With reference to the Parliament of India, consider the following statements: 1) A private member’s bill is a bill presented by a Member of Parliament who is not elected but only nominated by the President of India. 2) Recently, a private member’s bill has been passed in the Parliament of India for the first time in its history. [2017]]

With reference to the Parliament of India, consider the following statements:

A private member’s bill is a bill presented by a Member of Parliament who is not elected but only nominated by the President of India.
Recently, a private member’s bill has been passed in the Parliament of India for the first time in its history.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

In parliamentary parlance, a private member refers to any Member of Parliament who is not a minister. Bills introduced by ministers are called Government Bills, whereas those introduced by other MPs are known as Private Members’ Bills. Any MP, whether elected or nominated, can introduce a Private Member’s Bill. This mechanism enables MPs to actively participate in law-making, beyond debating government legislation.
Procedural Framework: Introduced only on Fridays, Private Member’s Bills follow the same stages as Government Bills and become law only after passage by both Houses and Presidential assent.

Statement 2 is incorrect

Only 14 Private Members’ Bills have passed since independence, with the last in 1970. E.g., the Supreme Court (Enlargement of Criminal Appellate Jurisdiction) Bill, 1968, was enacted in 1970.

Table listing 14 private members' bills passed by Indian Parliament, including bill titles, MP names, house (Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha), and dates of assent from 1954 to 1970. Key details include multiple bills on criminal procedure, marriage amendments, and historical site protection, with dates and MPs highlighted in red and black text for clarity.