No Question Hour, Private Members' Business During 5-Day Special Parliamentary Session From Sep 18-22

The Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha secretariats have confirmed that the forthcoming parliamentary session, scheduled from September 18 - 22, will exclude both the Question Hour and private members' business.

An official notification on Saturday from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats announced that the forthcoming Parliament session, scheduled for September 18-22, will not include the Question Hour or private members' business.

The session will consist of five sittings, with members to receive a provisional calendar separately. The announcement was made in a bulletin by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, indicating the commencement of the Thirteenth Session of the Seventeenth Lok Sabha on September 18.

"Members are hereby notified that the Thirteenth Session of the Seventeenth Lok Sabha will begin on Monday, September 18th, 2023," the Lok Sabha Secretariat said in a bulletin on Saturday.

"Members are hereby informed that the Two Hundred and Sixty-First Session of the Rajya Sabha will begin on Monday, September 18th, 2023," said the Rajya Sabha secretariat.

On Thursday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi announced a "special session" of Parliament for five days beginning September 18, but kept the agenda secret, sparking speculation.

"Amidst Amrit Kaal, I am looking forward to having fruitful discussions and debate in Parliament," Joshi said on X.

The Constitution does not define a 'special session'. The term sometimes refers to sessions the government has convened for specific occasions, like commemorating parliamentary or national milestones.

In general, three parliamentary sessions are held each year: Budget, Monsoon, and Winter.

The winter session of Parliament usually begins in the last week of November.

President Droupadi Murmu Calls Both Houses To Meet On September 18

President Droupadi Murmu has issued a summons for both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha to convene on September 18, marking the commencement of the five-sitting long Special Session of Parliament. The notification, addressed separately to both Houses, invoked the powers vested in the President by "Article 85(1) of the Constitution, scheduling the session to convene in New Delhi at 11:00 A.M. on Monday, September 18, 2023."

The "special session" could see parliamentary operations relocated to the new Parliament building, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated on May 28, news agency PTI reported citing sources. 

A day later, the government announced the formation of a high-level committee to investigate and recommend simultaneous elections, fueling speculation that the special session would be the last of the current Lok Sabha.

Arrangements for a group photo of MPs have added fuel to the fire, though some have speculated that this could be due to a possible shift to the new parliament building, the report said.