Parliament Diary

In the second part of the Budget session which resumed today, both Houses of Parliament moved back to their original schedule of sittings from 11 AM to 6 PM.

The Finance Minister presented the third supplementary budget for the current financial year. The Jammu and Kashmir Budget for 2022-23 as well as the 2021-22 supplementary budget for the UT were also tabled.

A motion was moved in Lok Sabha to suspend Rule 205 and allow the budget proposals related to Jammu and Kashmir to be discussed today, that is, the same day on which they were presented. Rule 205 of Lok Sabha states that there will be no discussion of the Budget on the day on which it is presented to the House. Several members opposed the move arguing that this would not give them adequate time to scrutinize the budget. The motion was, however, adopted and the budget proposals were discussed.

In Rajya Sabha, the House discussed  the working of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region. During the debate, Members spoke on the need to address unresolved border disputes in the region and to repeal the AFSPA Act, among others.

During Zero Hour, Members in both the Houses suggested that students returning from Ukraine must be permitted to complete their education within the Indian system so as to not have their education interrupted. One Member in Lok Sabha opposed the EPF interest rate cut and urged the government to restore the 8.5% interest rate. 

Separately, the Joint Committee on the Biodiversity Bill, 2021, chaired by Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal, received an extension till June 2022 to submit its report. The Biodiversity Bill, 2021 was introduced in December last year. The Bill amends the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and seeks to streamline research and patent applications, encourage cultivation of wild medicinal plants, and practice of indigenous medicine.

Proceedings in both Houses were ongoing at the time of uploading this note.