Rajya Sabha: The monsoon session of the Parliament kicked off on Monday with Lok Sabha assembling first. The lower House paid tributes to former President Pranab Mukherjee, Congress MP H. Vasantha Kumar, Pandit Jasraj, and 13 former parliamentarians, who passed away recently.
The Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (Amendment) Bill, 2020, The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill, 2020, The Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020, and The Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020 have been introduced in the Rajya Sabha through voice vote. All the four Bills are already in force as Ordinances.
Union Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan moves motion for consideration of the Epidemic Diseases Amendment Bill 2020.
The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 was promulgated on April 22, 2020. The Ordinance amends the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. The Act provides for the prevention of the spread of dangerous epidemic diseases. The Ordinance amends the Act to include protections for healthcare personnel combatting epidemic diseases and expands the powers of the central government to prevent the spread of such diseases.