The Journal of Parliamentary Information VOLUME LXIII NO. 4 DECEMBER 2017 LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT NEW DELHI CBS Publishers & Distributors Pvt. Ltd. 24, Ansari Road, Darya Ganj, New Delhi-2 EDITORIAL BOARD Editor : Snehlata Shrivastava Secretary-General Lok Sabha Associate Editors : Atul Kaushik Additional Secretary Lok Sabha Secretariat Dr. D.K. Singh Joint Secretary Lok Sabha Secretariat Dr. R.N. Das Director Lok Sabha Secretariat Assistant Editors : Babu Lal Naik Additional Director Lok Sabha Secretariat H. Soikholian Simte Joint Director Lok Sabha Secretariat © Lok Sabha Secretariat, New Delhi Contents iii THE JOURNAL OF PARLIAMENTARY INFORMATION VOLUME LXIII NO. 4 DECEMBER 2017 CONTENTS PAGE EDITORIAL NOTE 339 ARTICLE Article on “National Legislators’ Conference: We for Development”, New Delhi, 10 - 11 March 2018 — By Snehlata Shrivastava 341 PARLIAMENTARY EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES Conferences and Symposia 352 Birth Anniversaries of National Leaders 354 Exchange of Parliamentary Delegations 356 Parliament Museum 358 Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training (BPST) 358 Members’ Reference Service 361 PROCEDURAL MATTERS 362 PARLIAMENTARY AND CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTS 363 SESSIONAL REVIEW Lok Sabha 369 Rajya Sabha 391 State Legislatures 401 BOOK ABSTRACT SAARC and SAARCLAW by Hemant K. Batra 403 RECENT LITERATURE OF PARLIAMENTARY INTEREST 404 iv The Journal of Parliamentary Information APPENDICES I. Statement showing the work transacted during the Twelfth Session of the Sixteenth Lok Sabha 410 II. Statement showing the work transacted during the 243rd Session of the Rajya Sabha 414 III. Statement showing the activities of the Legislatures of the States and Union Territories during the period 1 July to 30 September 2017 419 IV. List of Bills passed by the Houses of Parliament and assented to by the President during the period 1 July to 30 September 2017 425 V. List of Bills passed by the Legislatures of the States and the Union Territories during the period 1 July to 30 September 2017 426 VI. Ordinances promulgated by the Union and State Governments during the period 1 July to 30 September 2017 431 VII. Party Position in the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha and the Legislatures of the States and the Union Territories 435 INDEX 443 Editorial Note 339 EDITORIAL NOTE The National Legislators’ Conference on “We for Development” was organized in the Parliament House, New Delhi, from 10 to 11 March 2018, on the initiative of Hon’ble Speaker, Lok Sabha, Smt. Sumitra Mahajan. The aim of the conference was to bring the legislators across the country under one roof to deliberate the issue of development on the themes i.e., the ‘Role of Legislators in Development Process’, and ‘Optimum Utilization of Resources in Development’. The Conference also aimed at providing a platform to parliamentarians and legislators to share their experiences, and to develop a perspective on developmental issues in the light of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Conference was divided into five sessions i.e., the (i) Inaugural session; (ii) Plenary session; (iii) Discussion sessions which were organized on 10 March 2018; (iv) Concluding session; and (v) Valedictory session which were held on 11 March 2018. The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, digitally inaugurated the Conference in the Central Hall, Parliament House on 10 March 2018. The Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha made the Introductory remark. We have included brief accounts of the above mentioned Conference in the form of an article in this issue of JPI. Brief accounts of some other Conferences/Seminars have also been included under the feature ‘Parliamentary Events and Activities’. We also carry in this issue the other regular features, viz. Procedural Matters, Parliamentary and Constitutional Developments, Sessional Review, Book Abstract on ‘SAARC & SAARCLAW’ by Hemant K. Batra, Recent Literature of Parliamentary Interest, and Appendices, etc. In our constant pursuit of making the Journal more enriching and useful, we always look forward to suggestions for its further improvement. 340 The Journal of Parliamentary Information We also welcome informative, practice and problem-oriented, non-partisan and original articles pertaining to parliamentary procedures and institutions from members of Parliament and State Legislatures, scholars and others interested in the field. Snehlata Shrivastava —Editor National Legislators’ Conference: We for Development 341 1 “NATIONAL LEGISLATORS’ CONFERENCE: WE FOR DEVELOPMENT”, NEW DELHI, 10 - 11 MARCH 2018. Snehlata Shrivastava Secretary-General, Lok Sabha The National Legislators’ Conference on “ We for Development” was organised in the Parliament House, New Delhi, from 10 to 11 March 2018, on the initiative of the Hon’ble Speaker, Lok Sabha, Smt. Sumitra Mahajan, under the auspices of Indian Parliamentary Group. The aim of the conference was to bring the legislators across the country under one roof to deliberate the issue of development i.e, themes on the (i) ‘Role of Legislators in Development Process’, and (ii) ‘Optimum Utilization of Resources in Development’. The Conference was also aimed to provide a platform to parliamentarians, MLAs and MLCs to share their experiences, and to develop a perspective on developmental issues in the light of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Conference was divided into five sessions i.e, the (i) Inaugural session; (ii) Plenary session; (iii) Discussion sessions which were organized on 10 March 2018; (iv) Concluding session; and (v) Valedictory session which were held on 11 March 2018. The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, digitally inaugurated the Conference in the Central Hall, Parliament House on 10 March 2018. The Hon’ble Speaker of the Lok Sabha made the introductory remark. During the inauguration, the Hon’ble Prime Minister, thanked the Hon’ble Speaker, Lok Sabha for organizing the Conference and bringing together the Legislators from various States to discuss an important issue like Development. Citing the historical significance of the Central Hall, where the meetings of the Constituent Assembly held by the founding fathers of the Constitution, the Hon’ble Prime Minister said sitting here to take part in a Conference of this nature in itself is an inspiring experience. Describing the constitution as a ‘social document’, the Prime Minister pointed out the principle of social justice enshrined in the constitution, which is the motivating force for taking development to the length and breadth of the country covering all sections. In his address the Prime Minister said that we need to make our development model more focussed. If we look at the States, it is good 342 The Journal of Parliamentary Information that an atmosphere of competitiveness has been created through cooperative federalism, where the members of Parliament sit together with the legislators and discuss the concern of their areas, the states and the country. Sharing his own experience of engaging with the district level officials from 115 aspirational districts across the country, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of the elected representatives proactively involving themselves with the development works in their respective areas. Good Governance, Leadership, Coordination and Effective Implementation are the key concerns, the Prime Minister felt, which needed to be addressed. He believed that people’s participation in itself would trigger the process of change towards progress. Observing that people keep a more vigilant eye on their leaders of late, gauging them more seriously and looking up to them for bringing about the desired development, the Prime Minister stated that it is important for the Legislators to deliver, matching the expectations of the people. He also called upon the Legislators to rise above considerations of ideology and politics and work together towards achieving the larger goal of development. He felt that the Legislators need to work wholeheartedly and if the available resources are harnessed in a mission mode, they would prove to be sufficient to address the challenges of development. Demonstrating positivity in thought and approach, the Prime Minister said that using the term ‘backward’ signified a mental construct which tended to inhibit out of the box thinking. Hon’ble Prime Minister also urged upon the Legislators to be helping hands and facilitators for development which, according to him, could pave the path for achieving social justice. Successful development outcomes, according to him, would encourage further participation which, in turn, would help in giving momentum to the development works themselves. Stressing the importance of learning from success stories of others, the Prime Minister said that in every State there are a few districts where development parameters are strong and positive lessons can be drawn from them for bringing about improvement in the weaker districts. It is essential to identify areas where certain districts need improvement and then address the shortcomings. Hon’ble Prime Minister also said that focussed working on the aspirational districts will help improve India’s standing in the Human Development Index, in the short run itself. Lauding the efforts of NITI Aayog in identifying the ‘Aspirational Districts’ across the country, he said that the officials from the Aayog would be there throughout the Conference giving insights through their presentations and resolving queries of Legislators attending the Conference. National Legislators’