Monsoon Session of Parliament begins today 

Monsoon Session of Parliament will begin today. In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the session will be held in two shifts – 9 AM to 1 PM and 3 PM to 7 PM. Except today, Rajya Sabha will sit in the morning shift and Lok Sabha will sit in the evening. The Session will take up 47 items during its 18 sittings till 1st October. It will take up eleven Bills to replace the ordinances. These includes the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020, the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020, the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill, 2020 and the Salary and Allowances of Ministers (Amendment) Bill, 2020.

Some other new bills are also likely to be introduced, for considering and passing during this session. These includes the Factoring Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020, the Pension Fund Regulatory And Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2020, the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill, 2020, the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2020, the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2020, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill, 2020 and the Jammu and Kashmir Official Language, Bill, 2020.

Parliament is fully prepared for the 18-day Monsoon Session beginning from today. This will be the first Parliament session being held amid the Covid-19 pandemic. All safety measures have been taken to conduct the session as per guidelines issued for Covid19. Entry in the premises will be allowed only on production of a COVID-19 negative report. The session will see other measures like seating MPs in a staggered way in chambers of both Houses, as well as galleries to maintain physical distancing norms and introduction of mobile app for registering of MPs’ attendance. There will be no Question Hour and Private Members’ Bills will not be taken up in the upcoming Session. The Zero Hour will be there and the un-starred questions will be laid on the table.