Parliament Diary

The second batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2021-22 was presented in Parliament today. It proposes a net cash outgo of Rs. 2.99 lakh crore. The first supplementary Demand for Grants, which was passed in the Monsoon Session, allowed the government to spend an additional Rs. 23,675 crore, i.e. a 0.7% increase over the budget estimate.

Two Bills replacing Ordinances were introduced in Lok Sabha - The Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and the Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2021. The Bills allow the central government to extend the tenures of the directors of the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate one year at a time for up to five years from the initial date of appointment.

In the second half, both Houses of Parliament took up Private Members' Business. 145 Private Members' Bills  were introduced in Lok Sabha and more than 20 in Rajya Sabha. A Private Member's Bill to amend the Preamble was reserved after another Member argued that amending the Preamble violated the basic structure of the Constitution. 

In Rajya Sabha, the Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2019 moved by a private member was taken up for discussion. The Bill requires 25% of CSR funds of a company be spent on repair, restoration, management, maintenance, upkeep etc. of ancient monuments and archaeological sites. In Lok Sabha, the Compulsory Voting Bill, 2019, also moved by a private member, was taken up. The Bill seeks to provide for compulsory voting by the electorate in the country.

During Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha, one Member drew the attention of the House to the growing addiction of youth to online games. Noting that the average time spent on online gaming increased considerably during the lockdown, he urged the government to have a comprehensive framework for regulating online gaming.