, and pollution control. The Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024, which regulates vessels in India’s coastal waters, is still pending in the Lok Sabha.

Legislation from previous sessions also made progress. The Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was passed by the Lok Sabha, while the Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024, advanced in one House.

Despite the session’s activity, several bills remained unresolved, with 33 bills still pending, including long-pending proposals like the Seeds Bill, 2004, and the Delhi Rent (Amendment) Bill, 1997.

During this session, Question Hour functioned for only 39% of the scheduled time in the Rajya Sabha and had limited proceedings in the Lok Sabha as well. Constitutional issues dominated discussions, with 16 hours of debate in the Lok Sabha and 17 hours in the Rajya Sabha. However, short-duration discussions and adjournment motions were not accepted.

The first supplementary budget for 2024-25 was discussed for over 7 hours in the Lok Sabha, approving an additional expenditure of Rs 44,143 crore. The session ended with Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal moving a motion to refer the "One Nation, One Election" bills to a Joint Committee of Parliament.

Speaker Om Birla emphasized the collective responsibility to maintain the dignity of Parliament, condemning protests near its doors. Meanwhile, protests also took place within Parliament, with BJP MPs protesting the Congress party’s remarks on Babasaheb Ambedkar, while INDIA Bloc MPs, led by Rahul Gandhi, called for the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah over his comments on Ambedkar.