Lok Sabha today passed two bills- The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill 2022 and the Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022 – amid opposition protests over Manipur violence.
   
The bills were taken up for debate and passing after the Lok Sabha proceedings were completely washed out in the last three working days due to protests by the opposition which has been demanding a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the floor of the House.
   
The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill 2022 was introduced in the House on December 16, 2021 by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav. The bill would amend the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
   
The Bill was referred to a joint committee on December 20, 2021 due to concerns that the amendments favoured industry and contradicted the spirit of Convention on Biological Diversity.
   
The joint committee submitted its report to Parliament on 2nd of August, 2022 with the recommendation that the Bill be passed after the inclusion of their recommendations.
   
Several Members spoke on the advantages of the amendments to the bill and said its benefit includes aligning bio-diversity with the Companies Act.
   
The Minister said the bill is significant as the world is facing triple crisis of climate change, desertification and ecological imbalance. The legislation will simplify the compliance requirements for domestic companies.
   
Users of codified traditional knowledge and AYUSH practitioners will be exempted from sharing benefits with local communities.
   
The Bill removes research and bio-survey activities from the purview of benefit sharing requirements. Benefit sharing will be based on terms agreed between the user and the local management committee represented by the National Authority.
   
The term codified traditional knowledge has not been defined. A broad interpretation might exempt all local traditional knowledge from benefit sharing requirements.
   
The Bill removes the direct role of local communities in determining benefit sharing provisions. It decriminalises offences under the Act and instead provides for a wide range of penalties. The Bill empowers government officials to hold inquiries and determine penalties.
   
Later, the Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill 2022, which seeks to amend the law on multi-state cooperative societies and aims at strengthening the cooperatives by making them transparent and introducing a system of regular elections.
   
Piloting the Bill, Cooperation Minister Amit Shah said the provisions in the Bill will initiate a new era for the sector which has been ignored by the previous governments.
   
The Bill was later approved by the Lok Sabha amid din by voice vote after a short discussion during which only three members participated.
   
The Bill seeks to strengthen governance, reform the electoral process, improve the monitoring mechanism and ensure ease of doing business in multi-state co-operative societies.
   
The bill was introduced in the House on 7th of December last year. After opposition Members had alleged that the measure would encroach the rights of the state governments, it was referred to a Joint Committee of Parliament, with 21 Members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha.
   
The committee submitted its report in the second part of the Budget.
   
The legislation seeks to bring transparency and accountability in the sector and opposition members had demanded that it be referred to a standing committee for its review.
   
Immediately after the passage of the Bill, the House was adjourned for the day.
   
Earlier, as soon as the House met for the day, Opposition members sought to raise the Manipur issue and started shouting slogans.
   
Speaker Om Birla asked the protesting members not to indulge in sloganeering and requested them to go back to their seats.
   
While maintaining that there will be no solution to the issues by shouting slogans, Birla told them to allow the Question Hour as important matters are to be discussed.
   
As the protests continued, the proceedings were adjourned for around three minutes.
   
When the House met at 2 PM, the protests by the opposition Members continued till the adjournment of the House till 5 PM.
   
The Manipur violence rocked the proceedings in both the Houses ever since the Monsoon session began on July 20 with the opposition demanding a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a discussion on the situation in the strife-torn north-eastern state.
   
The session commenced a day after a video clip purportedly shot on 4th of May showing two women being paraded naked by a mob in a Manipur village went viral triggering a nation-wide outrage.
   
The Manipur Police has arrested several accused who were seen in the video. The police said a case of abduction, gang rape and murder has been registered at the Nongpok Sekmai police station in Thoubal district against unidentified armed miscreants. 
   
While replying to the debate, Home Minister Amit Shah said he has written to leaders of opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha that the government is ready for discussion on the Manipur issue.
   
The minister said the government has nothing to hide, and is ready to discuss the Manipur issue.
   
"People who are shouting slogans are neither interested in cooperation nor in cooperatives, neither in Dalits nor in women welfare," he said amid sloganeering by opposition members.
   
Minister said "I want to reiterate that I have written letters to leaders of opposition in both the Houses and the government is prepared for a discussion for as long as they want. The government is not afraid of anything. Those who want to debate the Manipur issue can debate. We have nothing to hide," Shah said.
   
He said the people of the country are watching what is happening in parliament. "People of the country are watching you, you have to go for elections, beware of the anger of the people. I request you to create a conducive atmosphere to discuss a sensitive issue like Manipur," he added.
 
PROCEEDINGS IN RAJYA SABHA 
 
The fourth day of the Monsoon session of the Rajya Sabha continued to witness stormy scenes with the opposition demanding suspension of business in the Zero Hour and Question Hour for discussion on the situation in Manipur, including the incident of gang rape of two women in the state.
   
The day also witnessed the passage of The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (5th Amendment) Bill 2022 that seeks to include some tribes and communities in the list of Scheduled Tribes in the state of Chhattisgarh. The Bill was approved by the Upper House amidst a walkout by the Congress and several opposition parties in protest against nonacceptance of their demand for a discussion on the situation in Manipur under Rule 267 of the rules and procedures of the House.
   
With the passage in the Rajya Sabha, the bill has been approved by Parliament.
   
The proceedings of the House began with the Aam Aadmi party protesting against the suspension of its member Sanjay Singh for the rest of the Monsoon session.
   
Raising a point of order, Raghav Chaddha said that when the Leader of the House moved a motion yesterday for the suspension of Sanjay Singh, he had asked for a division on the motion but the motion was passed without consideration of his demand.
 
Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said Raghav Chaddha's point of order is not admissible.
   
After the laying of papers, the Chairman said he had received 51 notices from various members under Rule 267 for discussion on the situation in Manipur.
   
He said he has received notice from Abdul Wahab of the Indian Union Muslim League for discussion on Gyanwapi mosque.
   
The Chairman said that after going through the notices,  he had decided not to admit them as notices under Rule 176 for a discussion on the situation on Manipur had already been admitted by him and the government has agreed to a discussion on the issue under Rule 176.
 The Chairman said that three notices have been received under Rule 176 for discussion on atrocities against women in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
   
Leader of the House Piyush Goyal said that Chairman should also admit notices for discussion on atrocities against women in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
   
P. Chidambaram of Congress said that the Chairman should admit the notices for discussion under Rule 267 for a discussion on the situation in Manipur.
   
Later the opposition members raised uproar in the house on their demand for a discussion on Manipur.
   
Amid the uproar, the Chairman adjourned the House till Noon.
   
When the House resumed, Chairman called for the Question Hour. However, amid the uproar by the opposition, nothing could be heard.
   
Amid noise Minister of State for Health Bharti Pravin Pawar and Minister of State for Finance, Bhagwat Karad replied to questions on their respective Ministries.
   
With the uproar persisting, the Chairman allowed the Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to speak.
   
Mr Kharge said that when 50 members of the House have submitted notices under Rule 267 for a discussion on the situation in Manipur, the discussion should be allowed.
   
Responding to this, Leader of the House Piyush Goyal, however, stood up to State that discussion on atrocities against women in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh be also allowed.
   
“The government is ready for discussion on the notices of the atrocities against women and children in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. All over the country, if there is a crime against women, the Government is ready for discussion. We should have discussions on these issues, 'he said.
   
With the logjam on the issue persisting, the Chairman adjourned the House till 2 PM.
   
When the House resumed, Deputy Chairman Harivansh called on Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda to move for consideration the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Fifth Amendment) Bill 2022.
   
Amid uproar, Arjun Munda moved for consideration the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Fifth Amendment) Bill 2022.
 Initiating a debate on the Bill, Niranjan Bishi of the Biju Janata Dal said that the Bill is an effective instrument for empowerment of trials.
   
Ryaga Krishnaiah of the YSR Congress Party also spoke in support of the Bill. Samir Oraon of the BJP said that the Government has undertaken efforts to bring tribal communities into the mainstream.
   
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made efforts to increase employment opportunities for members of the tribal communities.
   
Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said that his party was fully in support of the Bill. At the same time, he reiterated his demand for a discussion on the situation in Manipur.  However, the Deputy Chairman said that any statement on a subject other than that related to the Bill would not be allowed.
   
K Ravindra Kumar of the TDP also supported the Bill.
 Saroj Pandey of the BJP said that the NDA government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have taken steps for the empowerment of the tribal community.
   
She also expressed concern on the large scale conversion of the members of the tribal communities in Chhattisgarh.
   
Kirodi Lal Meena of the BJP said the Bill is a step towards giving the tribal communities in Chhattisgarh their due.
   
He said that under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state has witnessed large scale development.
   
Anil Aggarwal of the BJP said that the Narendra Modi government has taken several steps to bring members of the tribal communities in the mainstream of the society.
   
The Congress and other opposition parties walked out of the House in protest against non-acceptance of the demand of Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge for a discussion on the situation in Manipur under Rule 267.
   
Speaking on the Bill, Rakesh Sinha of the BJP said it was a matter of concern that Congress and other opposition parties are not participating in the debate on the Bill.
 
He said that the NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken steps for empowerment of the tribal community.
 This, he said, is evident from the fact that the country has witnessed a person from the community being elevated to the post of the President.
 Sasmit Patra of the BJD also welcomed the Bill saying it is a step in the right direction.
   
Minister of State for Social justice and empowerment Ramdas Athawale said that the interests of the tribal community had been ignored during the Rule of the Congress whereas Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken steps for empowerment of the community.
   
Replying to the debate on the Bill, Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda said that the Bill is an effort to bring justice to members of the Scheduled Tribes who have till now been devoid of benefits of reservation.
   
He said that under the rule of the NDA government, steps have been taken for empowerment of the members of the community.
 'The Bill is a step in this direction, 'he said.
   
He said that the Narendra Modi government has been working since the last nine years to make lives better for the common man.
   
Later the Bill was passed by a voice vote.
   
The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Fifth Amendment) Bill 2022 seeks to include some tribes and communities in the list of Scheduled Tribes in the state of Chhattisgarh.
 
It amends the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, with respect to its application to Chhattisgarh. The Order lists the tribal communities deemed to be Scheduled Tribes in states and union territories. 
 
The Bill includes the Dhanuhar, Dhanuwar, Kisan, Saunra, Saonra, and Binjhia communities in the list of Scheduled Tribes in Chhattisgarh. It includes Bhuinya, Bhuiyan, and Bhuyan communities as synonyms of the Bharia Bhumia community.  It also includes three Devanagari versions of the name of the Pando community.
   
Further, the Bill substitutes names of certain tribal communities in the Constitution Order, with corresponding names in the Hindi version of the Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000.  For instance, the names of Oraon, Dhanka, and Dhangad communities will be substituted
 after the passage of the Bill. Later the House was adjourned for the day.