Among the Bills that have now lapsed is The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. Among the Bills that have now lapsed is The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

With Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die on Wednesday, all Bills that have been passed by Lok Sabha but not by Rajya Sabha have lapsed. For any of these Bills to be revived, and for it to progress, it will have to be introduced afresh on a future date after the 17th Lok Sabha assembles after the general elections of April-May. The term of the 16th Lok Sabha ends on June 3.

The lapsing of these Bills is in accordance with the rules regarding Bills that have already been passed by Lok Sabha. The relevant provision in the Legislative Procedure in the Rajya Sabha says: “A Bill pending in Rajya Sabha which has not been passed by Lok Sabha does not lapse on the dissolution of Lok Sabha but a Bill which is passed by Lok Sabha and is pending in Rajya Sabha lapses on the dissolution of Lok Sabha.” (Procedure regarding Bills originating in Lok Sabha and transmitted to Rajya Sabha: Provision regarding lapsing of Bills.

Among the Bills that have now lapsed is The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

What is Citizenship (Amendment) Bill?

The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on July 19, 2016. It was referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee on August 12, 2016. The Committee submitted its report on January 7, 2019, and the Bill was passed in Lok Sabha on January 8 this year. It was listed for introduction in Rajya Sabha today (February 13).

The Bill seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 to make Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian illegal migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan eligible for Indian citizenship. The Bill also relaxes the eligibility criteria for citizenship by naturalisation for individuals of these six non-Muslim religions from these 3 countries by cutting the requirement of residence in India to just 6 years out of the previous 14 from the 11 years required currently. BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have spoken of this Bill as righting the wrongs of history by granting refuge to the sons and daughters of “Ma Bharti”, who were left stranded by the Partition of colonial India.

Among the residents of Northeastern states, however, the prospect of citizenship for massive numbers of illegal Bangladeshi migrants has triggered deep anxieties, including fears of demographic change, loss of livelihood opportunities, and erosion of the indigenous culture. Almost the entire Northeast has been wracked by massive protests for more than a month.

Triple talaq, Aadhaar — other Bills that lapsed

A number of other Bills, too, have lapsed. Among them are Bills that have been passed by Lok Sabha (such as The Citizenship Amendment Bill), and were pending in Rajya Sabha, and those that were pending in Lok Sabha. Some examples:

In the first category are Bills such as:

* The Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2018, which was introduced on January 2, 2019, and passed by Lok Sabha on January 4, 2019

* The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2018, which was introducd on December 20, 2018, and passed by Lok Sabha on January 4, 2019

* The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018, which was introduced on December 17, 2018, and passed by Lok Sabha on December 27, 2018

* The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2018, which was introduced on August 9, 2018, and passed by Lok Sabha on January 8, 2019

* The Consumer Protection Bill, 2018, which was introduced on January 5, 2018 and passed by Lok Sabha on December 20, 2018

* The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016, which was introduced on August 2, 2016, and passed by Lok Sabha on December 17, 2018

* The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill, 2015, which was introduced on February 24, 2015, and passed by Lok Sabha on March 10, 2015

* The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which was introduced on August 9, 2016, and passed by Lok Sabha on April 10, 2017. The Rajya Sabha Select Committee submitted its report on December 22, 2017

In the second category of lapsed Bills (which were pending in Lok Sabha) include: * The Code on Wages, 2017, which was introduced in Lok Sabha on August 10, 2017; the Standing Committee submitted its report on December 18, 2018 * The Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2017, which was introduced in Lok Sabha on March 14, 2017; the Standing Committee submitted its report on August 10, 2017 * The Dam Safety Bill, 2018, which was introduced in Lok Sabha on December 12, 2018.

— Information on all Bills courtesy PRS Legislative Research

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