Volume Xliv, No. 4 December, 1998 the Journal of Parliamentary Information
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VOLUME XLIV, NO. 4 DECEMBER, 1998 THE JOURNAL OF PARLIAMENTARY INFORMATION VOL. XLIV NO.4 DECEMBER 1998 CONTENTS PAGE EDITORIAL NOTE 371 ADDRESSES Address by the President of India, Shri K.R. Narayanan at the Closing Function of the 50th Anniversary Celebrations of India's Independence 375 Addresses at the Unveiling of the Statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel 381 Addresses at the Unveiling of the Statue of Shri Birsa Munda 392 Inaugural Address by the Speaker, Lok Sabha, Shri G.M.C. Balayogi at the 62nd Conference of Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies in India 403 Address by the Speaker, Lok Sabha, Shri G.M.C. Balayogi at the Symposium on "Electoral Reforms" 408 SHORT NOTES The Election of the Deputy Speaker of the Twelfth Lok Sabha -lARRDIS 414 PARLIAMENTARY EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES Conferences and Symposia 423 Exhibitions 424 Birth Anniversaries of National Leaders 425 Parliamentary Delegations visiting India 426 Bureau of Parliamentary Stodies and Training 427 PRIVILEGE Issues 430 PROCEDURAL MAnERS 432 PARLIAMENTARY AND CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTS 442 DOCUMENTS OF CONSTITUTIONAL AND PARLIAMENTARY INTEREST 448 The High Court and' Supreme Court Judges (Conditions of Service) Amendment Act, 1998 449 (ii) The President's Emoluments and Pension (Amendment) Act, 1998 451 The Salaries and Allowances of Officers of Parliament (Amendment) Act, 1998 452 The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Act, 1998 453 The Govemors (Emoluments Allowances and Privileges) Amendment Act, 1998 454 SESSIONAL REVIEW Lok Sabha 455 Rajya Sabha 469 State Legislatures . 400 RECENT LITERATURE OF PARLIAMENTARY INTEREST 484 APPENDICES I. Statement showing the work transacted during the Second Sessien of the Twelfth Lok Sabha 491 II. Statement showing the work transacted during the One Hundred and Eighty-Fourth Session of the Rajya Sabha 494 III. Statement showing the activities of the Legislatures of the State£ and Union Territories during the period 1 July to 30 September 1998 502 IV. List of Bills passed by the Houses of Parliament and assented to by the President during the period 1 July to 30 September 1998 509 V. List of Bills passed by the Legislafures of the States and Union Territories during the period 1 July to 30. September 1998 510 VI. Ordinances promulgated by the Union and State Govemments during the period 1 July to 30 September 1998 513 V II. Party Position in the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha and the Legislatures of the States and the Union territories 516 Index to VoJ. XLIV 524 EDITORIAL NOTE What distinguishes India from certain other developing countries which achieved Independence from foreign rule and archaic systems of governance is that we have practised true democracy despite our phenomenal pluralism. The year-long Golden Jubilee Celebrations of India's Independence, which began on 15 August 1997 in the Central Hall of Parliament House, drew to a close on 15 August 1998. Homage was paid to the martyrs, great leaders and foot- soldiers of our freedom struggle, especially the common people of this land. ~ ~ CloSing Function of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations was held on 15 August 1998 in tlie-Central Hall of Parliament House. The funciion commenced with the playing of the National Anthem. Subsequently, excerpts from the speeches of Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose were played. Later the patriotiC song Saare Jahan Se Achha was sung by Anuradha Podwal. After that, the Department of Science and Technology of the Government of India presented an 'audio-visual display of India's achievements during the last 50 years'. Then, Vande Mataram, the National Song, was sung by Pandit Jasraj. The President of India, Shri K.R. Narayanan later addressed the nation. The Hindi version of the Address by the President was subsequently read out by the Vice-President, Shri Krishan Kant. The function ended with the playing of the National Anthem. The entire programme was telecast and broadcast live throughout the nation. We include in this issue of the Journal the text of the Address delivered by Shri Narayanan. On the eve of the Independence Day-on 14 August 1998- the President unveiled the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, one of the greatest sons of Mother India, in the precincts of Parlia- ment House. At the function held in the Central Hall sub- sequently, the distinguished gathering was addressed by the 372 The Journal of Parliamentary Infonnation President; the Vice-President and Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Shri Krishan Kant; the Prime Minister of lndia, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee; the Speaker, Lok Sabha, Shri G.M.C. Balayogi; and the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Keshubhai Patel. The texts of the Addresses by these dignitaries are also included in this issue of the Journal. On 28 August 1998, the President unveilded the statue of Shri Birsa Munda, the renowned tribal leader and great patriot, in Parliament House Complex. Later, in the Central Hall of Parlia- ment House, the distinguished gathering was addressed by the President; the Vice-President of India and Chairman, Rajya Sabha; the Prime Minister; the Speaker, Lok Sabha; and the Chairman of the Birsa Munda Statue Committee, Kumari Frida Topno. We carry in this issue of the Journal the texts of these Addresses. The Sixty-second All India Conference of the Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies in India was held in New Delhi from 22 to 24 September 1998. The Conference laid special emphasis on two main subjects, viz., 'Need to Review the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution' and 'Need for Procedural Reforms and Better Management of Time of the House'. The Speaker. Lok Sabha and the Chairman of the Conference, Shri G.M.C. Balayogi delivered the Inaugural Address. The Conference was attendea oy almost all the Presiding Officers of the Legislative Bodies in India. The Inaugural Address by the Speaker. Lok Sabha, is reproduced in this issue of the Journal. Following the Presiding Officers' Conference, a Symposium on "Electoral Reforms" was organised in New Delhi on 24 September 1998. The Speaker, Lok Sabha presided over the function and delivered the Opening Address. The Presiding Officers of the Legislative Bodies in India and members of Parliament participated in the Symposium. We also reproduce in this issue the text of the Opening Address delivered by the Speaker, Lok Sabha at the Symposium. Another important event in recent months has been the election of the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha. On 17 Editorial Note 373 December 1998, Shri P.M. Sayeed, nine times consecutively elected to the Lok Sabha, from the Lakshadweep constituency, and, who held a number of important offices, was elected un- animously to the office of Deputy Speaker of the Twelfth Lok Sabha. On his election, he was warmly felicitated by the Prime Minister, the Lok Sabha Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition and the Leaders of Parties and Groups and several other members. Replying to the felicitations, the newly-elected Deputy Speaker, Shri Sayeed stressed that he would sincerely endeavour to bring the discharge of his functions and respon- sibilities as Presiding Officer in conformity with the spirit of his unanimous election. On behalf of the Journal of Parlia- mentary Information and its world-wide readership, we extend our hearty felicitations to Shri Sayeed on his elec- tion as the Deputy Speaker. We include in this issue of the Journal a Short Note on the election of the Deputy Speaker. Besides, we carry in this issue of the Journal our other regular Features, viz., Parliamentary Events and Activities, Privilege Issues, Procedural Matters, Parliamentary and Constitutional Developments, Sessional Review, Documents of Constitutional and Parliamentary Interest and Recent Literature of Parliamentary Interest. This being the last issue of the Journal in the year 1998, a comprehensive Index to Vol. XLIV also finds place here. We ,felicitate Dr. (Smt.) Najma Heptulla on her re-election as the o"eputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha; Shri Samarthlal Meena and Smt. Tara Bhandari on their election as the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker, respectively, of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly; Shri Abdul Ahad Vakil, on his election as the Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmjr Legislative Assembly; and Shri Joshua Sumi, on his election as the Deputy Speaker of the Nagaland Legislative ~ We have been constantly endeavouring to make the Journal more useful and informative. We would greatly welcome sugges- tions for its further improvement. We also welcome practice and 374 The Joumal of Parliamentary Information problem-oriented non-partisan articles in the realm of parliamentary procedures and institutions from members of Parliament and State Legislatures, scholars and others interested in the practice of parliamentary democracy. -S.Gopalan Editor 1 ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, SHRI K.R. NARAYANAN AT THE CLOSING FUNCTION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS OF INDIA'S INDEPENDENCE The Closing Function of the 50th Anniversary Celebrations of India's Independence was held on 15 August 1998 in the Central Hall of Parliament House. The function commenced with the playing of the National Anthem. Subsequently, excerpts from the speeches of Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose were relayed. Later, Sssre Jshsn Se Achhs was sung by Anuradha Podwal. After that, the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India presented an 'Audio-Visual display of India's achievements during the last 50 years'. Then, the National Song Vsnde Mataram was sung by Pandit Jasraj. The President of India, Shri K.R. Narayanan later addressed the nation. The Hindi version of the President's Address was subsequently read out by the Vice-President, Shri Krishan Kant. The function ended with the playing of the National Anthem. The entire programme was telecast and broadcast live throughout the nation. We reproduce below the text of the Address by the President of India.