Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die: What does it mean?

Indian Parliament's budget session ended a day early on Friday (Aug 9), drawing criticism from the Opposition as theyaccused the government of being "skittish" and cutting the session short because they were "out-debated on every issue."

Originally, the session, which began on July 22, was supposed to run until August 12. However, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla adjourned the lower house of the Indian parliamentsine die on August 11, following the earlier adjournment of the Rajya Sabha (upper house of the Indian parliament).

In the session, the Finance Bill was approved. Additionally, a bill aimed at amending the Waqf Amendment law was introduced and sent to a joint committee of Parliament.

What is adjourned sine die?

Adjournment sine die refers to suspending a session of Parliament without setting a specific date to reconvene. It occurs when the presiding officers of the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha adjourn the House without mentioning when it will meet again.

Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, expressed gratitude to the chairmen of both Houses.

"After many years, neither the Budget session nor the entire Parliament session was washed out even for a single day, and we saw very good business transactions in both Houses along with active participation from the members. On behalf of all the members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, and the government, I want to thank the chairpersons of both Houses for their great help in running the Houses," Rijiju said at a press conference.

Lok Sabha SpeakerBirla revealed that Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget for 2024-2025 in the House on July 23. The general discussion on the budget lasted 27 hours and 19 minutes, with 181 Members taking part. On July 30, the finance minister responded to the debate, the Lok Sabha speakermentioned.

Birla also noted that 12government Bills were introduced during the session, and four of them were passed. The approved bills are:The Finance Bill, 2024, The Appropriation Bill, 2024, The Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation Bill, 2024, and The Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024. Birla mentioned that the House's productivity exceeded 130 per cent.

(With inputs from agencies)