New Delhi: During the Ninth Session of the Seventeenth Lok Sabha, a total of 16 sittings were held which lasted for approximately 44 hours and 29 minutes. During this crucial session which was held in the backdrop of rising inflation, the surge in unemployment, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, disruptions in the food supply, the Agnipath scheme, and other issues, a total of six Government Bills were introduced and 7 Bills were passed.
The Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022, The Family Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2022, The National Anti-Doping Bill, 2021, The Wild Life Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2021, The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2022, The Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 and The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (Amendment) Bill, 2022, were the Bills that were passed in this Session.
The Wild Life Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was discussed for five hours and five minutes and 39 Members participated in the discussion. During this monsoon session, 46 Starred Questions were orally answered and 41 reports were presented by parliamentary standing committees.
It is worthy to note that despite the session getting disrupted and adjourned several times on the issues of rising inflation and unemployment and over the alleged use of Central agencies such as ED and CBI for political vendetta, it witnessed members raising 318 matters of public interest before the House under Rule 377. During the Zero Hour, Members raised 98 matters on various important issues.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said that a total of 41 reports were presented by various Parliamentary Standing Committees during the Session. This Session also witnessed Members of both the Houses of Parliament extending farewell to the outgoing President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, in the Central Hall of Parliament House on 23 July.
President-elect Droupadi Murmu took the Oath of Office in the Central Hall of Parliament House on July 25. On July 27, a parliamentary delegation from Mozambique led by the Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic of Mozambique witnessed Lok Sabha proceedings from the special box.