The Parliaments Winter Session on Day 8 is expected to witness some significant pursuits in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, as Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be introducing the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 in Rajya Sabha today. The bill was earlier passed in the Lok Sabha.Winter Session of Parliament | Union Home Minister Amit Shah will introduce the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 in Rajya Sabha today afternoon.— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2023In addition to this, the Standing Committee on Water Resources reports and Guman Singh Damors Demands for Grants (2023–24) from the Ministry of Jal Shakti - Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation – are anticipated to be presented before the house.About Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023This bill seeks to amend the existing Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004. The proposed changes include extending the reservation benefits to certain categories of people who were previously excluded.About Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023This bill proposes amendments to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. It includes provisions for holding elections to the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and establishing a Delimitation Commission to redraw the electoral boundaries.It is to be noted here that these bills were passed by the Lok Sabha on December 6, 2023 and are likely to face debate and discussion in the Rajya Sabha before being voted upon.The introduction of these bills comes amid ongoing efforts by the government to integrate Jammu and Kashmir into the Indian Union after the abrogation of its special status under Article 370 in 2019. The bills are likely to be met with mixed reactions, with some welcoming them as a step towards normalcy and others criticising them as an attempt to further dilute the autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir.Other than this, the Supreme Courts Constitution bench will also rule on a number of petitions that contest the repeal of Article 370 and the division of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories on Monday.The decision will be made by a five-judge constitution panel that includes Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, and Surya Kant.
