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Do Odisha really need a Legislative Council?

India’s transition from unicameral (एकसदनी) to bicameral (द्विसदन) legislature started under the Government of India Act, 1919, which established the council of state—now the Rajya Sabha—in 1921.
The Montague-Chelmsford report, which envisaged formation of the Upper House at the Centre also proposed Upper Houses in provinces, not for legislative purposes but to pass legislation delayed or thwarted by the Lower House.
Apprehensions about the Upper House in provinces go well back to the reforms of 1919.
It was feared to be represented mainly by landed and moneyed interests and cause delay in passing legislation.
The Simon Commission in 1927, citing complexity and expenditure, was divided about its feasibility.
Its role, according to the commission, was of reviewing Bills and endorsing the governor’s exercise of special powers.
By a white paper, a joint select committee and later the Government of India Bill, 1935, the British Raj established Upper Houses in Bengal, the United Provinces, Bihar, Bombay, Madras and Assam in the middle of 1937.
The Constituent Assembly debate on Article 148 (now Article 169), which dealt with bicameral legislatures on 6 January 1949, sheds light on what the makers of the Constitution thought about legislative councils and also on the case of Odisha.
K.T. Shah
“reactionary and non-elected body” which ends up deflecting the legislative machinery • “champions of vested interests”
“party bosses in distributing patronage” and are a costly affair
Biswanath Das
“ornamental” Upper House
Ornaments have some value but appendages like the Upper House must be thrown out.
Kuladhar Chaliha
“force of tradition”
K. Hanumanthaiya
in a party system, any number of houses will not prevent hasty passing of Bills once the party having the majority has decided on it.
Renuka Ray
Since there already is a governor in the state who can send back Bills for reconsideration, there is no reason for haste being a criterion to establish a bicameral legislature.
The only member arguing for a second house for Madras, L.

Krishnaswami Bharati

stressed that the experience of the Constituent Assembly has shown that some time “elapse” in legislation may after all be warranted.
B.R. Ambedkar
stated that the Constitution was going ahead with Upper House for states purely on an experimental basis and thus it was not given a permanent place and there was a provision to get rid of it.
Odisha government’s decision: to create a legislative council
Specifications:

➢Its going to have 49 members

➢An annual budget of ₹35 crore

Now this raises questions regarding the need for a bicameral legislature in states where the function of the rather toothless Upper House has been envisaged largely as checking haste in passing of Bills by the Lower House.
The arguments cited in favour of Legislative Councils range from their track record of sincere work, relevant amendments brought, nonconfrontational attitude vis-à-vis legislative assembly, decorum and restraint in proceedings and drawing attention of both government and public to matters of public interest.
However, their merit must be gauged with respect to their objectives. On the question of haste, we should ask what stops legislative assemblies from adopting ways and means for deeper analysis and vetting of Bills.
Gradual reduction in time for which assemblies sit is incongruent with their plea for establishing a “revising chamber”

. • History shows us that the arguments against an Upper House for states have remained the same for the last 100 years.

An intense and detailed study of Legislative Councils and their role in enriching the process of legislation needs to be undertaken and analysed.
Over a cup of coffee during breakfast, one of the US’ founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, was protesting strongly against the idea of a second chamber, the US Senate, to George Washington. Suddenly Washington asked: “Why, Mr Jefferson, why are you pouring the coffee into your saucer?” Jefferson replied: “To cool it!”
Commenting on the limited role of Upper Houses during the Constituent Assembly debate, Hanumanthaiya remarked on the Jefferson incident that the temperature of the coffee was neither determined by the cup nor by the saucer but by the pot holding it.
The pot being the ruling party. Odisha and other states need to think whether the saucer is really required.

President: India-Cyprus

India and Cyprus have signed two MoUs on financial intelligence and in the field of environment.
The MoUs were signed between the two countries after delegation level talks in Nicosia.
India and Cyprus agreed for the revision in the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement made in 2016 to further enhance investment partnership to grow by strengthening the institutional framework to facilitate investment cross flows. In his address after holding discussion with the President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades President Ram Nath Kovind, said that both the countries have agreed to enhance business collaboration in the field of IT and IT enabled services, tourism, shipping and renewable energy.

– • Mr Kovind expressed concern over the threat of terrorism.
The President also addressed an extra ordinary session of the House of Representatives of Cyprus.
Mr Kovind said that there is a great potential of cooperation between India and Cyprus in the field of renewable energy.
He invited Cyprus to become a part of International Solar alliance.
Relations between India and Cyprus have been traditionally very close and friendly. Archbishop Makarios had the highest respect for Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and was deeply appreciative of the support rendered by India to the independence struggle of Cyprus against the British colonial rule

. • After the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, India gave unstinted support to Cyprus’ successful efforts to gain international recognition for the Government of Nicosia, as the sole legal representative of the whole of Cyprus.

India supports the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Cyprus.
India has consistently and unwaveringly supported a peaceful resolution of the Cyprus problem in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. India supports the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Cyprus

President: India-Bulgaria

After concluding his Cyprus visit, President Ram Nath Kovind has reached Bulgaria on the second leg of his three-nation visit.
In the Bulgarian capital Sofia, he will meet a business delegation.
Our correspondent covering the President’s visit reports that Mr Kovind will also have an Indian community reception in Sofia today.
Situated on the cusp of Asia and Europe, Indo Bulgarian ties go back centuries.
Bulgarian revolutionary Georgy Rakovsky had supported 1857 revolt against the British. Yoga, Indology and Indian films are quite popular in Bulgaria.
In modern times too this historic warmth of relations between the two countries has been carried forward.
There exists a huge potential for strngthening of trade and investment and people to people ties which the current visit of the President will seek to realise.
Earlier, addressing a gathering of students, teachers and dignitaries at the Cyprus University in Nicosia today, the President said that technologies like artificial intelligence, life sciences and energy management will open new avenues of employment for the youth.
The President also unveiled a bust of Gurudev Ravindra Nath Tagore inside the Cyprus University campus.

Health Minister

India has fast-tracked several initiatives aimed at achieving all the core tenets of universal health coverage.
These include strengthening health systems, improving access to free medicines and diagnostics and reducing healthcare spending.
Health Minister J P Nadda inaugurating the 71st Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia in New Delhi today said that the country has recently launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya scheme.
He said, under the scheme the Centre is reaching out to around 40 percent of country’s population covering 10 crore families, which will be provided an insurance cover of five lakh rupees per family to cover secondary and tertiary health-care.

NITI Aayog

NITI Aayog Chief Executive Officer Amitabh Kant has said India will shortly unveil a One Nation-One Card policy for public transport that will entail connectivity between various modes of transport.
Addressing a function on Future Mobility Summit-2018 in New Delhi, Mr Kant said, a robust transportation sector is the backbone for the development of any economy.
He said, the road transportation segment alone contributes to around 4% of country’s GDP.

PMO

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called upon teachers to work towards bringing out the inherent strength of students, especially those from poor and rural areas.
He was interacting with the winners of National Teachers’ Awards, 2017 at his official residence this evening on the eve of Teachers’ Day.
Mr Modi said that educators should work towards removing disconnect between teachers and students.
The Prime Minister also encouraged the teachers to digitally transform their schools and neighbourhoods.
Mr Modi congratulated the awardees for their efforts in improving the quality of education in the country. • He commended their dedication towards spreading education

. • The Prime Minister said that a teacher remains a teacher throughout life.

Ministry of Defence

Indo-Kazakhstan Joint Army Exercise ‘KAZIND’ will be conducted between the Indian and Kazakhstan Army from 10 to 23 Sep 2018 in Otar region, Kazakhstan.
This is the third joint military exercise between the two countries which have a history of extensive cooperation in the defence arena.
The second edition of the exercise was held in India last year.
The aim of the exercise is to build and promote bilateral Army to Army relations and exchange skills and experiences between Kazakhstan Army and the Indian Army.
The exercise will also serve as a platform for exchange of drills and procedures.
The fourteen days exercise with the Kazakhstan Army will follow a graduated continuum from orientation to a full scale mock exercise; the aim being to achieve optimum integration among the two contingents through enhanced mutual comprehension of each other’s tactics, techniques and procedures.
The vast experience and expertise of Indian troops in counter insurgency operations holds special importance to the Kazakhstan Army.
The conduct of the joint exercise will set the stage for greater defence cooperation and consequently will manifest in stronger ties between the two great nations.