The Winter Session of Parliament will begin on December 4 and end on December 22, the Union government announced on Thursday.
The session will have 15 sittings spread over 19 days, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Amid Amrit Kaal looking forward to discussions on legislative business and other items during the session,” he said.
Interestingly, the session will convene a day after the counting of votes for the Assembly polls being held in five States, which are seen by many as a semi-final to the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Critical Bills
Several important Bills are likely to be taken up for consideration and passage during the Winter Session, including three legislations seeking to replace the Indian Penal Code, the Evidence Act, and the Code of Criminal Procedure, as well as a Bill related to the appointment of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners.
Another item on the agenda will be the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee’s report on the "cash-for-query" allegations against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, recommending her expulsion from the Lok Sabha. In order for the expulsion to come into effect, the House must adopt the panel’s report.
New Parliament building
This will also be the first full session to be held in the new Parliament building. A five-day Special Session had been held in September, during which the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha had ceremonially moved their sittings to the new building.
The historic Women’s Reservation Bill was the first legislation to be passed in the new Parliament building. It seeks to provide 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State assemblies.
The 75-year history of the old Parliament building was also commemmorated during the Special Session. That building will now be used as an additional space for parliamentary events, and a part of it will be converted into a museum to preserve the history of the iconic structure.
