PRIVATE MEMBERS BILL
Context
- The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2021, moved by Member of Parliament KJ Alphons in the Upper House, seeks to replace the word “socialist” with “equitable” in the Preamble to the Constitution, among other changes.
MORE ABOUT NEWS
- The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2021 also suggests changing the words “equality of status and of opportunity” in the Preamble to “equality of status and of opportunity to be born, to be fed, to be educated, to get a job and to be treated with dignity”. It has proposed to add “access to information technology” in the objectives of the Preamble.
- Reason given by MP was that some of these (words) are just ideological slogans of the socialist era of the Russian model. Say for example the word ‘socialism’, it has lost most of its meaning and it is now linked to a political movement.
- The word ‘equitable’ would mean much more. It means equality in opportunities, equality of everything. Equitable is not a term with an ideological baggage.
ABOUT PRIVATE MEMBER BILL
PUBLIC BILL VS PRIVATE BILL (Ref – Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth)
| Public Bill | Private Bill |
| It is introduced in the Parliament by a minister | It is introduced by any member of Parliament other than a minister |
| It reflects of the policies of the government (ruling party) | Generally, if not always it reflects the stand of opposition party on public matter. |
| It has greater chance to be approved by the Parliament | It has lesser chance to be approved by the Parliament. |
| Its rejection by the House amounts to the expression of want of parliamentary
confidence in the government and may lead to its resignation. |
Its rejection by the House has no implication on the parliamentary confidence in the government or its resignation. |
| Its introduction in the House requires seven days’ notice | Its introduction in the House requires one month’s notice. |
| It is drafted by the concerned department in consultation with the law department. | Its drafting is the responsibility of the member
concerned. |
PREVIOUSLY INTRODUCED PRIVATE
- The last time both Houses passed a private member’s bill was in 1970.
- It was the Supreme Court (Enlargement of Criminal Appellate Jurisdiction) Bill of 1968.
- So far, 14 private member’s bills have become law, five of which were introduced in the Rajya Sabha. Other private member bills that have been signed into law include:
- The Lok Sabha passed the Proceedings of Legislature (Protection of Publication) Bill, 1956.
- The Lok Sabha introduced the Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 1964.
- In the Rajya Sabha, the Indian Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 1967 was introduced.