First Lok Sabha session: Highest number of oral questions answered in 20 years

The first session of the 17th Lok Sabha recorded the highest number of working hours in the last 20 years as also the highest number of questions answered orally in the same period, according to PRS Legislative Research.

The Lok Sabha had sittings for 37 days and Rajya Sabha for 35 days during the Parliament session. The Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on Tuesday and Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

According to PRS Legislative Research, which tracks the work of Parliament, Lok Sabha clocked in 281 working hours, with a productivity of 135 per cent.

"This is the highest number of working in Lok Sabha in the last 20 years," a PRS Legislative press release said.

On average, Lok Sabha has worked for 81 per cent of its scheduled time in the past 20 years, while Rajya Sabha worked for 195 hours which is 100 per cent of the scheduled hours. The Upper House, on an average, has worked for 76 per cent of its scheduled time during a session in the past 20 years.

During this session, 36 per cent of the questions were answered orally in Lok Sabha by ministers.

"This is higher than any other session in the past 20 years," the release said.

It said 40 per cent of the questions received an oral answer from a minister in Rajya Sabha. This is the second-highest among all sessions in the past 20 years.

On an average, 15 per cent of the questions in Lok Sabha and 17 per cent of questions in Rajya Sabha have received oral answers during a session in the past 20 years.

The release said that Lok Sabha spent 46 per cent of its time on legislative business and Rajya Sabha spent 51 per cent.

Thirty-eight Bills were introduced in Parliament during the Budget Session (excluding the Finance and Appropriation Bills) of which 28 were passed. This is the highest for any session in the last 10 years.

The second-highest was during the Winter Session 2009 and the Monsoon Session 2018 when 10 bills were introduced and passed during the same session.

The PRS Legislative said that at the commencement of the Budget Session, 33 bills were pending in Rajya Sabha and none of these Bills were discussed during this session.

Out of 28 Bills passed by Parliament, five Bills had been scrutinised by Committees in some form during the period of previous Lok Sabha.

The release said that 25 Bills (66 per cent) were discussed within five working days from their introduction. Two Bills in Rajya Sabha and one Bill in Lok Sabha were introduced, discussed, and passed on the same day.

On an average, a Bill was discussed for 3.6 hours in Lok Sabha and 3.3 hours in Rajya Sabha.

The Central government tabled a Presidential Order that superseded the Constitution (Application to J & K) Order, 1954, in Rajya Sabha.

A resolution was passed which modifies Article 370 to state that all provisions of the Constitution of India will apply to Jammu and Kashmir. This was followed by the introduction and passage of Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019, which reorganises the state into two Union Territories.

Seven Bills in Lok Sabha and an equal number of Bills in Rajya Sabha recorded vote at some stage.

Twenty-one per cent of the Bills passed involved recorded voting at some stage. "This is higher than the 16th Lok Sabha, in which, the division was called for eight per cent of the Bills," the release said.

It said 20 per cent of the demand for grants for ministries such as road transport and highways, agriculture and farmer's welfare, railways, rural development were discussed in Lok Sabha.

The release also said 94 per cent first-term MPs participated in a debate during the session and 96 per cent women MPs participated.