Indian Parliament Holding Monsoon Session Under Unprecedented Circumstances: What's Different This Year?

The Indian Parliament is in session on Monday for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic started. Held under unusual circumstances, the Monsoon Session could see discussions on what India sees as Chinese "aggression" on the Ladakh border, the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country as well as a historic 23.9 percent GDP contraction.

The Indian Parliament on Monday commenced an 18-day Monsoon Session, nearly six months after it was adjourned indefinitely following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both the lower and upper houses of Parliament, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, have convened under a revised set of rules on account of the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country.

Addressing reporters before the start of the sitting at the Parliament building, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also called for political unity and appealed to all opposition parties to stand united in the face of the ongoing border tensions with China in eastern Ladakh.

A total of 11 bills are set to be introduced in the Parliament, including those relating to agriculture and banking, among others.

Key Points: What is Distinct about this Parliament’s Sitting?

• This is the first parliamentary session since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The Monsoon Session of the Parliament usually takes place in the months of July and August, but it had to be deferred due to the lockdown restrictions.
• The houses of the Parliament will function for four hours each, the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) will be in session n from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (local time), and the Lok Sabha (Lower House) will be in session from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.  On Monday, the Lok Sabha proceedings commenced from 9.00 am. The Parliament is also set to function seven days a week for the entire duration of the Monsoon Session.
• The Modi government has done away with the practice of Question Hour while parliament is in session this time. The move hasn’t gone down well with opposition parties. The 'unstarred' questions, which used to be raised during the Question Hour, will now be presented in writing to the government MPs.
• Extraordinary sanitary arrangements have been put in place inside the Parliamentary chambers to ensure that health protocols are met to curb the spread of the virus. The seating plan for parliamentarians reflects the norms of social-distancing being followed, with poly-carbon sheets separating them in the House. All the parliamentarians have been asked to register their attendance through a mobile app. The MPs have also been asked to present reports of their coronavirus examinations before attending the proceedings.
• India’s Home Minister Amit Shah, who again complained of shortness of breath this week after recuperating from a COVID-19 infection, is likely to miss the first few days of the parliamentary sitting. The party chief of India’s main opposition Congress party, Sonia Gandhi and her parliamentarian son Rahul Gandhi, who are overseas seeking medical treatment for Sonia, will also miss most of the sittings.