25 Govt Bills Await Action in Rajya Sabha, Including 1992 Two-Child Norm

There are currently 25 government bills pending in the Rajya Sabha, with one dating back to 1992, which pertains to the adoption of a two-child norm for panchayat polls.

These pending bills cover various aspects of governance, including rent regulation, telecommunications, and more, according to a bulletin by the Rajya Sabha.

Typically, bills introduced in the Lok Sabha expire when the House is dissolved. However, since the Rajya Sabha is a continuous chamber not subject to dissolution, bills introduced and pending in this House remain active unless withdrawn by the government.

The oldest draft legislation pending in the Upper House of Parliament is the Constitution (79th Amendment) Bill, 1992, which deals with the adoption of a two-child norm for panchayat polls. The government cited a lack of consensus among political parties in favor of the bill as the reason for its prolonged delay when responding to a written question in 2005.

Other pending bills include those related to municipal provisions, seed regulation, Indian medicine and homoeopathy pharmacy, telecom regulatory authority, mining, labor regulations, legislative councils, registration, and more.

Recently introduced bills, such as The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2023, The Post Office Bill, 2023, and The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service, and Term of Office) Bill, 2023, were presented during the last monsoon session of Parliament.