Orientation programme for first-time members of Rajya Sabha

A two-day orientation programme for newly-elected and nominated members of Rajya Sabha is being organized from tomorrow which aims at familiarizing them with various aspects of the functioning of parliament.
The programme, to be inaugurated by Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari, will have lectures on topics such as Rajya Sabha: Its Role and Contribution to Indian Polity.
Other topics will be lawmaking process, parliamentary privileges, committee system, raising of matters of public importance through questions and other devices, role of the Leader of the House and Leader of the Opposition, ethics in politics and Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS), a release by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat said.

The speakers would include senior parliamentarians including Deputy Chairman of the Upper House P J Kurien, CPI-M leaders Sitaram Yechury and P Rajeeve, Congress leaders Oscar Fernandes, Mani Shankar Aiyar, E M Sudarsana Natchiappan and BJP leader Balbir Punj.