• The Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha by Mr. Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State for Culture, on July 8, 2019. It amends the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Act, 1951.  The Act provides for the erection of a National Memorial in memory of those killed or wounded on April 13, 1919, in Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar.  In addition, it creates a Trust to manage the National Memorial.
   
• Composition of Trustees: Under the 1951 Act, the Trustees of the Memorial include: (i) the Prime Minister as Chairperson, (ii) President of the Indian National Congress, (iii) Minister in-charge of Culture, (iv) Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, (v) Governor of Punjab, (vi) Chief Minister of Punjab, and (vii) three eminent persons nominated by the central government.  The Bill amends this provision to remove the President of the Indian National Congress as a Trustee.  Further, it clarifies that when there is no Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, then the leader of the single largest opposition party will be the Trustee.
   
• The Act provides that the three trustees nominated by the central government will be trustees for a period of five years and will be eligible for renomination. The Bill allows the central government to terminate the term of a nominated trustee before the expiry of the period of his term without assigning any reason. 

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