Parliament adjourned sine die; here's a look at bills passed in the Monsoon session

Amended law facilitating use of birth certificate as single document for host of services to come into effect from October 1

Both Houses of the Parliament were adjourned sine die on August 11, drawing curtains on the Monsoon session that was marked by an intense face-off between the opposition and treasury benches. Despite the chaos, the government succeeded in passing an array of key legislations.

The overall productivity in the Lok Sabha, where the government holds a brute majority, stood at 45 percent, as per the details shared by officials. The productivity rate was higher in the Rajya Sabha at 63 percent, despite the treasury benches lacking in terms of absolute majority.

A total of 22 bills were cleared by both, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, in the session that stretched from July 20 to August 11.

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Among the notable bills that received the Parliament's clearance include the proposed law for digital data protection, amending the services rules of the Delhi government, and amending the law related to regulation of mines and minerals sectors.

Here's a look at the bills passed by the Parliament:

- Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023: The bill replaces an ordinance promulgated by the Centre for handling the transfers and postings of officials in the Delhi government. The legislation does away with the contentious Section 3A of the ordinance that held that the Delhi legislative assembly will not have control over services under Entry 41 of List II of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.

- The Central Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and The Integrated Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023: The two GST laws were passed by the Parliament on its final day of functioning for this session. The amendments allow the government to raise the tax rates related to casinos, online gaming and horse racing to 28 percent.

- Digital Personal Data Protection Bill: The legislation mandates the establishment of the Data Protection Board of India by the central government to protect the online data of citizens. It will monitor compliance and imposition of penalties, direct data fiduciaries to take necessary measures in the event of a data breach and hear grievances made by affected persons.

- Anusandhan National Research Foundation Bill 2023: The bill provides high-level strategic direction for research, innovation and entrepreneurship in the fields of natural sciences, including mathematical sciences, engineering and technology, environmental and earth sciences, health and agriculture.

- Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023: The legislation amends the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950 to modify the list of Scheduled Castes in Chhattisgarh. The bill provides for the consideration of Mahara and Mahra communities in the state as synonyms of the Mehra, Mahar, and Mehar communities.

- National Nursing and Midwifery Commission (NNMC) Bill, 2023: The bill includes provisions to elevate the standards of nursing education and services, enhance professional conduct, and ensure greater transparency and accountability. It will replace the existing Indian Nursing Council with a modern regulatory structure.

- National Dental Commission Bill, 2023: The legislation is aimed at introducing a regulatory framework by establishing the National Dental Commission (NDC), which will replace the existing Dental Council of India (DCI) and repeal the Dentists Bill, 1948.

- Inter-services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Bill, 2023: This defence sector-related bill empowers the commander-in-chief and the officer-in-command of inter-services organisations with disciplinary and administrative powers over personnel from other forces serving in such establishments.

- Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023: This legislation amends the IIM Act of 2017, thereby making the country's President the "Visitor" to the IIMs with powers to audit their functioning, order probes and appoint as well as remove directors.

- Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023: This legislation will help create a national and state-level database of registered births and deaths, which eventually would ensure efficient and transparent delivery of public services and social benefits.

- Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023: The amendment bill provides for fixing or adopting the standards for emission or discharge of effluents from coastal aquaculture units, making the owner liable to pay the cost of demolition and cost of damage to the environment.

- The Mediation Bill, 2021: This legislation will reduce the maximum time for completion of mediation proceedings to 180 days, which can be extended by another six months, at the application of the parties involved. It mandates the parties to attempt to settle a civil or commercial dispute through mediation before approaching a court or tribunal.

- Pharmacy (Amendment) Bill, 2023: This legislation amends the Pharmacy Act, 1948 which regulates the practice and profession of pharmacy. The bill looks at the insertion of new section 32C, which provides a special provision relating to persons registered or qualified under the Jammu and Kashmir Pharmacy Act, 2011.

- Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023: The legislation was marred in controversy as it seeks to restrict the conservation scope of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 to only certain forest lands. The government, however, maintained the law is aimed at removing ambiguities.

- The Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023: The amendment bill seeks to harness the full potential of maritime resources to support India's economic growth, by promoting exploration and mining through the participation of both the public and private sectors.

- Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023: The bill puts six minerals, including lithium — used in electric vehicle batteries and other energy storage solutions — into a list of “critical and strategic” minerals. The exploration and mining of these six minerals, previously classified as atomic minerals, were previously restricted to government-owned entities.

- Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2022: The legislation, claims the government, is intended towards boosting "Ease of Living" and "Ease of Doing Business". It decriminalises a total of 183 provisions in 42 Central Acts administered by 19 ministries and departments.

- The Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2023: The bill aims to deter piracy of films by imposing strict penalties on individuals involved in unauthorised audio-visual recording and distribution of copyrighted content.

- The Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023: The legislation aims to expand the scope, remove regulatory gaps and reduce the compliance burden without diluting environmental protection rules in the coastal areas.

- The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2022: The legislation repeals a total of 65 laws that were considered to be obsolete or that which were made redundant by other laws.

- The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023: The bill amends the Advocates Act, 1961, by repealing certain sections related to touts under the Legal Practitioners Act, 1879.

- The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023: The legislation seeks to repeal the existing Press and Registration of Books Act. The 1867 Act was a pre-independence archaic law that was not in sync with the current media landscape.

In addition to the above legislations, three new bills were tabled in the Lok Sabha and are expected to be discussed in the Winter session. They include The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, which is proposed as a replacement for the Indian Penal Code, The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, which is a potential replacement of the Code of Criminal Procedure, and Bharatiya Sakshya Act that might be aimed at substituting the The Indian Evidence Act.