Politics

The main political events of 2023, in numbers

By - 12 Jan 2024 03:17 AM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the new Parliament building on May 28. The Lok Sabh

However, in terms of Parliament's operations, the year was still turbulent. It started with the chaotic Budget Session, which saw the second-lowest amount of time this government has ever spent in office. Though the Monsoon and Winter Sessions saw some of the most Bills passed since 2019, the productivity of the next two regular Sessions of Parliament suffered as well. However, there were constant interruptions during each session, and many important and divisive bills were passed with little to no debate.

The government called a Special Session in September and unveiled the women's reservation bill, which aimed to give women 33% of the seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, shocking the electorate ahead of the Assembly poll. During this session, the Bill was approved by both Houses.a chamber now has 888 seats, up from 543 in the previous building. Additionally, the Rajya Sabha chamber's capacity was increased from 250 to 384 seats. Although the precise amount has not been disclosed, the construction is thought to have cost around Rs 1,200 crore.

However, because the PM was launching the Parliament and ""sidelining"" President Droupadi Murmu, the legitimate head of state, twenty opposition parties, representing 242 MPs in both Houses, boycotted the inauguration."