Parliament Diary

The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022 was taken up for discussion in Rajya Sabha. During the debate, one Member said that the lack of definition of ‘law enforcement agency’ could leave the Bill susceptible to misuse. The Bill allows the NCRB to store and disseminate collected records with any law enforcement agency.  Another Member said that while convicts and undertrials should fall under the law's ambit, the government should take a relook at including people arrested for petty crimes or those required to give security for good behaviour.

Before legislative business, during Zero Hour, one Member called for government action on strictly regulating the fees of all medical institutions, including private colleges. The NMC Act, 2019 currently provides for the National Medical Commission to frame guidelines to determine the fees for 50% of seats in private medical institutions.

The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2022 related to Tripura was also discussed and passed in Rajya Sabha today.

In Lok Sabha, Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022 was taken up for discussion. Moving the Bill for debate, the External Affairs Minister said that the 2005 Act focused on export control. In recent years, international regulations related to WMDs made by the UN Security Council and the FATF have mandated provisions against financing in relation to these weapons, necessitating the amendment.

The External Affairs Minister also replied to the discussion on the situation in Ukraine. Noting that there was a consensus from all quarters of the House on the country's foreign policy, he welcomed the comments of the Members who participated in the debate. On the issue of medical students who returned from Ukraine, the Minister said the government has received proposals from Hungary and other countries to accept students in their universities to complete their education.

Proceedings in both Houses were ongoing at the time of updating this note.