On the 14th day of the second part of the Budget session, the Constitution (SC/ST) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2022, was passed in the Lower House.

The Indian Antarctic Bill was also introduced in the House by Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh.

Today, members will continue with their discussion on promotion of sports in India.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will move The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022, for consideration and passing.

Here are the latest updates:

3-15 p.m.

INC’s Manish Tiwari talks about Criminal Identification Bill

After Home Minister Amit Shah’s address while introducing the Bill, Congress MP from Punjab speaks on it.

Talking about the original version of this Bill, Mr. Tiwari said that in the backdrop of the non-cooperation movement, the British Imperialist government was scared, and to threaten and trouble the fighters of our freedom struggle, it had brought in this law in 1920. The intention was to generate a fear in the people that if your fingerprints and photographs are taken and circulated, then you won’t be able to secure a job or start a business. This was a plan of the imperialist government to weaken the freedom struggle of India.

Criticising the new Bill, the opposition MP says, “Today, after 102 years, when the government has done away with that law and brought in a new one, it was being hoped that the new law will be liberal, that it will take into consideration the progress made in terms of human rights in the last century and will keep in mind the global jurisprudence on how even prisoners or conviction should be treated in a humane manner. But the unfortunate thing is, this Bill has not stood up to any of these standards.” 

“The new Bill violates Article 14,19,21 and 20(3) enshrined in the constitution,” he says. (Article 14 deals with the Right to Equality, 19 with Freedom of Speech and Expression among other rights and Article 21 deals with Right to Life and Personal Liberty. Article 20(3) says that “no person accused of any offence shall be compelled to be a witness against himself”.) 

2-50 p.m.

House takes up for consideration and passing The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022

On March 28, Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra introduced The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022 in Lok Sabha. If passed, it will allow police and prison authorities to collect, store and analyse physical and biological samples including retina and iris scans of convicted, arrested and detained persons. At the introduction stage, Opposition members opposed the Bill terming it “unconstitutional” and an attack on privacy.

Home Minister Amit Shah today, introducing the bill assured the house that the Govt only aspired to strengthen law enforcement as well as separate miscreants from the society and giving them a chance for reassimiliation to the mainstream society. The Home Minister said the bill would strengthen collection of evidence and further help the investigation. He told the house that the Ministry held extensive discussion with states before putting forth the bill. Further, they studied criminal laws globally with respect to identification of criminals.

Mr Shah asked the members to not study the bill in isolation but alongside the upcoming Prison Act Manual. “We will be sending this Model version to the states, in which we have added more provisions from the Prison Act,” he said. The Home Minister told the house that the manual would have provision for the rehabilitations of prisoners, their reasimilation into the society, for defining the rights of prison officials and to bring discipline among them, for prison security and for the security of women prisoners, arrangement of sperate and open jails for them.

In his address, the Home Minister stated that when this bill was presented to the house by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, a lot of questions were raised about this bill and various Supreme Court judgements were quoted. A lot of members expressed their concerns about the bill from the angle of human rights and individual freedom. All their concerns are justified, but even their concerns have been taken care of in the bill.

2-00 p.m.

House resumes post-adjournment. K Suresh in the chair.

House is taking up matters under Rule 377.

12-45 p.m.

House adjourned till 2 P.M.

12-00 p.m.

Question Hour concludes. MP Rajendra Agrawal in the chair

11-50 a.m.

House discusses scholarships for SC/ST students

In response to Congress MP K. Suresh question with regards to pendency of central govt scholarships for eligible Scheduled Caste (SC) and Schedule Tribe (ST) students, Education Minister stated that scholarships were disbursed directly through direct benefit transfers (DBTs). He informed the house that as per data available to him, respective states were not releasing the matching grants. The Education Minister told the house that they would disburse the amount the moment states release their share.

He assured the house of ensuring a clean and transparent mechanism and based on direct benefit transfer.

11-35 a.m.

Must appreciate the Indian retail investors and their shock absorbing capacity bought into the Indian markets: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

In response to Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor’s concerns with regards to exiting foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) and foreign institutional investors (FIIs) from the country, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated by their very nature, FPIs and FIIs can be very tempted by interest rates elsewhere and prospects anywhere else. She added that what must be considered is the inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI). The Finance Minister told the house that FDI continued during and subsequently thereafter.

She stated that the Indian retail investors deserved appreciation for developing a competent shock absorbing capacity and investing money into the stock markets in India.

11-10 a.m.

Philbhit MP Varun Gandhi asks about Govt’s plans to increase air quality monitoring outside Delhi

The Philbhit MP putting forth that 63 cities of out of 100 categorised as most polluted cities on earth were in India. Stating that 33% of air quality monitors were based in and around Delhi, he asked the Environment Minister to clarify the Govt’s plans to increase air quality monitoring in other parts of the country.

In response, Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav told the house that there were 1,213 air quality instruments operating in 465 cities and 26 rural areas across India. He added they were installed after considering the air quality in the country.

11-00 a.m.

House takes up discussion on GST for Health Insurance

INC MP Benny Behnon and Shiv Sena MP Shrikanth Eknath Shinde asked questions to the Finance Ministry if they would consider granting exemptions with respect to GST on Health Insurance. In response, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhury stated the Govt had reduced the GST on COVID-related medicines and instruments from 12% to 5%. On expanding health insurance coverage, Mr Chaudhury added the Govt has introduced varied insurance schemes under Ayushmann Bharat. He informed of the overall coverage 66% is funded by Central Govt schemes.

11-00 a.m.

Proceedings begin at the lower house. Question Hour in progress

10.30 a.m.

List of Business

1. Union Home Minister Amit Shah to move The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022, for consideration and passing.

2. Further discussion on the need to promote sports in India and steps taken by the Government in this regard.

3. Papers and Reports to be laid on the Table.

4. Question Hour

10.00 a.m.

Day 14 recap

On April 1, 2022, the Constitution (SC/ST) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2022, was passed in the Lok Sabha.

Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda said the Bill seeks to include Gond, Dhuria, Nayak, Ojha, Pathari and Rajgond communities living in the districts of Sant Kabir Nagar, Kushinagar, Chandauli and Sant Ravidas Nagar in the list of Scheduled Tribes in Uttar Pradesh.

It also seeks to exclude the Gond community living in these four districts from the list of Scheduled Castes.

The Indian Antarctic Bill was also introduced in the Lok Sabha by Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh amid objections by Opposition to the government enacting laws to govern the icy continent, which they contend was a “no man’s land.” The Bill seeks to extend the application of domestic laws to research stations set up by India in the Antarctic region.

Lok Sabha MPs presented private bills related to issues of public interest like reorganisation of Maharashtra state, amendment in IPC, additional bench of High Court, unemployment allowance under Private Member’s Business.