Sikh Gurdwaras Amendment Bill, 2016

The Rajya Sabha has passed the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2016 without any discussion. The Bill proposes to amendment the some provisions of the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 retrospectively with effect from October, 2003.

Key facts:

• Amendment bill removes the exception given to Sahjdhari Sikhs in 1944 to vote in the elections to members of the Board and the Committees constituted under this parent Act.


• The proposed amendment was carried out by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs’ Notification dating October 2003 that had debarred Sahjdhari Sikhs voting rights.


• The notification was issued in exercise of the powers conferred by the Parliament under the section 72 of Punjab Re-organisation Act, 1966.


• Amendment Bill was proposed after the MHA’s notification was quashed by the High Court of Punjab & Haryana.


• Since 1949, Sehajdhari Sikhs are continuously exercising their voting rights in the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) elections.

0

Shares

Sikh Gurdwaras Amendment Bill, 2016

Lok Sabha passes Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016

Lok Sabha has been passed Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016 to grant voting rights to people who became citizens of India following the exchange of enclaves between India & Bangladesh. The bill seeks to amend the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and the Delimitation Act, 2002. These Acts regulate allocation of seats to the Lok Sabha and state legislatures and delimitation of parliamentary or state assembly constituencies.
Key facts:

• This bill aims to empower the Election Commission of India to carry out delimitation in areas that were affected by the enactment of the Constitution (100th Amendment) Act, 2015.


• Under the 2015 Act, enclaves were exchanged between India & Bangladesh. India received 51 enclaves from Bangladesh and transferred 111 enclaves to Bangladesh in July 2015.


• The bill empowers ECI to amend the delimitation order for:


• (i) Include in the relevant constituencies the Bangladeshi enclaves that were transferred to India.


• (ii) Exclude of relevant constituencies in the Indian enclaves that were transferred to Bangladesh.


• The RPA, 1950 and Delimitation Act, 2002 provide the ECI the responsibility to maintain up-to-date delimitation orders. Delimitation orders specify the boundaries of territorial constituencies.

0

Shares

Lok Sabha passes Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016

Lok Sabha passed The Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Bill, 2015

The Lok Sabha passed The Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Bill, 2015. The Bill will allow doubling of wage ceiling for calculating bonus of factory workers.

The Bill seeks to amend the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965. The Bill 2015 was introduced in Lok Sabha on 7 December 2015.

Provisions of Bill

• It seeks to raise the eligibility limit for payment of bonus from a salary of 10000 rupees to 21000 rupees a month.

• It seeks to raise this calculation ceiling of bonus to 7000 rupees per month or as per the minimum wage notified for the employment under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 (whichever is higher).

• It seeks to mandate prior publication of rules made by the Union Government in the Official Gazette to allow for more public consultation.

• It will have retrospective effect and will come into force on 1 April 2015.

0

Shares

Lok Sabha passed The Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Bill, 2015

Lok Sabha passes Atomic Energy Bill, 2015

The Lok Sabha has unanimously passed Atomic Energy (Amendment) Bill,2015 by the voice vote. The bill seeks to amend the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 to facilitate and fast-track setting up of new nuclear projects in the country.

Key provisions of the Bill Redefines paid up share capital:

Expands the definition of paid up share capital in parent Act to include joint ventures (JV) of public sector undertakings (PSUs). Paid up share capital is the capital received by a company from the issue of shares. Government company is one in which at least 51 percent of the paid up share capital is held by the central government. The whole of the paid up share capital would be held by one or more PSUs and empowers the Union government to constitute its Board of Directors for such JV.
Licenses:

Henceforth it will only be granted to entities such as a government company or a department of the Union Government. Under the parent Act, license is required for acquisition, production, use, export & import of any plant designed for the production and development of atomic energy or research. License granted will be cancelled if it ceases to be a government company for (i) acquiring and using substances or minerals from which atomic energy can be obtained (ii) producing atomic energy.

0

Shares

Lok Sabha passes Atomic Energy Bill, 2015

Lok Sabha passes High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries & Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2015

Lok Sabha has passed High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries & Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2015 The Bill amends the Supreme Court Judges (Salaries & Conditions of Service) Act, 1958 and the High Court Judges (Salaries & Conditions of Service) Act, 1954.
Key features of Bill:

• The Bill aims at removing anomalies in pensionary benefits of High Court judges elevated from the bar. Seeks to bring uniformity and do away with the indiscrimination of salaries and pensions for judges elevated from the Bar Pension payable to HC judges: For the purpose of providing pension, a period of 10 years will be added from April 2004 to the service of a Judge.


• This provision would be applicable to a HC judge who has been an advocate of a HC for at least 10 years. Casual leave for SC & HC judges: The casual leave for SC and HC judges will be computed in a manner to be prescribed. The previous 1954 & 1958 Acts provided leave to judges on full allowances and half allowances respectively.


• Leave allowances of HC judges: Henceforth Judges would have the option of availing leave on partly full and partly half allowances or full allowances, half allowances specified in the 1954 and 1958 Acts. Joining time allowance for HC judges: Deletion of provision in 1954 Act that provides for an allowance at the rate of Rs.1110 per month instead of salary to HC judges in relation to joining time on his return from leave out of India.

0

Shares

Lok Sabha passes High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries & Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill, 2015

Parliament passes Delhi High Court Amendment Bill

Parliament has passed Delhi High-Court Amendment Bill 2015. Firstly it was passed in Rajya Sabha in May 2015 and later on 5 June 2015 it was passed in Lok Sabha by a voice vote. The Amendment Bill seeks to amend the Delhi High Court Act, 1966 in order to reduce workload of the Delhi High Court.
Key highlights of Bill:

• Increases pecuniary jurisdiction of Delhi high-court over suits above the value of 2 crore rupees from present 20 lakh rupees.


• Thus, it will reduce work load of Delhi High-Court in case of civil suits by transferring them to 9 district courts in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.


• Empowers the Chief Justice of the Delhi-High Court to transfer any pending suit to a relevant sub-ordinate court.

It should be noted that the pecuniary jurisdiction refers to the jurisdiction of a court over a suit based on the amount or value of its subject matter.

0

Shares

Parliament passes Delhi High Court Amendment Bill