The mandatory use of masks, entry only for those who test negative, and conducting the country’s parliamentary procedures in two shifts will be some of the focal points of this year’s Monsoon session that begins Monday.
This is the first time a parliamentary session has been held amid an outbreak of viral disease. The monsoon session in Parliament usually takes place in mid-July. This year’s monsoon session was postponed after Covid-19 cases in India showed an upward trend since March, forcing authorities to strictly observe safety regulations such as social distancing and avoiding large public gatherings. .
Just one day before the parliamentary session begins, India’s Covid-19 count on Sunday surpassed the 47 lakh mark after 94,372 people across the country tested positive for the viral contagion in the past 24 hours.
Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s monsoon session of Parliament:
• The session will begin on Monday, September 14 and is expected to conclude on Thursday, October 1. Every day, including weekends, Saturdays and Sundays, will be business days for MPs.
• A total of 18 sessions spread over an 18-day period will mark this monsoon session.
• A total of 47 items have been identified, including 45 bills and two financial items, to be addressed during the monsoon session.
• This will be the first monsoon session of its kind, you will see Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha sitting in two different turns. With Covid-19 security protocols in mind, special seating arrangements have been made for MPs in compliance with social distancing guidelines.
• This year’s session will be marked by unprecedented infrastructure and logistics arrangements, including ultraviolet germicidal irradiation in air conditioning systems to kill or inactivate microorganisms, 10 screens for live performances, reserved seating for top leaders and communication cables specials that unite both Chambers.
• To mark the attendance of parliamentarians, a mobile application will be implemented to register their presence. The seats in both houses will be separated with polycarbonate sheets.
• Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will be suspended for an hour after obituaries to former President Pranab Mukherjee and other members of parliament who passed away during the interregnum.
• The main opposition leaders, such as the President of Congress, Sonia Gandhi, and the former Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, will miss this monsoon session due to medical reasons. While Gandhi has gone abroad for a routine medical checkup, 87-year-old Manmohan Singh has been strictly advised by his doctors not to leave his home.
• The Opposition will drive the debate on the economy, the border conflict between India and China and the management of Covid-19, to corner the government.
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