The Winter Session of the Lok Sabha, which began on November 25, concluded earlier today amid massive disruptions and an abrupt sine die adjournment. The session, especially the third phase, witnessed significant turmoil, culminating in the loss of over 70 hours of working time across all three phases, with 65 hours lost in the third session alone due to continued protests by Opposition MPs following the December 19 scuffle.
The session began with relatively fewer disruptions, losing 5 hours and 37 minutes in the first phase and 1 hour and 53 minutes in the second. However, tensions escalated in the concluding session, leading to extensive disruptions. Despite the challenges, MPs made efforts to address the pending legislative agenda, with extended sittings accounting for 7, 33, and 21.7 hours across the three phases, respectively.
The session’s productivity fluctuated. While debates during the first session lasted 34.16 hours, this surged to 115.21 hours in the second session but sharply declined to 62 hours in the third. Despite these disruptions, legislative work progressed.
In the first session, no Bills were introduced. The government presented 12 Bills in the second phase, of which four were passed in the Lok Sabha. The third session saw the introduction of five Bills, with four being cleared. Key Bills addressed included:
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Introduced in the Third Session:The Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024; The Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024; The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024; The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024; and The Appropriation (No.3) Bill, 2024.
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Passed in the Third Session:The Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024; The Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2024; The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024; and The Appropriation (No.3) Bill, 2024.
A total of 396 matters were raised under Rule 377 during the third session, compared to 358 in the second session and 41 in the first. Rule 377 enables MPs to bring matters of importance to the notice of the House with prior consent from the Speaker.
The session was marked by sharp exchanges between the ruling NDA and the Opposition Congress over contentious issues. Initial disruptions stemmed from debates about the ruling alliance's association with industrialist Gautam Adani and the Opposition's links to billionaire George Soros. By the third phase, the December 19 scuffle became the focal point of disputes, leading to prolonged protests and ultimately affecting the session's productivity.
Despite these challenges, the Lok Sabha managed to clear some legislative backlogs, demonstrating a balance between political friction and legislative functioning.
