Special Session To Debate Parliament’s 75-Year Journey On First Day, 4 Bills Also On Agenda

New Delhi [India]: The Central government has listed a special discussion on Parliament’s 75-year journey, starting from the Samvidhan Sabha that first met on December 9, 1946, on the first day of the upcoming Special Session of Parliament, beginning on September 18.

As per the Parliamentary Bulletin, released on Wednesday, a discussion on “Parliamentary Journey of 75 years starting from Samvidhan Sabha – Achievements, Experiences, Memories and Learnings” will be held in Parliament on the first day of the five-sitting long special session.
The Special Session will be held from September 18 to 22.

Meanwhile, four bills including a Bill to regulate the appointment, conditions of service, and term of office of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners are part of the legislative business of the government for the session.

Apart from the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, introduced in Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon session on August 10, the list includes ‘The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023’ and ‘The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023’, already passed by Rajya Sabha on August 3, 2023.

The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023 amends the Advocates Act, 1961, while the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023 repeals the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867.

Besides, ‘The Post Office Bill, 2023’ has also been listed in the Lok Sabha business. The bill was earlier introduced in Rajya Sabha on 10 August 2023 and it repeals the Indian Post Office Act, 1898.

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal in the last session introduced the Bill on the appointment of Chief Election Commissioners and other election commissioners.

This Bill also deals with the procedure for the transaction of business by the Election Commission. Besides, it proposes that the Election Commissioners will be appointed by the President on the recommendation of a panel comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister will chair the panel.

The Bill, if it comes into effect, will negate the Supreme Court’s March 2023 judgement that held that the appointment of Election Commissioners will be done by the President on the advice of a panel comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Justice of India. However, in its judgement, the apex court had held that the procedure underlined by it would hold till a law is enacted by Parliament.

The proposed bill also evoked sharp reactions from the opposition parties with the Congress leader KC Venugopal earlier stating that the legislation aims to make the Election Commission a “puppet in the hands of Prime Minister”.