Explained: What's On Agenda For Parliament Special Session Starting Monday

Ahead of the special five-day session of Parliament, beginning on September 18, the government has released the tentative agenda for the proceedings. The central government will hold an all-party meeting on Monday evening -- hours before the commencement of the special session. The meeting is likely to discuss the week's agenda.

The announcement of the surprise special session generated much curiosity with speculation about the change of name of the country from India to Bharat, fueled by the repeated use of "Bharat" in multiple official communications during the G20 Summit. There were also murmurs about the possibility of introducing the Women's Reservation Bill, Uniform Civil Code (UCC), and One Nation One Election, calling for simultaneous Lok Sabha and State Assembly polls across the country.

The special session will also see the formal shifting from the old Parliament building to the new one on September 19. While ambiguity remained over the expectation from the session after the government's refusal to divulge any detaisl, the agenda is now formally here.

What's on agenda?

The government has lined up a discussion on the “Parliamentary Journey of 75 years starting from Samvidhan Sabha -- Achievements, Experiences, Memories and Learnings" along with the presentation of five pending bills. 

The government will present the 'The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023' and 'The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023' in Lok Sabha. The two bills were passed by the Rajya Sabha during the monsoon session last month.

'The Post Office Bill, 2023' is also listed to be presented in the Lok Sabha after it was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on August 10.  The bill aims to replace the Indian Post Office Act (1898) in the changing role of post offices

The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023 is also part of the list of businesses for the special session.

What's the Opposition saying?

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh credited Sonia Gandhi's letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making the government concede to announcing the agenda for the special session. Ramesh, however, said that there seems to be nothing substantial on the agenda and that the government could have waited for the winter session of Parliament. He added that Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) parties will oppose the “insidious” CEC Bill.

Finally, after pressure from Smt. Sonia Gandhi's letter to the Prime Minister, the Modi Govt has condescended to announce the agenda for the special 5-day session of Parliament beginning September 18th.

The agenda as published at the moment, is much ado about nothing — all this… pic.twitter.com/1y1U6bqkBH

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 13, 2023

Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien questioned the government's intention and said that the agenda has a caveat.

Seven hours after this????dose, PM @narendramodi govt puts out an agenda for #ParliamentSpecialSession

However, the agenda has a caveat*
‘not to be taken as exhaustive'.

Dirty tricks ? https://t.co/u5yP4Kb12H

— Derek O'Brien | ডেরেক ও'ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) September 13, 2023

The list of businesses released by the government is tentative and more items might be added to it at the later stage of the special session.