Parliament Diary

Parliament met for the 13^th sitting of the Winter Session today.

In Rajya Sabha today the Select Committee Report on the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2008 was tabled. The Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha on 22 December 2008. The Bill was referred to a Standing Committee on Finance on 14 September 2009. The Committee submitted its report on 13 December 2011. 

After the Standing Committee had submitted its report, amendments were brought to the Bill by the UPA II government on 2 August 2013, and the current NDA government on 30 July 2014.

Members of Rajya Sabha asked for the Bill, with the new amendments, to be reconsidered by a Select Committee of the Upper House. The Bill was referred to the Select Committee on 14 August 2014. Unlike a Standing Committee, which comprises of Members of both Houses of Parliament, a Select Committee comprises of Members of only one House.

The Rajya Sabha Select Committee, which comprised of 15 Members, was chaired by Dr. Chandan Mitra. It held nine sittings and heard 117 witnesses while considering the Bill. Four Members of the Committee also submitted dissent notes to the Committee report.

The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha today. The Bill replaces the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Ordinance which aims to provide continuity of availability of coal after the Supreme Court’s order to cancel the allocation of 42 mining leases. It allows these coal mines to be allocated to PSUs, or to private companies, for specified end-use, through a public auction.

The Supplementary Demands for Grants 2014-15 was also passed by Lok Sabha today. 

The School of Planning and Architecture Bill, 2014 was passed by Rajya Sabha today. Members of Rajya Sabha also sought clarifications on a statement made by Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Commerce and Industry,on November 28th, on India's Stand in the WTO.

Yesterday, Lok Sabha passed The Payment and Settlement Systems (Amendment) Bill, 2014.

Yesterday in Rajya Sabha, The Delhi Hotels (Control of Accommodation) Repeal Bill, 2014 and The Food Safety and Standards (Amendment) Bill, 2014 were withdrawn.

The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2014 was also passed by Rajya Sabha yesterday.