Disruptions unbecoming of MPs, says Rajya Sabha Chairman as Winter session ends

"Disruption created during yesterday's sitting by the Opposition Members by shouting slogans, displaying placards, disrupting the Minister replying to the discussion, tearing up papers and throwing them in the well of the House showed conduct unbecoming of Members of Parliament."

"I earnestly hope that Hon'ble Members would introspect and not repeat such unruly behaviour in future," he said.

The Rajya Sabha sat past midnight on Thursday to pass legislation that replaced the 20-year-old rural employment scheme -- the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGA) -- by boosting the number of guaranteed workdays to 125, up from the current 100 days per household for unskilled manual labour.

Opposition MPs protested the dropping of the name of the Father of the Nation from the new legislation, Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission - Rural (Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission - Rural).

Other than that, the 269th Session of the Upper House was "highly productive", registering 121 per cent productivity with sittings spanning about 92 hours, he said.

Delivering his valedictory remarks, Radhakrishnan said the Winter Session was significant as it marked his first stint presiding over the House after assuming office.

He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Leader of the House JP Nadda, and Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge for their felicitations.

"The warmth and affection in your felicitations proved a source of great encouragement for me as I sat down discharging my constitutional responsibility as the Chairman of this august House," he said.

He said that in his first address, he sought the cooperation of members for the smooth functioning of the House. "I am happy that Hon’ble Members cooperated with the Chair to complete a significant amount of Business during this Winter Session." The Chairman noted that the House agreed to extend sittings or skip lunch recess on five days to transact business.

He said the session recorded an unprecedented rise in Zero Hour activity, with an average of over 84 notices received daily -- a 31 per cent increase over the previous two sessions -- while matters actually raised averaged more than 15 per day, up nearly 50 per cent.

Highlighting the quality of deliberations, Radhakrishnan said the House held a two-day special discussion on the 150th anniversary of the national song Vande Mataram, with 82 members participating. A three-day discussion on electoral reforms saw interventions from 57 members.

During the session, the Rajya Sabha passed or returned eight Bills and adopted a statutory resolution on the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Act, 2024, with participation from 212 members. As many as 59 Private Members' Bills were introduced, reflecting what he described as the "vibrancy of parliamentary democracy".

The Chairman also cited 58 starred questions, 208 Zero Hour submissions and 87 special mentions during the session, and said he issued a detailed ruling clarifying the scope of Rule 267.

Radhakrishnan thanked the Deputy Chairman, members of the panel of vice-chairpersons, the Rajya Sabha Secretariat and the media for their role in ensuring the smooth conduct of proceedings.