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.
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