Private Member Bill
( UPSC Prelims)
News Context
About: An MP who is not a Minister, whether elected or nominated, is referred to as a Private Member. A bill proposed by such a Member is termed a Private Member's Bill (PMB). The responsibility for drafting this type of bill lies with the Member who introduces it.
Mechanism: A notice period of one month is required before the bill's introduction, with the approval of the Speaker (Lok Sabha) or Chairman (Rajya Sabha). If the bill is selected, then:
○ The Lok Sabha allocates the last two-and-a-half hours of business every Friday for the bill's consideration and discussion.
○ The Rajya Sabha designates two and a half hours (from 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.) on every alternate Friday for this purpose.
○ The first private member bill to be passed was the Muslim Wakfs Bill, 1952, introduced by Syed Mohammed Ahmad Kasmi.
○ To date, only 14 private member bills have become law, with the last one being passed in 1970.