<div>The Budget session of Parliament concluded on Wednesday with passage of record official business in recent years but the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government failed to ensure passage of the controversial Land Acquisition Bill as also key reform measure of GST amid stiff resistance from opposition.</div><div> </div><div>However, the Budget Session has proved to be most productive during the last decade with the Lok Sabha working 117 per cent of the scheduled working hours and the Rajya Sabha reported a productivity of 101 per cent, the government said.</div><div> </div><div>In terms of the number of sittings also, this session scored high. The Lok Sabha held 35 sittings, the highest in the last five years. Rajya Sabha held 32 sittings, next only to that of 34 in 2012.</div><div> </div><div>1)<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><strong>Insurance & Land Boundary Bill</strong></div><div>The Modi-led government has been successful in securing Parliament’s nod for the land boundary constitutional amendment bill—which takes India’s relations with Bangladesh to a whole new level—and increasing foreign investment in insurance, but its inability to get parliamentary approval for GST and land bills far outweigh those positives.</div><div> </div><div>2) <strong>Amendment to President’s Speech</strong></div><div>The government also faced the embarrassment of having to amend the motion of thanks to the President for his address to the joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament. CPM leader Sitaram Yechury pressed for the amendment to register regret on the lack of action by the government to curb corruption and black money.</div><div> </div><div>3) <strong>Private Members’ Bil</strong>l</div><div>History repeated itself after 36 years in the Rajya Sabha which passed a private members’ bill seeking equal opportunities to transgenders moved by Tiruchi Siva of the DMK.</div><div> </div><div>4) Rahul Gandhi as parliamentarian</div><div>The most valuable takeaway for the Congress party from the session was Rahul Gandhi's perceived transformation into an effective parliamentarian. The gain has been more than a windfall for the party, which had in the past requested him to speak in important debates, only to be refused. A member of the Lok Sabha for 10 years, he had never asked a question or made an intervention during zero hour. He had spoken only thrice in the decade.</div><div> </div><div>5)<strong>Session In A Nutshell</strong></div><div>123 per cent Lok Sabha worked for 123 per cent of its scheduled time</div><div>101 per cent Rajya Sabha worked for 101 per cent of its scheduled time</div><div> </div><div>6) <strong>Hits</strong></div><div>Insurance act amendment bill, pending since 2008, passed</div><div>Five out of six ordinances approved</div><div>Coal allocation, mines and minerals bills passed</div><div>The land boundary agreement bill passed</div><div> </div><div>7) <strong>Misses</strong></div><div>Failed to bring the Opposition on board on land bill, GST bill</div><div>Real Estate bill, GST bill referred to select committee</div><div>Land bill sent to joint committee of parliament</div><div>Key NDA allies like Shiv Sena, SAD refused to back the government</div><div>After 14 years, Opposition forces amendment to President’s speech in Rajya Sabha</div><div>First time since 1970, a private member bill passed in Rajya Sabha</div><div> </div><div>8) <strong>Opposition Unity</strong></div><div> The session also saw the revival of a splintered opposition which cornered the government on a host of issues, including the CAG strictures on Nitin Gadkari-linked Purti Group and the release of Kashmiri separatist leader Masarat Alam Bhat.</div><div> </div><div>9) <strong>Disruptions and Interruptions</strong></div><div>On account of disruptions and interruptions, Lok Sabha lost 6 hours 54 minutes but made up for the lost time by giving up lunch hours and working beyond scheduled time for 42 hours 41 minutes. Similarly, Rajya Sabha has lost 18 hours 28 minutes but gained 20 hours.</div><div> </div><div>10) <strong>Unsavory Behaviour</strong></div><div>Countering Rahul Gandhi on land bill, Agriculture minister Birender Singh ended up saying Madhavrao Scindia also wore expensive suits. He was forced to apologise for his statement.</div><div>Twelve BJP MPs voted against GST bill. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan pulled up MoS parliamentary affairs minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy.</div><div> </div>
