Parliament Diary

The Home Minister made a statement in Parliament on the violence in Nagaland. He said that a Special Investigation Team has been constituted, which has been directed to complete its investigation within a month. In addition, the cause of the deaths is being investigated by the Army at the highest level.

During Zero Hour in Lok Sabha, one Member insisted for oversight over the AFSPA Act to prevent its misuse; another Member demanded the law’s repeal. 

In the second half, Lok Sabha took up the NIPER (Amendment) Bill, 2021 for discussion. The Bill declares six additional NIPERs in Ahmedabad, Hajipur, Hyderabad, Kolkata Guwahati, and Raebareli as Institutions of National Importance. During the debate on the Bill, Members said that the NIPERs didn’t have permanent campuses, except for Mohali. Members also pointed to the Standing Committee’s recommendation to standardize the seven institutions in terms of infrastructure and courses offered before declaring them as ‘institutions of national importance.’

The NDPS (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was introduced. The Bill replaces an Ordinance promulgated on September 30. The Bill corrects a drafting error and provides that the amendment will have been deemed to have been in effect from May 1, 2014, the same date on which the 2014 Amendments came into effect. At the time of the Bill’s introduction, Members raised concern over the retrospective effect of the penal provision proposed in the Bill. Article 20(1) of the Constitution disallows criminal offences to take retrospective effect. 

A debate on the situation arising out of price rise in the country was on the agenda in Rajya Sabha but could not be taken up due to disruptions. The report of the Committee on Industry on ‘Electric & Hybrid Mobility - Prospects and Challenges in Automobile Industry’ was presented in Parliament.

The Health Minister was replying to the debate on the NIPER (Amendment) Bill, 2021 at the time of uploadingending this note.  

Please note that the number of Private Members' Bills introduced in Lok Sabha is recorded as 145 in the House's Bulletin.