Parliament met for the 18th sitting of the Winter Session today.
Lok Sabha undertook a resolution condemning the inhuman killing of school children by terrorists in Peshawar, Pakistan.
The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2014 was passed by Lok Sabha today.
Lok Sabha also discussed The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2014. The Bill brings e-carts and e-rickshaws under the ambit of the Motor Vehicles Act. The Bill also provides for the central government to make Rules on (i) the specifications for e-carts and e-rickshaws, and (ii) the manner and conditions for issuing driving licenses. More details on the Bill can be found here. The Bill was not passed.
Lok Sabha then undertook a Half an Hour Discussion, on a notice given by Dr. Kirit Somaiya, to raise a discussion on points arising out of the answer given by the Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to a question on “Plastic Hazards” that was asked by Jayshreeben Patel and Kirron Kher earlier in the Session. Half an Hour Discussions are undertaken when the answer to a question needs further explanation. This is the second Half an Hour Discussion to be taken up in the 16th Lok Sabha (the first was on Irregularities under MGNREGS). In the 15th Lok Sabha (2009-14), 7 Half an Hour Discussions were undertaken in Lok Sabha.
The Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill was listed for consideration and passing in Rajya Sabha today. Rajya Sabha could not function again today over demands by Opposition Parties that the Prime Minister address the Upper House on the issue of reported religious conversions.