On Monday (18 September), PM Narendra Modi called a meeting of the Union Cabinet at 6:30 pm. The announcement comes in the wake of the ongoing special session of Parliament which commenced today and will continue till 22 September.
The meeting of the Union Cabinet will be held in the old Parliament building. Though the government has not officially revealed the agenda of this meeting, media reports claim that several key bills that have been listed for consideration during the special session could be discussed.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi has announced that the five-day special session will be discussing eight bills. These will include –
- The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023
- The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023
- The Post Office Bill, 2023
- The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023
- A bill on the welfare of senior citizens
The Minister added that three other bills will be related to SC/ST order.
However, considering the past governance model of PM Modi, particularly around the introduction of the Article 370 bill in the Upper House of the Parliament, speculations are rife that the government may introduce some surprise moves.
Earlier in the day, the special session of Parliament began with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla congratulating the nation on the success of the G20 Summit under Bharat’s Presidency in New Delhi on 9-10 September.
Afterward, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Lower House by recalling several momentous periods in the history of the Indian Parliament.
Prime Minister Modi, while delivering the last address in the old Parliament building, recalled the day he first entered the Parliament as an MP.
While mentioning the historic decisions like the revocation of Article 370, and passing of One Nation One Tax, One Rank One Pension, and other such schemes, PM also appreciated and recognized the work done by the media in covering Parliament.
Currently, discussions regarding the 75 years of incredible journey of our Independent nation are ongoing in the old Parliament building.
On the second day of the special session, 19 September, on the auspicious day of Ganesh Chaturthi, the Members of Parliament will begin regular work in the new Parliament building.