Budget Session begins and suspension of Opposition MPs revoked

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• Parliamentary Sessions
• Suspension of MPs
• Rules under which the Presiding Officer/Chairman acts
• News Summary: Budget Session begins and suspension of Opposition MPs revoked

Why in news?

• On the eve of Parliament’s Budget Session, the suspension of 14 Opposition MPs — 11 from Rajya Sabha and three from Lok Sabha — was revoked.
• This was done to enable them to attend the customary President’s address to both Houses of Parliament.

Parliamentary Sessions

• Constitutional provisions with respect to Parliamentary Sessions
  • Article 85 of the Indian Constitution states that the President can summon each House of Parliament to meet at a time and place of their choosing.
  • The President can also prorogue, or end, a parliamentary session, or dissolve the Lok Sabha.
• Power to convene a session of Parliament
  • The Central government has the authority to call for a session.
  • The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA), which includes several Cabinet ministers, determines the date and number of sittings.
  • After finalising the session schedule, the President calls upon the Members of Parliament to convene for the upcoming session.
  • The MPs are informed about the number of sittings and other details about the tentative business of the House through the summons sent by the President.
• Timetable
  • The Constitution doesn’t provide for a fixed number of sessions or days of sitting.
  • However, three sessions are typically held each calendar year — the Budget, Monsoon, and Winter sessions.
• Current status
  • The longest, the Budget Session, starts towards the end of January, and concludes by the end of April or first week of May.
    • This session has a recess so that Parliamentary Committees can discuss the budgetary proposals.
  • The second session is the three-week Monsoon Session, which usually begins in July and finishes in August.
  • The parliamentary year ends with a three week-long Winter Session, which is held from November to December.

Suspension of MPs

• It is the role and duty of the Presiding Officer — Speaker of Lok Sabha and Chairman of Rajya Sabha — to maintain order so that the House can function smoothly.
• In order to ensure that proceedings are conducted in the proper manner, the Speaker/ Chairman is empowered to force a Member to withdraw from the House.

Rules under which the Presiding Officer/Chairman acts

• For Lok Sabha
  • Rule Number 373 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business
    • It empowers presiding officers to direct an MP to withdraw from the House for any disorderly conduct.
    • This rule says that any Member so ordered to withdraw shall remain absent during the remainder of the day’s sitting.
  • Rules 374 and 374A- To deal with more recalcitrant Members.
    • Rule 374 empowers the Presiding officers to name the legislators if the MP continues disrupting the House even after repeated warnings.
    • After that, the House can move a motion to suspend the MP for a period not exceeding the remainder of the session
    • Rule 374A was incorporated in the Rule Book in December 2001.The intention was to circumvent the necessity of adopting a motion for suspension.
      • Under this rule, the Speaker can name an MP, who shall then automatically stand suspended for five days or the remaining part of the session.
• For Rajya Sabha
  • Rule 255 of the Rule Book of Rajya Sabha
    • It empowers the Chairman of Rajya Sabha to direct any Member to withdraw immediately from the House for any disorderly conduct.
  • Rule 256
    • This rule empowers the Chairman to name the members who persistently disregards the authority of the Chair or abuses the rules of the Council.
    • After that, the House may adopt a motion suspending the Member for a period not exceeding the remainder of the session.
  • It should be noted that, unlike Lok Sabha (under rule 374A), Rajya Sabha can not suspend its members without passing a motion for the same.

News Summary: Budget Session begins and suspension of Opposition MPs revoked

• The Budget session of Parliament, the last of the 17th Lok Sabha (LS), will begin with the President’s address to a joint sitting of both Houses on January 31.
• 14 Opposition MPs, suspended during the last session and their cases referred to the Privileges Committees, will return to attend the Budget session.
  • A record 146 Opposition MPs, from both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, were suspended during the Winter Session.
  • They were suspended for disrupting proceedings to press their demand for a statement from Home Minister on the Parliament security breach on December 13.
  • While the other MPs were suspended for the remainder of the Winter Session, the suspension of 14 MPs was referred to the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha privileges committees.
• The Chairs in the two Houses have agreed to the government’s request to revoke their suspensions.

Q1) What is Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA)?

The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA) is chaired by the Prime Minister of India. The CCPA usually makes decisions on matters presented to it for consideration by circulating papers. 

Q2) What is Lok Sabha?

The Lok Sabha is the lower house of India's Parliament. It is also known as the House of the People. The Lok Sabha is made up of representatives chosen by direct election based on adult suffrage. The Constitution of India allows for a maximum of 550 members in the Lok Sabha, with 530 representing the states and 20 representing the Union Territories.

Source: Budget Session begins today, suspension of Opposition MPs revoked | NDTV | The Hindu | Business Standard