· VOL XXXVIII JUNE 1992 No. 2 ThE .. JOURNAL OF · PARLIAMENTARY INFORMATION /~. 10- LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT ,I', , NEW DELHI i I THE JOURNAL OF PARUAMENTARY INFORMATION VOl. XXXVIII No.2 JUNE 1992 CONTENTS PAGE EDITORIAl.. NoTe .......................................................................... 151 PFEStOENT'S ADDRESS TO PARLIAMENT 155 ARnct..Es Seminar on the Constitution of India in Precept and Practice ............... ... ............ .......... ........................................ 170 -LARRDIS Parliament of Nauru 180 - Dr. D.N. Gadhok SHoRT NoTEs Conference of Presiding OffIcers of Legislatures in India 186 -LARRDIS First Conference of Chainnen of Committees of Privileges of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and State Legislatures in India 190 -LARRDIS 0ImJARv REFERENCES Dr. G.S. Dhillon .................................................................. 196 PNLlAMENTARY EVENTS AND AcnVITIES Conferences and Symposia ............ .................... ....... ........ 200 Parliamentary Delegations Visiting India ............................ 200 Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training 201 Privilege Issues ........................................................ .................... 203 Procedural Matters ...................................................................... 218 Parliamentary and Constitutional Developments ......................... 220 Documents of Constitutional and Parliamentary Interest The Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, 1992 .................................................................................... 233 SESSIONAL REVIEW Lok Sabha ....................................... ............. ...................... 235 Rajya Sabha ...... :.......................... ............ ............... ........... 246 State Legislatures ............................................................... 256 (I) &....,AJES OF BooKs OlIver, Dawn : Government in the United Kingdom 260 R&cENT LITERATURE OF PARLIAMENTARY INTEREST ........................... 265 APPENotcES I. Statement showing the work transacted during the One Hundred and Sixty-Second Session of Rajya Sabha ....... 268 II. Statement showing the actMttes of the legislatures of the States and Union territories during the period 1 January to 31 March 1992 ........... ................................ ........ ............... 272 HI. U8t of Bills passed by the two Houaes of Parliament and ..mad to by the President during the period 1 January to 31 March 1992 ....... ........................................ ............... 'ZT7 IV. Ust of Billa passed by the legislatures of States and UnIon territor1es during the period 1 January to 31 March 1992 .................................................................................. 278 V. Ordinances issued by the Union and State Governments during the period 1 January to 31 March 1992 .......... ...... 282 VI. Party Position in Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and legis- latures of State and Union territories .................................. 286 eUR CeN11tlaUTeRS DR. D.N. GADHOK is a tenner Direct.r ef t..k Sabha Secretariat and a Partiamentarf Counsel to the Republic of Nauru. I.MRDII stands for Parliament Ubrary and Reference, Research, Documentation and Information Service. (HI) EDITORIAL NOTE A span of forty-five years in tf:'e life of a nation is perhaps too short a period to attempt a realistic analysis of the ups and downs and highs and lowe of the parliamentary democratic polity as envisaged in our Constitu- tion. If we take a fleeting glance at the working of the Constitution during the past four decades and plus, it can be easily conceded that the provisions enshrined in this supreme document have stood the test of time well through trials and tribulations. While we can take pride In the fact that a lot has been achieved in diverse fields since Independence, a lot more remains to be done: After all, the Constitution is only a means to an end and not an end in itself. Nonetheless, a Constitution is a socia-political document, a vibrating, pulsating and life-giving document. It provides a direction for the policies to be formulated and also an apparatus to implement them. Yet, no Constitution, like man, is perfect and the Constitution of India is no exception to this general rule and as such cannot be a panacea for all the political, social and economic ills facing the country. Then in the actual working of the Constitution, difficulties may arise and a genuine feeling to consider reforms and changes. Naturally, for the past several years, debates and discussions on the precept and practice of the document have been going on. Thus, realiZing fully well the topicality of the subject, a Seminar on "Constitution of India in Precept and Practice" was held in Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi, on 25-26 April 1992, under the joint auspices of the Parliamentarians Group for Dr. B.A. Ambedkar Centenary Celebra- tions, the Indian Parliamentary Group (IPG) and the Bureau of Parliamen- tary Studies and Training (BPST) of the Lok Sabha Secretariat. The twa- day Seminar, inaugurated by the Speaker, Lok Sabha, Shri Shivraj V. Patti, was attended by Union Ministers, Presiding Officers of State and Union territory Legislatures, parliamentarians, jurists, constitutional experts, political scientists, academicians and journaliSts. The Seminar dealt at length with the varied aspects of the W9rking of the Constitution in the light of the experiences of the last forty years. DIffering view points and perspectives, enlightened debates and discus- sions were its highlights. Yet, one could discern some common grounds where there was almost a consensus: like, the Constitution of India Is a very good document and a workable one too; its basic features are In keeping with our ethos and values and need no change; implementation of the Constitution needs to be done in keeping with its letter and spirit and whenever it is found inadequate, necessary corrections may be consi- dered; and the suggestion for constituting a National Commission to 151 152 consider whatever changes are required and make recommendations deaerve serious consideration. Taking into consideration the topical lignificance of the subject matter, we Include a comprehensive article entitled "Seminar on the Constitution of India in precept and Practice" in this Issue of the Journal. We have been endeavouring to provide our distinguished readership with valuable articles on the varittd aspects of the working of partiamentary democracy in India and abroad. In line with this, we have in this issue an 8I'tIde on the "Partiament of Nauru" by Dr. D.N. Gadhok. Drawing on his rich experience as a Parliamentary Counsel to the Republic of Nauru and with his earlier background of being a Senior Offlcial in the Lok Sabha Secretariat, Dr. Gadhok describes In detail the constitution and working of the Parliament of Nauru. The article, it is hoped, woutd be found useful and Informative. Article 87(1) of the Constitution provides that at the commencement of the first Session after each general election to the House of the /People and at the commencement of the first Session of each year, the President shall address both Houses of Partlament assembled together and inform Partiament of the causes of Its summons. On 24 February 1992, the President of India, Shri R. Venkataraman acIcIrassed the members of the two Houses assembled together in the Central Hall at the commencement of the first Session of the Parliament in 1992 and outlined the policies of the Government of India on various issues and the legislative programme for the SessiOn. We reproduce the text of the Address by the President in . this Issue of the Journal. The former Speaker of Lok Sabha, Dr. G.S. Dhillon passed away on 23 March 1992. We mourn the loss of this outstanding partlamentarlan and efficient administrator and extend our heartfett condolences to the bereaved family. A special Feature, "ObItuary References" finds place in this issue of the Journal In respectful homage to the departed soul. An emergent Conference of Presiding Officers of legislatures in India was held in New Delhi on 11 February 1992 under the Chairmanship of the Speaker, Lok Sabha, Shri Shivraj V. Patil to consider matters pertaining to the anti-defection law. The Conf&rence had a special significance In the context of the recent Supreme Court ruling that the Judiciary can review deciSions given by the Presidtog. Officers under the Tentfl Schedule of the Constitution dealing with disqualification of mem- bers on grounds of defection. The Short Note, "Co",erence of PFeSidirlg OffIcers of Legislatures In India" discusses the mattera that were taken up at the Conference. Another Short Note, "FlI'8t ConfefenOe of Chairmen of Committees of Privileges of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and State legis- latures in Indian discusses the deliberations 01.. the first-ever, such Confer- ence held in New Delhi on 14-15 March, 1992. 153 We extend our hearty felicitations to Shri Harcharan Singh Ajnala and Shri Romesh Chander Dogra on their election as Speaker and Deputy Speaker, respectively, of the Punjab Vldhan Sabha. This Issue of the Journal carries the other regular Features, viz. Partiamentary Events and ActiYtties, Privilege Issues, Procedural Matters, Partlementary and ConstitutIonal Developments, Documents of Constitu- tional and Parliamentary Interest, Book Summaries, Resume of Sessions of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and State Legislatures and Recent Uterature of Partiamentary Interest. However, since this issue covers the period 1 January to 31 March