Over half of Lok Sabha bills passed in same session

More than half the bills introduced in the 18th Lok Sabha have been passed by both Houses in the same session, according to data from PRS Legislative Research. Of the 64 bills introduced, 34 (53 per cent) were passed in the session of introduction. The pace accelerated sharply during the Monsoon Session that ended on August 13, when 11 of 12 bills were passed. Seven bills were cleared in five minutes or less, and nine were passed without any MP other than the piloting minister speaking, PRS data shows.

The Times of India reports that the government's original agenda listed five new bills and two pending bills for the Monsoon Session, but six of the 11 bills passed were not on that original list. The New Indian Express notes that the proportion of bills passed in the same session has risen from 33 per cent in the 16th Lok Sabha to 62 per cent in the 17th, and now 53 per cent in the 18th. Neither of the two pending bills listed for consideration, the VBSA Bill and the FCRA Amendment Bill, was passed, both remain under parliamentary committee review.

PRS has previously warned that a short gap between introduction and passage limits scrutiny and consultation. The Monsoon Session had 19 sittings, with Lok Sabha functioning for only 15 per cent of its scheduled time and Rajya Sabha for 33 per cent, amid disruptions over the NEET-UG paper leak, student protests, and an Ayodhya temple donation controversy.