In a landmark decision, the Rajya Sabha has decided to do away with the old convention of adjournment of the House for the day if a sitting member passes away during the inter-session period.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari accepted the recommendations of the General Purposes Committee in this regard. The convention of adjourning the proceedings for the day if a sitting member dies during session will, however, continue.
The Committee had recommended that “in the case of death of a sitting member of the Rajya Sabha during inter-session period, the present practice of adjourning the House for the full day on the first day of its assembly, may be done away with and instead the House may be adjourned after making the obituary reference for an hour as a mark of respect in memory of the departed”. It had met on May 3 to decide on the new procedure.
According to the revised procedure, in the case of the death of a Minister who was not a member of the Rajya Sabha, the House would be adjourned for the day if the death took place in Delhi to allow members to participate in the funeral or sending of the body from Delhi.