The Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die on Friday as the delayed winter session, which commenced from December 15 last year, came to an end.The upper House held 13 sittings in all and sat for more than 41 hours.It passed nine government bills - the Companies (Amendment) Bill; the Indian Institutes of Management Bill; the Indian Forest (Amendment) Bill; the Indian Institute of Petroleum and EnergyBill; the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill; the Repealing and Amending Bill; the Repealing and Amending (Second) Bill; the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Amendment) Bill.During the session, 210 Starred Questions and 2,239 Unstarred Questions were admitted and answered. Of these, 46 Starred Questions were orally answered.There were 51 Special Mentions on matters of public importance which were made/laid in the House and 51 matters were raised with the Chair's permission.
The House discussed for about six hours issues of excessively high levels of air pollution in Delhi and the state of economy, investment climate and job creation in the country and the need to address the challenge of rising unemployment.During the session, 19 private members' bills were introduced and one private member bill - the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2016 (insertion of new article 16A) was discussed but the motion for its consideration negated. As many as 110 reports/statements of various Parliamentary Committees including those of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees and one Report of the Inquiry Committee in respect of Justice S.K. Gangele, Judge, Madhya Pradesh High Court were presented or laid on the table of the House.The House made references to the passing away of Arjan Singh, Marshal of the Indian Air Force and 12 former Members.References to the victims of boiler explosion in NTPC unit at Unchahar in Rae Bareli district of Uttar Pradesh, cyclone 'Ockhi' and subsequent heavy rains in the coastal areas of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep, and accident wherein a bus fell into the Banas River in Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan were made by the Chair.
The House felicitated several sportspersons who performed well in various sporst events across the world recently.It also complimented the scientists, engineers and technicians of the DRDO for the successful demonstration of the Ballistic Missile Defence capability through an Advanced Area Defence Missile.Twelve new Ministers, inducted into the Union Council of Ministers, were introduced by the Prime Minister and the new Secretary-General of Rajya Sabha was also introduced by the Chairman to the House.The House was informed by the Chair about the resignation of three Members - Manohar Parrikar, Mukul Roy and M. P. Veerendra Kumar, and about the disqualification of Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar Ansari. It also bade farewell to three Members -- Karan Singh, Janardan Dwivedi and Parvez Hashmi, representing Delhi, whose terms are expiring on January 27.The House lost 33 hours in disruptions on various issues.