PARLIAMENT OF INDIA RAJYA SABHA R E S U M E OF THE BUSINESS TRANSACTED BY THE RAJYA SABHA 246TH SESSION (18th July to 10th August, 2018) Rajya Sabha Secretariat, New Delhi (Website –http://rajyasabha.nic.in) P R E F A C E This publication contains a brief resume of the business transacted by the Rajya Sabha during its Two Hundred and Forty Sixth Session. NEW DELHI; DESH DEEPAK VERMA —————— Secretary-General. September 20, 2018 C O N T E N T S PAGES 1. Summons 1 2. Duration of the Session 1 3. National Anthem 1 4. Oath or Affirmation 2 5. Obituary References 3-5 6. References by the Chair 6-7 7. Felicitations by the Chair 8 8. Papers Laid on the Table 9-13 9. Reports/Statem ents of the Committees Presented/Laid on the 14-16 Table 10. Election of Deputy Chairman 16 11. Felicitations to the Deputy Chairman 17 12. Leave of Absence 17 13. Announcements by the Chair 17-18 14. Ruling by the Chair 18-19 15. Observations by the Chair 20 16. Cancellation of Sitting of Rajya Sabha 20 17. Messages from the Lok Sabha-Reported/Government Bills 20 Laid on the Table 18. Recommendations of the Business Advisory Committee 21 19. Statements regarding Government Business 21 20. Motions f or Election of Members to various 21 Committees/Bodies 21. Motion for Extension of time for Presentation of the Report 22 of the Select Committee on the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment) Bill, 2018 22. Matters raised with permission 22-32 23. Dispensing with Question Hour 32 24. Questions 32 25. Statements by Ministers Correcting Answers to Questions 33 26. Statements by Ministers 34-47 PAGES 27. Supplementary Demands for Grants –– Laid on the Table 48 28. Discussion on the Final Draft of the National Register of 49 Citizens in Assam 29. Calling Attention to Matter of Urgent Public Importance 50 30. Statutory Resolutions 51-52 31. Short Duration Discussions (Discussions under Rule 176) 53 32. Special Mentions 54-63 33. Government Legislative Business 64-70 34. Private Members' Business — I. Private Members’ Bills 71-73 II. Private Members' Resolutions 74-87 35. Divisions 88-91 36. Valedictory Remarks 92 37. National Song 92 38. Statement s howing the break-up of the time taken by the 93-94 Rajya Sabha on various items of business during the Session 39. Statement showing the time taken and time lost due 95 - 98 to adjournments of the House following interruptions during the Session 40. Highlights o f work transacted during the Session – At a 99-100 Glance BRIEF RESUME' OF THE BUSINESS TRANSACTED BY THE RAJYA SABHA DURING ITS TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY SIXTH SESSION (18-07-2018 to 10-08-2018) SUMMONS Summons for the Two Hundred and Forty Sixth Session of the Rajya Sabha was issued to the Members on the 29th of June, 2018. DURATION OF THE SESSION The Two Hundred and Forty Sixth Session of the Rajya Sabha commenced on the 18th of July, 2018 and adjourned sine-die on the 10th of August, 2018, as scheduled. The sitting of the House scheduled for the 27th of July, 2018, was cancelled on account of Guru Purnima, as per the announcement made in the House on the 26th of July, 2018. The House sat for 17 days and the actual hours of sittings were 66 hours and 55 minutes (excluding recess intervals). The House was prorogued by the President on the 13th of August, 2018. NATIONAL ANTHEM On the 18th of July, 2018, the Session commenced with the playing of the National Anthem. (Time taken: 02 Minutes) Members were also informed about the cancellation of sitting of the House through Parliamentary Bulletin Part-II on the 26th of July, 2018. 1 OATH OR AFFIRMATION The newly elected/nominated Members made and subscribed oath/affirmation and took their seats in the House, as detailed below:— Sl. No. Date Name of the Member State Time Taken 1. 18-07-2018 Shri Elamaram Kareem Kerala 2. -do- Shri Jose K. Mani -do- 3. -do- Shri Binoy Viswam -do- 2 4. -do- Dr. Sonal Mansingh Nominated 0-06 5. -do- Dr. Raghunath Mohapatra -do- 6. -do- Shri Ram Shakal -do- 7. -do- Shri Rakesh Sinha -do- Total: 0-06 OBITUARY REFERENCES Obituary References were made in the House during the Session, as detailed below: — Sl. Date of Person in respect of whom Date of Time taken Remarks No Obituary Reference was made passing Hrs. Mts. Reference away 1. 18-07-2018 Shri Vishwasrao Ramrao 15-06-2017 Patil, ex-Member 2. -do- Shri Mohammed Amin, 12-02-2018 ex-Member 3 3. -do- Shri Ashok Mitra, 01-05-2018 ex-Member The Chairman made references and the 0-10 House observed silence, all Members 4. -do- Shri Balkavi Bairagi, 13-05-2018 standing, as a mark of respect to the ex-Member memory of the departed. 5. -do- Shri Kameshwar Paswan, 28-05-2018 ex-Member 6. -do- Shri Shantaram Naik, 09-06-2018 ex-Member Sl. Date of Person in respect of whom Date of Time taken Remarks No Obituary Reference was made passing Hrs. Mts. Reference away 7. 18-07-2018 Shri Surinder Kumar 28-06-2018 The Chairman made references and the Singla, ex-Member House observed silence, all Members 0-04 standing, as a mark of respect to the 8. -do- Shri M.M. Jacob, 08-07-2018 memory of the departed. ex-Member 9. 20-07-2018 Shri K.V.R.S. Bala Subba 30-06-2018 0-03 -do- 4 Rao, ex-Member 10. 23-07-2018 Shri Gopal Das 'Neeraj', 19-07-2018 0-03 -do- noted poet and lyricist 11. 30-07-2018 Shri N. Thangaraj Pandian, 17-07-2017 0-02 -do- ex-Member 12. 03-08-2018 Shri Bhishma Narain 01-08-2018 0-04 -do- Singh, ex-Member 13. 07-08-2018 Shri R.K. Dhawan, 06-08-2018 0-02 The Chairman made reference and the ex-Member House observed silence, all Members standing, as a mark of respect to the memory of the departed. 14. 08-08-2018 Dr. M. Karunanidhi, 07-08-2018 0-04 The Chairman made reference and the Former Chief Minister of House observed silence, all Members Tamil Nadu and President standing, as a mark of respect to the of the DMK party memory of Dr. M. Karunanidhi, Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and President of the DMK Party. @As 5 a mark of respect to the memory of Dr. M. Karunanidhi, the House adjourned for the day. 15. 10-08-2018 Shri S. Madhavan, 03-04-2018 0-03 The Deputy Chairman made reference ex-Member and the House observed silence, all Members standing, as a mark of respect to the memory of the departed. Total: 0-35 –——— @ The discussion to adjourn the House as a mark of respect to the memory of Dr. M. Karunanidhi was taken in the meeting of Leaders of parties/groups held on 08.08.2018. REFERENCES BY THE CHAIR References were made in the House during the Session, as detailed below: — Sl. Date of Incident Date of the Time taken Remarks No Reference Incident Hrs. Mts. 1. 18-07-2018 Suicide bomber attack in Jalalabad of 01-07-2018 The House observed Afghanistan. silence, all Members standing, as a mark of 2. -do- Natural calamities of cloudbursts, May, June respect to the memory of landslides, lightening strikes, and July, 0-04 those, who lost their lives thunderstorms, dust storms and floods 2018. in the tragedies. 6 in different parts of the country. 7 3. -do- Bus accident in Pauri District of 01-07-2018 Uttarakhand. 4. -do- 100th Birth Anniversary of Shri Nelson 18-07-1918 Mandela, former President of South Africa. 5. 26-07-2018 19th Anniversary of the Kargil Vijay 26-07-1999 0-01 — Diwas. 6. 09-08-2018 76th Anniversary of the Quit India 09-08-1942 0-05 The House observed Movement. silence, all Members standing, as a mark of respect to the memory of the martyrs. Total: 0-10 7 FELICITATIONS BY THE CHAIR S. No. Date Subject Date of event Time taken Hrs. Mts. 1. 19-07-2018 To Miss Hima Das for winning the Gold Medal in the 12-07-2018 0-01 400-metre event at the IAAF World under-20 Athletics Championships, held at Tampere in Finland. 2. 02-08-2018 To Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad, Member and Leader of the 01-08-2018 0-07 Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Dr. Najma A. Heptulla, former Member and Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya 8 Sabha, along with Shri Hukmdev Narayan Yadav, Shri Dinesh Trivedi and Shri Bhartruhari Mahtab, Members of the Lok Sabha, who were conferred the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award. Total: 0-08 PAPERS LAID ON THE TABLE 1367 Papers were laid on the Table during the Session. Some of the important papers that were laid are detailed below: — Sl. Date Subject No. 1. 20-07-2018 The Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance, 2018 (No. 1 of 2018) promulgated by the President on the 21st of April, 2018. 2. -do- The Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018 (No. 2 of 2018) promulgated by the President on the 21st of April, 2018. 3. -do- The Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High 9 Courts (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018 (No. 3 of 2018) promulgated by the President on the 3rd of May, 2018. 4. -do- The Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018 (No. 4 of 2018) promulgated by the President on the 18th of May, 2018.