Parliament Winter Session 2023: All-party meet today; Know key agendas

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi is scheduled to convene an all-party meeting of floor leaders in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Saturday. The meeting is anticipated to be attended by prominent BJP figures, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.

The Parliament's winter session for 2023 is scheduled to start on December 4 and extend until December 22.

Notably, the outcomes of five state assembly elections (Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, and Telangana) will be disclosed on December 3. These election results are expected to significantly influence the parliamentary session, where the government aims to pass crucial bills.

Also Read: Parliament Winter Session to begin on 4 December and continue till 22 December

Earlier, Joshi had said, “Winter Session, 2023 of Parliament will commence from 4th December and continue till 22nd December having 15 sittings spread over 19 days. Amid Amrit Kaal looking forward to discussions on Legislative Business and other items during the session.”

What to expect in Winter Session 2023

The government has outlined 18 Bills for consideration during the session. Among them are two bills aimed at extending the provisions of the women's reservation law to Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry, as well as three bills intended to replace existing criminal laws.

The government will also present a bill to seek Parliament’s approval for adjustments to the Centre’s ₹35 trillion spending programme in the current fiscal, Mint reported.

Also Read: Bills for GST appellate tribunals, spending likely in winter session

The Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha, led by BJP's Vinod Sonkar, has presented its findings, proposing the expulsion of Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra from the Lok Sabha. The report pertains to the alleged cash-for-queries scandal and has faced opposition from members of the Opposition within the committee.

Also Read: Cash-for-query case: Lok Sabha panel to table report seeking expulsion of Mahua Moitra on Monday

Meanwhile, another significant bill awaiting consideration in Parliament concerns the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners.

Introduced initially in the Monsoon session, the government opted not to push for its approval during a special parliamentary session, primarily due to opposition and resistance from former chief election commissioners.

Additionally, according to the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the government intends to introduce a bill to raise the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly's strength from 107 to 114. This initiative is designed to ensure representation for Kashmiri migrants, displaced individuals from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and Scheduled Tribes.

Also Read: Women's Reservation Bill gets President Murmu's nod, becomes law

Furthermore, three noteworthy bills, to substitute the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and the Evidence Act, are anticipated to be discussed in this session. The standing committee on Home has recently endorsed these three reports, clearing the path for their consideration.

Also Read: Govt to bring criminal laws to replace IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act by year-end: Report

The upcoming Winter Session of Parliament is slated to take place in the newly inaugurated building. In September of this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the new Parliament building as a significant component of the government's ambitious initiative to revamp the British colonial-era architecture in New Delhi.

Also Read: New Parliament Building: How Indian States and UTs contributed to the construction; 10 points

The recently inaugurated parliament complex stands as the focal point of a $2.4 billion initiative, featuring state-of-the-art technologies. With a collective seating capacity of 1,272 across two chambers, this new facility surpasses the old building by almost 500 seats.