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SME Times News Bureau | 18 Jul, 2016
While the bill for the introduction of Goods and Services Tax across the country remains a priority, the Government has listed around a dozen bills pending introduction, consideration and passage during the Monsoon Session of parliament, starting on Monday.

Two bills are pending passage in the Lok Sabha, while seven bills are pending in the Rajya Sabha, including the GST Bill.

Here are the bills listed by the government:

*The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016 - The bill replaces an ordinance. It introduces a uniform entrance examination for all medical educational institutions for undergraduate and the postgraduate courses.

*The Dentists (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016 - The bill will replace an ordinance promulgated on May 24 to amend the Dentists Act, 1948. It seeks to introduce a uniform entrance examination for all dental colleges for the undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Bills pending in the Lok Sabha:

*The Indian Trust (Amendment) Bill, 2015 - The Lok Sabha has to pass this bill again with amendments made by the Rajya Sabha. The bill amends certain archaic provisions in the Act of 1882, which allows trusts to invest surplus income in certain categories/areas, including certain specified securities in the UK, Karachi and Rangoon.

*The Enforcement of Security Interest and Recovery of Debts Laws and Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment) Bill, 2016 - The bill is presently lying with a joint committee of parliament. It seeks to amend four laws -- Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 (SARFAESI), Recovery of Debts due to Banks and Financial Institutions Act, 1993 (RDDBFI), Indian Stamp Act of 1899 and Depositories Act of 1996.

Bills pending in the Rajya Sabha:

*The Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2015 - The bill was passed in the Lok Sabha in May 2015 even as opposition parties sought sending it to a parliamentary panel. The bill seeks to amend the Act to incorporate necessary provisions to strengthen safeguards against disclosures which may prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of the country and security of the state, among other things.

*The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2016 - The bill establishes the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund under the Public Account of India, and a State Compensatory Afforestation Fund under the Public Account of each state. It has been passed by the Lok Sabha.

*The Regional Centre for Biotechnology Bill, 2016 - The bill seeks to provide legislative backing to the regional centre after India entered into an agreement in 2006 with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) regarding establishment of the Regional Centre for Biotechnology Training and Education in India to serve the member-countries of UNESCO. It has been already passed by the Lok Sabha.

*The Goods and Services Tax Bill (The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-second Amendment) Bill, 2014) - Being pitched as the most important legislation for the session, this bill seeks to introduce Goods and Services Tax in India. The government has been talking to the opposition parties to get it through, after failing to take it through the Upper House in the previous sessions. It was passed by the Lok Sabha in May 2015.

*The Enemy Property (Amendment & Validation) Bill, 2016 - The bill seeks to amend the Enemy Property Act, 1968, to vest all rights, titles and interests over enemy property in the Custodian. The bill has been already passed by the Lok Sabha.

*The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2012 - The bill seeks to amend the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, and adds a new category of persons called "adolescent". An adolescent means a person between the age of 14 and 18. The bill seeks to prohibit employment of adolescents in hazardous occupations as specified, like mines and hazardous processes.

*The Homeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2015 - The Act establishes the Homoeopathy Central Council to regulate and enforce standards with regard to homoeopathy colleges and homoeopathy practitioners. The bill seeks to disallow admissions in homeopathy medical colleges which do not conform to the prescribed educational standards.

Bills for Introduction:

*The High Courts (Alteration of Names) Bill, 2016 - The bill facilitates change in the names of Bombay High Court as Mumbai High Court and Madras High Court as Chennai High Court' respectively.

*The Institute of Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2016 - The bill amends The Institutes of Technology Act, 1961, for incorporation of new IITs at Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), Palakkad (Kerala), Dharwar (Karnataka), Bhilai (Chhattisgarh), Goa, Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) and conversion of Indian School of Mines (ISM) at Dhanbad (Bihar) to an IIT under the law.

*The National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2016 - The bill includes NIT, Andhra Pradesh, in its First Schedule.

*The Use and regulation of DNA-based technology in Civil and Criminal Proceedings, Identification of Missing Persons and Human Remains Bill, 2016 - Regulates the use of DNA analysis of human body substances, profiles and establishes the DNA profiling board and a national DNA data bank.

Apart from these, the government has also listed discussion and voting on Supplementary Demands for Grants (General) for 2015-16.