Parliament winter session: PM welcomes vice-president as Rajya Sabha chair

The Centre's agenda for the winter session of Parliament includes introduction of 16 new bills

The winter session of the Parliament commenced on Wednesday with PM Narendra Modi's welcome address to vice president Jagdeep Dhankar. PM Modi welcomed Dhankar to officiate as the chair of Rajya Sabha.

After being elected as the vice president, Jagdeep Dhankhar is officiating as the chair of the Rajya Sabha for the first time.

During the opening address in the Parliament, PM Modi congratulated the chairman on behalf of the House "as well as the nation".

"You have reached this stage while going ahead in life amid struggles, it's an inspiration for several people in the country. You are gracing this august post in the House."

Terming the vice president as a "Kisan Putra", PM Modi said that Dhankar studied at a sainik school and thus, he is "closely associated with jawans and kisans".

Marking the 258th session of Rajya Sabha, this winter session of the Parliament, delayed by over a month due to the Gujarat election schedule, will continue till December 29. The session will have a total of 17 working days.

The Centre's agenda for the Parliament's winter session includes introducing 16 new bills.

Minister of external affairs S Jaishankar will make a statement on India's foreign policy. According to the RS bulletin, he will make a statement on the "Latest Developments in India's Foreign Policy".

On the sidelines, Opposition leaders met in the Parliament in the chamber of Congress President and LoP Mallikarjun Kharge to discuss the strategy for the session.

After a long time, Trinamool Congress (TMC) took part in the meeting today. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was also a part of the meeting.

Before the start of the winter session, PM Modi interacted with the media and said that the winter session commenced at a time when India took over the presidency of G20 and added that it's a big opportunity to showcase India's abilities and aspirations at the global level.

Modi expressed hope that the proceedings of both the Houses of Parliament will also reflect the "spirit of inclusivity and possibilities".

Considering the current international scenario, the government will try to take several key decisions in Parliament, the Prime Minister said, while appealing to floor managers and leaders of all parties to ensure the smooth functioning of the session.

The Prime Minister urged the members to allow both houses of Parliament to function smoothly to ensure a productive session.

PM Modi said that due to continuous disruptions, new MPs often complain that they don't get an opportunity to participate in the proceedings, and hence he requested members to ensure that first-time lawmakers get maximum opportunities to air their views "in this university of democracy".

(With Agency inputs)