The disruption caused by the opposition parties in Rajya Sabha was at the highest this Monsoon session since 2014. However, the Government of India, despite the ruckus in the upper House, successfully carried out the government business. As per the data provided by Rajya Sabha, a total of 19 bills were passed during the monsoon session, including the Constitutional Amendment on the OBC reservation. On average, 1.1 bills were passed on every working day during the session.
A total of 19 bills have been passed in the Rajya Sabha in this session.
If this monsoon session is compared with the monsoon sessions of the previous years, it is the second-highest productive session since 2014. Notably, the monsoon session of 2020 saw the passage of 2.5 bills per day despite being acutely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Data suggests that till August 11, the total time lost due to interruptions and adjournments in the Rajya Sabha stands at 76 hours 26 minutes. The monsoon session this year saw the highest average time per day lost due to the interruptions caused by the opposition since the 231st session of Rajya Sabha in 2014 that stood at 4 hours and 30 minutes.
Bills passed during the Monsoon session
The monsoon session started on July 19. The first bill was passed on July 27 that was The Marine Aids To Navigation Bill, 2021 was passed, while on July 28, The Juvenile Justice (Care And Protection Of Children) Amendment Bill, 2021 was passed. On July 29 and July 30, The Factoring Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and The Coconut Development Board (Amendment) Bill, 2021, were passed, respectively.
In the month of August, the first bill that was The Inland Vessels Bill, 2021, was passed on August 2, and The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was passed on August 3. On August 4, three bills were passed in the upper House that was The Limited Liability Partnership (Amendment) Bill, 2021, Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
Similarly, on August 5, three bills were passed were Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2021, The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Bill, 2021 and The Essential Defence Services Bill, 2021. August 9 also witnessed the passage of three bills that were The Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2021′ on August 9, The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (returned) and The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
On August 11, four bills were passed in the Upper House, namely The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2021, The General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Amendment Bill, 2021, The National Commission for Homoeopathy (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
Chaotic parliament in the Monsoon session
There were multiple instances when the leaders of the opposition were seen creating a ruckus, including throwing folders at the Chair, snatching papers from the Minister and tearing them, throwing torn papers at the Chair and more. TMC MP Arpita Ghosh, who was suspended for the Monsoon session, tried to forcefully enter the House and broke the glass door in the process.
There have also been instances when MPs resorted to manhandling the security personnel inside the house. On August 10, Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa stood on a bench in Rajya Sabha while raising slogans against three Agriculture laws enacted last year and threw heavy files with force towards the Chair.
