Time spent on Private Members' Bills:
Lok Sabha (17th term): Only 9.08 hours
Rajya Sabha (17th term): 27.01 hours
Time on Private Members' Resolutions:
Lok Sabha (17th term): 16.43 hours
Rajya Sabha (17th term): 20.78 hours
18th Lok sabha Sessions:
Lok Sabha: 0.15 hours spent on Private Members' Bills, 1.98 hours on Resolutions.
Rajya Sabha: 0.62 hours spent on Bills, 2.09 hours on Resolutions.
Bills: Propose new laws; Resolutions: Declare opinions or viewpoints for a vote.
These are the only tools for MPs to express individual views outside party lines.
Historical Example:
In 1966, H.V. Kamath moved a Bill to amend the Constitution to restrict the Prime Minister's position to Lok Sabha members after Indira Gandhi, a Rajya Sabha member, became Prime Minister.
Decline of Private Members' Bills:
Members often don't attend discussions on their Bills, especially as these are scheduled on Fridays.
Bills take years to come up for discussion due to limited time slots for Private Members' business.
Recent Suggestions:
Jairam Ramesh suggested scheduling Private Members' business midweek, on Wednesdays, to increase participation.
Stalled Bills:
Manish Tewari highlighted his Bills, including one on anti-defection law, which have been pending for over 15 years, illustrating the issue of delayed discussions.
Curtailing Private Members' Bills limits MPs' ability to voice opinions and impacts parliamentary democracy.
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