Parliament Watch: What happened in the 1st Session of the 18th Lok Sabha?

The 1st session of the 18th Lok Sabha commenced on 24 June 2024 and concluded on 3 July 2024. In this blog, we take stock of the Lok Sabha proceedings during the session highlighting key events, and activities of the House.

How did the actual proceedings go?

Bhartruhari Mahtab, a seven-time Member of Parliament, was sworn in as the pro-tem Speaker for the 18th Lok Sabha on 24 June 2024. He first administered the oath to the Leader of the House, the Prime Minister, followed by other members of the House from States & Union Territories in alphabetical order. In total, 534 members took the oath.

On 26 June 2024, the pro-tem Speaker received 16 notices of the motion to elect the Speaker of the House. Two members – Kodikunnil Suresh of the INDIA alliance and Om Birla of the NDA alliance were in the fray. The latter was chosen as the Speaker of the House.

In another significant development, Rahul Gandhi was elected as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. This is noteworthy as the Lok Sabha has not had an official Leader of the Opposition for the past 10 years. This absence was due to a directive issued in the 1950s (Directive 121) stating that a party must have a minimum of 10% members in the House to gain official recognition. It is also hoped that the House may have a Deputy Speaker for its full term, a position that has been vacant for the last 5 years.

On the same day, the Prime Minister introduced 30 Ministers in his Cabinet, in addition to 5 Ministers of State (Independent Charge), and 36 Ministers of State to the Lok Sabha.

On 27 June 2024, President Droupadi Murmu addressed the joint sitting of Parliament, touching on several key issues. She highlighted the government’s approach to arrest the incidents of paper leaks, the economic progress of the country despite the interruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the increased renewable energy capacities, and growth in MSMEs alongside infrastructure development, and advancements in ports, logistics, roads, and railways. The President also discussed government initiatives in the North Eastern States, modernization of the armed forces, and digital advancements in education.

Additionally, the President also made passing reference to the Bharatiya Nyay Samhita, and the granting of citizenship to refugees under the Citizenship Amendment Act.

On 28 June 2024, the Lok Sabha also adopted the motions to elect members to various Parliamentary Standing Committees (PSCs) including the Committee on Estimates, the Committee on Public Accounts, and the Committee on the Welfare of SCs and STs.

On 1 July 2024, the Speaker announced the nomination of 9 members to the Panel of Chairpersons in the Lok Sabha, before adopting the motion moved by Anurag Singh Thakur to discuss the President’s Address. 16 hours were allocated for this debate in which 67 members participated and 64 members submitted written speeches. The debate, conducted over 2 days, extended to 18 hours and 48 minutes in which 116 amendments were proposed to the President’s address, all of which were rejected, and the motion was adopted.

On 2 July 2024, the Lok Sabha also adopted a resolution moved by Raj Nath Singh to “condemn the conduct and behavior of opposition party members during the Prime Minister’s response to the motion of Thanks on the President’s Address.” This resolution was passed before the House adjourned sine die.

How Productive was the Session?

The Lok Sabha achieved 95% productivity, sitting for 33 hours and 51 minutes over 7 weekdays. However, interruptions on 28 June 2024 led to some lost time. The House lost 44 minutes due to the opposition’s persistent demands for a discussion on the NEET Exam paper leak before adjourning at 11:16 A.M. When it reassembled at 12:00 Noon, the opposition continued to protest, resulting in another adjournment at 12:07 P.M. after just 7 minutes. Despite these interruptions, the House concluded its business ahead of schedule and adjourned sine die on 2 July 2024, a day earlier than planned.

The 1st session of the Lok Sabha was marked by both highs and lows but showed promise. The opposition benches launched vigorous attacks on the government raising issues such as social justice, minority rights, exam paper leaks, increasing railway accidents, and women’s safety. In contrast, NDA MPs highlighted national progress over the last decade, citing achievements in India’s space programs, digital economy, social indicators, and the country’s growing soft power influence.