19 Government Bills Linger in Rajya Sabha, With 1992 Population Bill Still Unresolved
Rajya Sabha's permanent nature keeps 19 government bills alive indefinitely, including a 1992 proposal to amend the Constitution for population control.
Nineteen government bills remain pending in the Rajya Sabha, with the oldest dating back over three decades to 1992, highlighting the Upper House’s unique legislative continuity. Unlike the Lok Sabha, whose pending bills lapse when the House is dissolved, legislation under consideration in the Rajya Sabha remains active until passed or withdrawn, reflecting its status as a permanent chamber.
According to the latest bulletin from the Rajya Sabha, the oldest pending legislation is The Constitution (Seventy-ninth Amendment) Bill, 1992, which aimed to amend the Directive Principles of State Policy. The proposed amendments sought to emphasise population control and the small family norm, including incorporating these principles into fundamental duties. It also suggested that MPs or MLAs could face disqualification for failing to adhere to these norms.
The most recent pending bill is the Pesticide Management Bill, 2020, which focuses on regulating the production, distribution, and safe use of pesticides in India. Alongside these, a total of 17 other government bills are under consideration, covering a range of sectors from agriculture and education to finance and governance reforms.
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The Rajya Sabha, with its one-third member retirement cycle every two years, plays a crucial role in providing legislative continuity and detailed scrutiny of bills. This permanence allows it to act as a revising chamber, where legislation can be thoroughly examined over extended periods without the risk of lapsing.
Observers note that while pending bills reflect the complexity of parliamentary processes, the long-standing nature of some proposals, like the 1992 population control bill, points to challenges in consensus-building, political priorities, and the procedural pace in the Upper House.
The backlog underscores the importance of timely debate and decision-making in the Rajya Sabha, ensuring that key legislative measures do not remain in limbo, affecting policy implementation and governance across various sectors.
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