(Image source from: indiatoday)

The question hour has been canceled and the zero hour has been cut down to half which has upset the opposition.

The 18-day monsoon session of the parliament has begun today with never before precautions against the coronavirus. The unprecedented changes include staggered sitting in both the houses and social distancing between MP’s and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

PM Modi delivered a strong message on the India China standoff. The resolution for no question hour was passed this morning. The zero hour will be used to question the government.

Here are the 10 points on the monsoon assembly session you must know:

• The government on Sunday said that an all-party meeting was not held this time because of the coronavirus outbreak. There will be four-hour sittings in this 18-day session and the parliament will function seven days a week.
• The Rajya Sabha will function from 9 am to 1 pm and the Lok Sabha will function from 3 pm to 7 pm. However, today both the houses will meet in the morning session.
• In place of the question hour, only written questions and answers will be allowed and this decision has hugely upset the opposition.
• There will be 11 bills replacing a stack of ordinances issued since March when the parliament was deferred in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
• The bills that will replace the ordinances include the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce which is a promotion and facilitation bill, an essential commodities amendment bill, one bill on taxation and salaries, and the other on the regulation of support prices.
• The new bills that are introduced in this session include three bills on labor laws that are related to provident fund, insurance, maternity benefits, industrial disputes, trade unions and others.
• This is the first monsoon session amid the coronavirus pandemic and huge safety measures are being taken at the Parliament building complex.
• The MP’s will be seated in a sporadic manner in the chambers of both the houses and also the galleries to ensure social distancing.
• A mobile app has been introduced to register the attendance on the MP’s. The seats are separated by poly carbon sheets.
• At least 7 Union Ministers have already contracted COVID-19 and around 24 lawmakers are recovering from the deadly virus. An MP and some of the MLA’s have succumbed to the virus.
• Around 200 of the 785 MP’s are over 65 years of age who come under the vulnerable group.
• All the members are required to get a negative COVID-19 report and one of them had tested positive today.
• Union Minister Amit Shah who had recently recovered from the coronavirus has been admitted to AIIMS for a medical checkup ahead of the parliament session.
• Congress President Sonia Gandhi will not be attending the parliament session as she left for abroad for her medical checkup. Rahul Gandhi also went with her and is expected to return in a few days.

By Gayatri Yellayi