Winter session 2021: Zero public consultation on 60% of bills to be tabled

The government has listed 29 bills to be passed during the winter session of Parliament from November 29. Of this number, 60% were not subject to any public consultation. Seventeen of the 29 bills have not received any public scrutiny or feedback before being listed for presentation in parliament.
According to the legislative program disclosed in the Lok Sabha newsletter, some key bills in the financial and business sector are due to be tabled this winter session. Many of these have not been subject to public scrutiny and comment under the 2014 Pre-Legislative Consultation Policy, including – Cryptocurrency and Currency Regulation Bill official digital, 2021, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Bill (Second Amendment), 2021, Banking Laws Bill (Amendment), 2021, Credit Union Regulatory and Development Authority Bill pension (amendment), 2021, the bill on energy saving (amendment), 2021, and the bill on chartered accountants, cost and work accountants and company secretaries (amendment).
The 2014 Pre-Legislative Consultation Policy requires departments to release bills in the public domain and solicit comments and contributions for a minimum period of 30 days.
Although the government shared 12 bills in the public domain for comment, six of the bills did not meet the thirty-day rule.
Of the 29 bills, six were open for consultation for 30 days, while six were for incomplete consultation (less than 30 days).
According to researchers Arun PS and Sushmita Patel, more than 76% of bills tabled between June 2014 and May 2019 were not subject to any consultation. Between June 2019 and November 2021, 73% of bills were not publicly consulted.