The government plans to introduce the The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 in the Lok Sabha on June 21, 2019. While this Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha in the Budget session, it lapsed as the elections came around. The government has repromulgated this Bill now.

As it is a Friday, both Houses will also take up private Members’ business.

Here are the updates:

Rama Devi, K. P. Solanki, Rajendra Agrawal and Meenakshi Lekhi have been nominated as panel of Chairpersons to conduct proceedings in the absence of Speaker. The Speaker asks parties to suggest more names.

Lok Sabha proceeds with Zero Hour submissions.

Subbirami Reddy seeks regulation of fire standards in buildings. D. Raja accuses the Centre of belittling Tamil language by closing down the Central Tamil unit in All India Radio.

Rajya Sabha now takes up Question Hour.

Union Minister Smriti Irani is answering questions pertaining to child development. She says the ministry is in touch with the concerned ministries to supply fortified food grains under Food Security Act.

Rajya Sabha discusses death of children due to AES in Bihar. Binoy Viswam says the State and Central government should urgently intervene. He says the health system must be improved. "Doctors are just one part of the system," he says. Many members associate.

Vikas Mahatme speaks on assault on doctors in West Bengal. He says the State government didn't handle the issue well. Trinamool members object to it. Dr. Mahatme suggests there must be a panic button in the rooms and such offenses must be made non-bailable.

Ram Kumar Kashyap speaks on need to improve roadways infrastructure in Haryana. He is interrupted by some members seeking discussion on Bihar children deaths.

AIADMK MP Vijila Sathyananth seeks immediate implementation of Cauvery Board ruling.

In Lok Sabha Health Minister Harsh Vardhan is answering questions pertaining to AYUSH Ministry. Members from Tamil Nadu object to Dr. Vardhan answering questions directed to Shripad Naik.

The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Venkaiah Naidu, suggested the following as part of parliamentary reforms:

1. Dissolution of Lok Sabha and lapsing of bills in Rajya Sabha

Under Article 107 of the Constitution, bills passed by the LS during the course of its five year term, and pending in the RS get lapsed with the dissolution of the house of the people. 22 bills passed by the 16th LS pending in the upper house got lapsed in the 248th session. This means that the LS has to take up these bills again for passing. It would take a minimum of two sessions for doing so. Bills that lapsed include Land Acquisition Bill passed by the LS, MV amendment bill, consumer protection amendment bill, triple talak bill, etc. They are bills of socio-economic importance and thus the Chairman suggested there be a wider debate on the matter of automatic lapsing of bills in the RS.

2. Pendency of Bills in RS

At the end of the last session, a total of 55 bills were pending before the house. 3 bills were pending for more than 30 years, 6 bills were pending for 10-20 years. Indian Medical Council Amendment Bill, the oldest pending bill, has been pending for more than 32 years. All these bills are important and merit timely consideration and passing. But long pendency doesn't reflect well on the functioning of the Parliament. To streamline the process, the Chairman suggested that if a bill has not been taken up by the RS within 5 years of its introduction, such bills should be deemed lapsed.

3. How to make Parliamentary debates more effective

The Chairman asks the house to examine why there was a wide gap between the number of bills passed by the LS and the RS last session. He calls for a zone of convergence rather than expanding zone of divergence, although stressing that that shouldn't mean one house blindly follows the other house. We have to make institutions work better and respond faster, he tells the house.

VP pitches for parliamentary reforms

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu heaps praise on former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who retired from Rajya Sabha on June 14. "This House will miss an able parliamentarian and a distinguished economist," he says. Dr. Singh represented Assam five consecutive times. The House also remembers the contribution of Santiuse Kujur, who retired last week

Mr. Naidu makes a statement, explains the importance of smooth functioning of the House. When every Question Hour is lost, 10 members lose opportunity, he says. As House of Elders, we must set an example, he says.

Mr. Naidu also expresses concern on Bills getting lapsed. As many as 22 Bills, which were passed in Lok Sabha got lapsed. These Bills have to be reintroduced. At the end of the last session 33 Bills, of which three Bills are pending for more than 20 years, Mr. Naidu notes.

The environment of disruptive politics must change and we must use the time in constructive manner, Mr. Naidu says. "I don't get sleep on some days," an emotional Mr. Naidu says.

He says a committee has filed a report on look into the rules of the House. He asks the members to give suggestions based on the report.

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan answers questions on AYUSH. The Minister says the government has tied up with as many as 18 countries to promote alternative medicines such as Ayurveda etc. Member M.K. Raghavan wants to know specifically about Kerala.

Former Minister Maneka Gandhi says the one per cent in green cover could include sugarcane as well. So she requests the Ministry to check this.

Ms. Gandhi asks about replacing trees cut during expansion of Highways. She also wants to know if the forest ministry has sufficient tree saplings.

Minister Javadekar says for every one tree cut, five saplings are planted and the green cover doesn't include sugarcane plantation.

In Lok Sabha, Question Hour is underway. The first question is on planting of trees in institutions of higher learning. Kaushal Kishore, a BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh, asks if the government plans to plant shady trees in campuses in Rohtak.

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar as India is one of 10 countries that has increased the green cover. To the specific question, Mr. Javadekar says IIM campus has been planted with Banyan, neem and many local trees. The ministry has also started a green campus initiative, he adds.

Mr. Kishore asks a supplementary question. He asks if the government has any scheme to make it mandatory for companies to give away plants and saplings for those buying vehicles. The Minister appreciates the suggestion.

Another member asks about green cover in schools and creating awareness among schoolchildren. Mr. Javadekar says a scheme for growing and nourishing trees is carried out in schools in which a student gets a sapling and is responsible for its growth.

Both Houses assemble. Speaker Om Birla is in the Chair in Lok Sabha and Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu is in the Chair in Rajya Sabha.

In Rajya Sabha, the Chairperson reads the obituary reference. The House pays tribute to former members  KA. RA. Subbian, Virendra Kataria, Manohar Parrikar, Drupad Borgohain, Devi Prasad Singh, Chaudhary Munvvar Saleem, Vasanthi Stanley, Vishwanatha Menon, Rajnath Singh 'Surya', and S. Sivasubramanian

Today will be the first full-fledged session in both Houses of the Parliament. This includes Question Hour, Zero Hour and Private Members business.

Fridays are designated for Private Members Bills, where any member can introduce a Bill, which the government may choose to adopt.

List of business

Lok Sabha

- Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad is set to introduce The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019. He will also make a statement explaining the need for an ordinance on the same.

- AYUSH Minister Shripad Yesso Naik will introduce The Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

- Private Members’ business.

Rajya Sabha

- Private Members’ business.