Parliament Sessions

The Parliament monsoon session is beginning on July 21 and concluding on August 13. It is the fifth session of the current 16th Lok Sabha. It is promising to be a stormy session with key bills like GST and Land Bill coming up during the session and issues like Vyapam scam Lalit Modi episode are likely to generate much heat.

Industry, trade and the markets are watching the current scenario with bated breath and keep their fingers crossed over the fate of the two critical bills - GST and land acquisition. Experts warn that should the GST bill fails to see the light if the day during the Monsoon session, it would be extremely hard for its rollout to take place on April 1 next year. The members of the supreme legislative body in India meet for three periods or sessions a year –Budget, Monsoon and Winter.

Budget session, which is conducted from February to May, is considered highly crucial for the matters it deals with. It opens with the presentation of the Railway Budget. The General Budget is presented on the last working day of February. It is often seen that the budget session is split into two periods with a gap of one month in between. The MPs get an opportunity to discuss budgetary provisions and proposals pertaining to taxation.

After a brief hiatus of around two months, both the Houses resume business in July and continue till September. Unlike the preceding session, this monsoon session is dedicated largely to discussions on matters of public interest. It is during the monsoon session that the Members of the Parliament, including the ministers, can bring forward the legislative proposals in the form of a Bill.

Winter session is the shortest period that spans over a period of one month generally between mid-November and mid-December. It takes up the issues that could not be deliberated upon and makes up for the lack of legislative business during the second session of the Parliament. The MPs not only debate on administrative policies on the floors of the Parliament, but also make sure that the government gets the drift and becomes aware of its lapses.

All the three sessions of the Parliament are uniform in their purpose and the functions they are expected to perform. For example, the proposal for amending a certain Act within the Constitution of India can be initiated in any of the three sessions and either House of the Parliament.