India Coronavirus Dispatch: Monsoon session starts without hustle-bustle

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Parliamentary traditions: Many traditions of Parliament, formal and informal, were missing on Monday. The usual hustle-bustle of day one of the monsoon session was replaced by a sparsely attended Rajya Sabha and heavy social distancing measures in place in both houses. MPs also ditched papers for digital notes. It was also the first time that attendance was marked digitally via an app. Gaurav Gogoi of the Congress, for example, used his smartphone to read out his points. Polycarbonate sheets were used to create distancing barriers between MPs. BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab described the session as a ‘one-of-its-kind’ experience. He added