Parliament Winter Session: Lok Sabha members attending the Winter Session of Parliament will be able to mark their attendance using a digital pen on an electronic tab. Electronic tabs will be kept at four counters in the lobby of the Lok Sabha chamber as part of Speaker Om Birla’s initiative to make Parliament paperless, the Lok Sabha Secretariat said.

“Physical attendance registers will continue to be kept at the counters. However, members are advised to use the tab as a preferred choice and help make Parliament paperless,” the Secretariat said.

How Will The New System Work?

MPs would have to first select their names from the drop-down menu on the tab, affix their signatures with the help of the digital pen, and press the ‘submit’ button to register their attendance. A team of engineers from the National Informatics Centre will be deployed at each counter for technical assistance. Members have to mark their attendance in the register to avail of their daily allowance when Parliament is in session. Earlier, Lok Sabha members marked their attendance using a mobile app.

The opposition is seeking to corner the government on several issues, including Gautam Adani’s indictment in the US, Manipur violence, price rise, air pollution and train derailment incidents. During an all-party meeting convened by the government,  the opposition on Sunday asked the Centre to allow discussions in the Parliament on the US prosecutors’ bribery charges against the Adani Group, even as Union minister Kiren Rijiju made it clear that the matters to be taken up in the two Houses will be decided by authorised committees with the consent of the Chair.

The government has listed 16 bills for consideration during the session, including the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, the Coastal Shipping Bill, the Indian Ports Bill, and the Merchant Shipping Bill, aimed at fulfilling India’s maritime treaty obligations, news agency PTI reported. Other significant items include: Punjab Courts (Amendment) Bill: To enhance the monetary jurisdiction of Delhi district courts from ₹3 lahks to ₹20 lahks and First Batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants (2024-25): Presentation, discussion, and voting.