by Muneeb Rashid Malik
The Parliament of India is a bicameral legislature comprising the President of India, the Rajya Sabha (Council of States), and the Lok Sabha (House of the People). The Constitution of India empowers the President to summon each House at such intervals that there should not be more than a six-month gap between the two sessions. The Parliament conducts three sessions each year: Budget Session (February – May); Monsoon Session (July – August); and, Winter Session (November – December).
The Monsoon Session of the Parliament for the current year began on September 14, 2020, and was scheduled to conclude on October 1, 2020. However, a large number of Members of Parliament tested Covid-19 positive, as a result of which the session was adjourned sine die on September 23, 2020.
Before a close, numerous bills were passed by the Parliament and the majority of the bills have also received the assent of the President. Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Prahlad Joshi stated that the productivity of Lok Sabha was approximately 167 per cent and that of Rajya Sabha was approximately 100.47 per cent during the Monsoon Session.
Here are the bills which became laws after receiving the assent of the President:
The Aircraft (Amendment) Act, 2020
The Aircraft (Amendment) Act received the assent of the President on September 19, 2020. The main objectives of the Amendment Act are, to give proper recognition to the regulators under the Aircraft Act, to empower the departmental officers, to enhance the maximum quantum of fines, to bring the Aircraft Act, in line with the internationally accepted standards, procedures and practices as laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Act, 2020
The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Act, 2020 received the assent of the President on September 20, 2020. The main objectives of the Amendment Act are, to provide for better management and proper regulation of co-operative banks and to ensure that the affairs of the co-operative banks are conducted in a manner that protects the interests of the depositors, by increasing professionalism, enabling access to capital, improving governance and ensuring sound banking through the Reserve Bank of India.
The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020
The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020 received the assent of the President on September 20, 2020. The main objectives of the Act are, to provide for a medical education system that improves access to quality and affordable medical education, ensures availability of adequate and high-quality medical professionals of Indian System of Medicine in all parts of the country, that promotes equitable and universal healthcare that encourages community health perspective and makes services of such medical professionals access to all the citizens, that promotes national health goals, that encourages such medical professionals to adopt latest medical research in their work and to contribute to research, that has an objective periodic and transparent assessment of medical institutions and facilitates maintenance of a medical register of Indian System of Medicine for India and enforces high ethical standards in all aspects of medical services, that is flexible to adapt to the changing needs and has an effective grievance redressal mechanism.
The National Commission for Homoeopathy Act, 2020
The National Commission for Homoeopathy Act, 2020 received the assent of the President on September 20, 2020. The main objectives of the Act are to provide for a medical education system that improves access to quality and affordable medical education, ensures availability of adequate and high-quality Homoeopathy medical professionals in all parts of the country, that promotes equitable and universal healthcare that encourages community health perspective and makes services of Homoeopathy medical professionals accessible and affordable to all the citizens, that promotes national health goals, that encourages Homoeopathy medical professionals to adopt latest medical research in their work and to contribute to research, that has an objective periodic and transparent assessment of medical institutions and facilitates maintenance of a Homoeopathy medical register for India and enforces high ethical standards in all aspects of medical services, that is flexible to adapt to the changing needs and has an effective grievance redressal mechanism.
The Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda Act, 2020
The Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda Act, 2020 received the assent of the President on September 21, 2020. The main objectives of the Act are, to provide for the establishment of an Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda and to declare it as an Institution of national importance for the promotion of quality and excellence in education, research and training in Ayurveda and allied disciplines.
The Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (Amendment) Act, 2020
The Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (Amendment) Act, 2020 received the assent of the President on September 23, 2020. It has replaced the Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020. The main objective of the Amendment Act is to reduce the sumptuary allowance payable to each Minister by thirty per cent for a period of one year commencing from April 1, 2020.
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Act, 2020
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Act, 2020 received the assent of the President on September 23, 2020. The primary objective of the Amendment Act is, to temporarily suspend initiation of the corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP) for one year.
The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020
Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 received the assent of the President on September 24, 2020. The main objectives of the Act are, to provide for the creation of an ecosystem where the farmers and traders enjoy the freedom of choice relating to sale and purchase of farmers’ produce which facilitates remunerative prices through competitive alternative trading channels, to promote efficient, transparent and barrier-free inter-State and intra-State trade and commerce of farmers’ produce outside the physical premises of markets or deemed markets notified under various State agricultural produce market legislations, and, to provide a facilitative framework for electronic trading.
The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020
The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 received the assent of the President on September 24, 2020. The main objectives of the Act are, to provide for a national framework on farming agreements that protects and empowers farmers to engage with agri-business firms, processors, wholesalers, exporters or large retailers for farm services and sale of future farming produce at a mutually agreed remunerative price framework in a fair and transparent manner.
The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Act, 2020
The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Act, 2020 received the assent of the President on September 24, 2020. It has replaced the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020. The main objective of the Amendment Act is that the salary payable to Members of Parliament under shall be reduced by thirty per cent for a period of one year commencing from April 1, 2020.
The Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Act, 2020
The Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Act, 2020 received the assent of the President on September 25, 2020. It has replaced the Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020. The main objectives of the Amendment Act are, to provide for empowering the Central Government to supersede the Central Council of Indian Medicine and to constitute the Board of Governors to exercise the powers and perform the functions of the Central Council under the Act, till reconstitution of the Central Council within a period of one year; and, to give directions to the Board of Governors or the Central Council on questions of policy.
The Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Act, 2020
The Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Act, 2020 received the assent of the President on September 25, 2020. It has replaced the Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020. The main objective of the Amendment Act is to extend the period of reconstitution of Central Council of Homoeopathy from two years to three years.
The Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020
The Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020 received the assent of the President on September 26, 2020. The main objectives of the Act are to provide that Kashmiri, Dogri, Urdu, Hindi and English languages shall be the official languages to be used for all or any of the official purposes of the Union Territory; for the empowerment of the Administrator to appoint different dates for different official purposes or for different areas in the said Union territory; and that the English language may continue to be used, for those administrative and legislative purposes in the Union territory for which it was being used before the commencement of the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020.
The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020
The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 received the assent of the President on September 26, 2020. It has replaced the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020. The main objectives of the Amendment Act are to provide that the supply of agricultural foodstuff as are notified by the Central Government shall be regulated only under extraordinary circumstances which may include war, famine, extraordinary price rise and natural calamity of grave nature, and, any action for imposing stock limit shall be based on price rise, subject to the conditions and exemptions specified therein.
The Industrial Relations Code, 2020
The Industrial Relations Code, 2020 received the assent of the President on September 28, 2020. The main objectives of the Code are to consolidate and amend the laws relating to Trade Unions, conditions of employment in industrial establishment or undertaking, investigation and settlement of industrial disputes. The Code has repealed the Trade Unions Act, 1926, Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946, and Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.
The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020
The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 received the assent of the President on September 28, 2020. The main objectives of the Code are to consolidate and amend the laws regulating the occupational safety, health and working conditions of the persons employed in an establishment. The Code has repealed 13 central labour laws.
The Code on Social Security, 2020
The Code on Social Security, 2020 received the assent of the President on September 28, 2020. The main objectives of the Code are to amend and consolidate the laws relating to social security with the goal to extend social security to all employees and workers either in the organised or unorganised or any other sectors. The Code has repealed 9 central laws.
The Bilateral Netting of Qualified Financial Contracts Act, 2020
The Bilateral Netting of Qualified Financial Contracts Act, 2020 received the assent of the President on September 28, 2020. The main objectives of the Act are to ensure financial stability and promote competitiveness in Indian financial markets by providing enforceability of bilateral netting of qualified financial contracts.
The Companies (Amendment) Act, 2020
The Companies (Amendment) Act, 2020 received the assent of the President on September 28, 2020. The main objective of the Amendment Act is to decriminalise certain offences in case of defaults which can be determined objectively and which otherwise lack any element of fraud or do not involve larger public interest, for enhancing the ease of doing business.
The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2020
The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2020 received the assent of the President on September 28, 2020. The main objectives of the Amendment Act are, to provide that no foreign contribution shall be accepted by any public servant, to prohibit any transfer of foreign contribution to any association/person, to reduce the limit for defraying administrative expenses from existing fifty per cent to twenty per cent, empowering the Central Government to require Aadhaar number, etc., as an identification document, enabling the Central Government to permit any person to surrender the certificate granted under the Act, to provide that every person who has been granted a certificate or prior permission shall receive foreign contribution only in an account designated as FCRA Account which shall be opened by him in such branch of the State Bank of India at New Delhi, as the Central Government may, by notification, specify.
The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act, 2020
The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Act, 2020 received the assent of the President on September 28, 2020. The main objectives of the Amendment Act are to provide for conferment of concurrent powers upon the Central Government as that of the State Government to take any measures to prevent the outbreak of an epidemic, empowering the Central Government to regulate the inspection of any bus, train, goods vehicle, ship, vessel, or aircraft leaving or arriving at any land port, port or aerodrome, in the territories to which the said Act extends and detention of any person wherever necessary, etc.
The National Forensic Sciences University Act, 2020
The National Forensic Sciences University Act, 2020 received the assent of the President on September 28, 2020. The main objectives of the Act are to establish and declare an institution to be known as the National Forensic Sciences University as an institution of national importance to facilitate and promote studies and research and to achieve excellence in the field of forensic science in conjunction with applied behavioural science studies, law, criminology and other allied areas and technology and other related fields.
The Rashtriya Raksha University Act, 2020
The Rashtriya Raksha University Act, 2020 received the assent of the President on September 28, 2020. The main objectives of the Act are to establish and declare an institution to be known as the Rashtriya Raksha University as an institution of national importance and to provide for its incorporation.
The Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Act, 2020
The Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Act, 2020 received the assent of the President on September 28, 2020. The main objectives of the Amendment Act are to further to amend the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Act, 2014 and to amend the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Public-private Partnership) Act, 2017.
The Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Act, 2020
The Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Act, 2020 received the assent of the President on September 29, 2020. The main objectives of the Act are to provide for the extension of various time limits for completion or compliance of actions and reduction in interest, waiver of penalty and prosecution for the delay in payment of certain taxes or levies.
(Author is a fourth-year law student at Lloyd Law College, Delhi (NCR). The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Kashmir Life.)
