In the upcoming special session of Parliament, scheduled to commence on September 18, the proceedings will kick off with the ‘Samvidhan Sabha.’ The government has chosen to initiate this special session with a discussion commemorating Parliament’s 75-year journey, marking its inaugural gathering on December 9, 1946.
Additionally, the government’s legislative agenda for this session encompasses four bills, one of which pertains to the regulation of the appointment, conditions of service, and term of office for the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners. This bill, known as the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, was introduced in the Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon session on August 10.
The list of bills also includes ‘The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023,’ and ‘The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023,’ both of which had already received passage in the Rajya Sabha on August 3, 2023. The former bill amends the Advocates Act, 1961, while the latter repeals the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867.
Furthermore, ‘The Post Office Bill, 2023’ has been included in the Lok Sabha’s legislative business. This bill, initially introduced in the Rajya Sabha on August 10, 2023, seeks to repeal the Indian Post Office Act, 1898.
During the previous session, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the bill concerning the appointment of Chief Election Commissioners and other Election Commissioners. This legislation also addresses the procedural aspects of business conducted by the Election Commission. Notably, it proposes that the President will appoint the Election Commissioners based on the recommendations of a panel consisting of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister, with the Prime Minister serving as the panel’s chair.
Should this bill become law, it would overturn the Supreme Court’s March 2023 ruling, which stipulated that the appointment of Election Commissioners should be made by the President upon the advice of a panel comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Justice of India.
To facilitate discussions and coordination, the government has also scheduled a meeting of floor leaders from all political parties for September 17, one day ahead of the five-day session’s commencement.
