PARLIAMENTARY REPORT
INDIA
LAW STRENGTHENED FORWOMEN’S SAFETY
The 2013 Budget Session of Parliament commenced on 21 February with the Presidential Address to both Houses of Parliament assembled together
Smt. Meira Kumar
in the Central Hall of Parliament. One of the important Bills passed by Parliament related to providing stringent punishment for crimes against women. The second part of Parliament that began on 22 April, however, remained paralyzed as the opposition Members disrupted the proceedings demanding the resignation of two Ministers, one for the alleged involvement of his relative in allegedly corrupt practices relating to an appointment in his Ministry and the other for the censure made by the Supreme Court against a Minister for allegedly changing the investigation report of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on alleged irregularities in the allocation of coal blocks. With the House paralyzed, it was decided by the leaders to pass the Demands for Grants
150 | The Parliamentarian | 2013: Issue Two
(Railways) for 2013-14, Demands for Grants (General) for 2013-14, and the Finance Bill, 2013, without discussion in the meeting of the Speaker with the Members of the Business Advisory Committee. When the Speaker, Smt. Meira Kumar, MP, initiated the process for transacting financial business the next day, the Leader of the Opposition, Smt. Sushma Swaraj, MP, accused the government of being the most corrupt government since independence. She said that the opposition would not oppose the passing of finance related bills but would walk out of the House as it did not wish to be witness to its passing. The government had
introduced the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2012 on 4 December 2012 for providing stringent punishment for the offence of rape by amending the Indian Penal Code, 1860; the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872. The Bill was referred to the Departmentally Related Parliamentary Standing Committee (DRSC) on Home Affairs for examination and report. Following the tragic gang rape case of 16 December 2012 in Delhi, the government had set up a Committee under Justice J.S. Verma, to give recommendations on amending laws to provide justice and enhanced punishment for criminals in cases of sexual assault of an extreme nature. The Justice Verma Committee, in its report submitted on 23 January
2013, had suggested some additional provisions relating to other offences of human trafficking, sexual harassment, voyeurism, stalking, etc. The DRSC on Home Affairs also examined the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2012 and tabled its report in Parliament on 1 March 2013. Keeping in view the recommendations of the DRSC on Home Affairs, the recommendations of Justice Verma Committee and the views and suggestions received from various quarters including women’s groups, the government
Smt. Sushma Swaraj, MP
brought the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2013. As the Parliament was not in session and an urgent legislation was required to be made, the President of India promulgated the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2013 on 3 February 2013. As the promulgation of the Ordinance had rendered the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2012 ineffective, the Minister of Home Affairs, Shri Sushilkumar
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