The Winter Session of Parliament has begun. The session will go on till January 5, next year. This will be the first full-fledged session with Vice President M. Venkiah Naidu as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
Being a Friday, both Houses were expected to take up Private Members Bills after the obituary references. But the Lok Sabha adjourned till Monday, December 18, as sitting members have passed away.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced the new Cabinet, following obituary references in both Houses.
While the Rajya Sabha is likely to take up the Companies Act amendments and IIM Bill pending from the previous session, four new bills are being introduced in Lok Sabha.
After a bitter poll campaign for Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to the Opposition leaders saying “constructive criticism helps in policy making.”
Here are the live updates:
Rajya Sabha is back in session. LoP Mr. Azad rises to speak again. Slogan shouting commences. House is adjourned till 2.30 p.m.
Vijay Goel of the BJP makes a statement on government business from December 18, 2017. He lists the Bills the government has had passed by the Lok Sabha, pending in the Rajya Sabha.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi rises to introduce the new Council of Ministers.
Zero Hour begins.
Navaneethakrishnan of the AIADMK begins speaking about cyclone Ockhi. He reiterates Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami's request to declare Ockhi as a national disaster. But slogan shouting drowns out his voice.
MPs take to the well of the House. House is adjourned till 12 noon.
Lok Sabha has been adjourned till Monday, December 18, 2017.
Lok Sabha member and ILND MP Dushyant Chautala arrived at the Parliament premises in a tractor. He was, however, stopped at the gate. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Rajya Sabha
Chairman Venkaiah Naidu congratulates the women's hockey team for their performance in the Asia Cup.
Papers are laid on the table. Mr. Naidu says MPs laying their papers need not say, "I beg to lay on the table" any more as "we are independent now". Instead, he requests them to say, "I raise."
Mr. Naidu announces that the disqualification of Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar from the Rajya Sabha is final, after hearing their arguments against his decision.
Slogan shouting begins immediately after this announcement.
Obituary references in Lok Sabha
- Sultan Ahmed (Sitting Member and Member Fifteenth, Lok Sabha)
- Chand Nath (Sitting Member)
- Tasleem Uddin (Sitting Member and Member, Ninth, Eleventh, Twelfth and Fourteenth Lok Sabhas)
- Shri Vikram Mahajan (Member, Fourth, Fifth and Seventh Lok Sabhas)
- Ram Singh (Member, Ninth Lok Sabha)
- R. Keishing (Member, First and Third Lok Sabhas)
- P.C. Barman (Member, Third Lok Sabha)
- Dhanraj Singh (Member, Ninth Lok Sabha)
- Amal Datta (Member, Seventh to Tenth Lok Sabhas)
- Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi (Member, Fifth, Eighth, Eleventh,Thirteenth and Fourteenth Lok Sabhas).
Obituary references in Rajya Sabha
- Shri Khamsum Namgyal Pulger (ex-Member)
- Shri S.B. Ramesh Babu (ex-Member)
- Shri Rishang Keishing (ex-Member)
- Shri Arjan Singh, Marshal of Indian Air Force
- Shri Jayantilal Barot (ex-Member)
- Shri Makhan Lal Fotedar (ex-Member)
- Shri Gaya Singh (ex-Member)
- Dr. Ishwar Chandra Gupta (ex-Member)
- Shri Mirza Irshadbaig (ex-Member)
- Shri Sukomal Sen (ex-Member)
Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha begin the day with the National Anthem being played. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Chairman Venkaiah Naidu are in the Chair respectively.
Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha got new Secretary Generals. Snehlata Shrivastava takes over as Lok Sabha Secretary General from Anup Mishra.
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan greets Snehlata Shrivastava, the newly-appointed Secretary General of the House. | Photo Credit: Sandeep Saxena
Mr. Naidu reads out obituary references.
In Lok Sabha, the newly-inducted ministers are being introduced by the Prime Minister.
Looking forward for a productive session
Prime Minister Narendra Modi briefly met the mediapersons ahead of the commencement of Winter Session of Parliament. "It is not cold yet, but the Winter Session has already begun," remarked Mr. Modi in a lighter vein.
"I wish there is constructive, innovative debate in this Winter session," Mr. Modi said, adding: "We had an all-party meet yesterday. We decided that the session will be a productive one. I also wish the session will uphold democracy and work towards development of the country."