Various arrangements are being made in order to ensure compliance with the social distancing norms under the corona virus-induced restrictions.

Preparations underway for monsoon session

“The work is in progress at a fast pace for ensuring several additional installations in prescribed time like four large display screens in the chamber of the house. Another six small screens in four galleries of House, audio consoles in galleries, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, special cables connecting two Houses for transmission of audio-visual signals, polycarbonate sheet separating the official gallery from the chamber of the House are being put in place,” said Rajya Sabha Secretariat.

“All these arrangements mark the first of its kind session to be held in compliance with the social distancing norm under the corona virus-induced restrictions. Using the chambers and the galleries of both the Houses for holding the session being the major first of its kind in the history of Indian Parliament since 1952,” it added.

All these arrangements mark the first of its kind session to be held in compliance with the social distancing norm under the #coronavirus induced restrictions: Rajya Sabha Secretariat

— ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2020

Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at a meeting on July 17, after a detailed examination of options for holding Monsoon Session decided on using chambers and galleries of both Houses for enabling the session under prevailing restrictions. Subsequently, senior officials of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat held detailed discussions with all concerned agencies and firmed up the special arrangements to be made and they are being worked upon.

Seating arrangement

As per the arrangements firmed up, the Rajya Sabha chamber and galleries and Lok Sabha chamber will be used for seating the members of the House during the monsoon session. This includes 60 members in the chamber and 51 in the galleries of Rajya Sabha (leaving out the first row) as per the social distancing norm and the remaining 132 (including by-polls for two seats) in the chamber of Lok Sabha.

According to Rajya Sabha Secretariat, various parties will be allotted seats in the chamber and galleries of Rajya Sabha based on respective strength and the remaining will be seated in the chamber of Lok Sabha in two blocks meant for ruling parties and the others.

In the Rajya Sabha chamber, seats will be earmarked for the Prime Minister, Leader of the House, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) and leaders of other parties. Former Prime Ministers and former Leaders of the House Dr Manmohan Singh and H.D.Deve Gowda besides Ramvilas Paswan and Ramdas Atshawale, being Ministers and members of the House will also have earmarked seats in the chamber of the House. Other ministers will be seated in the seats meant for the ruling party.

10 big screens, cables for transmission of audio-visual signals

Four large display screens of 85″ size each in the chamber and another six of 40″ size each in the four galleries of the House are being installed to enable members to watch the proceedings of the House conveniently.

All the seats in the galleries are being fitted with consoles to enable participation of members in the proceedings of the House from their seats. Placards will indicate the parties accommodated in each gallery of the Rajya Sabha.

Special cables are being laid connecting the two Houses of Parliament for transmitting audio-visual signals of the proceedings both ways without any time lag to enable real-time participation of members seated in the two Houses.

Seating in the Officials Gallery and Press Gallery will also be in conformity with social distancing norm, each accommodating 15. Only limited number of secretariat officials will be seated at the table of the House and the reporters (for taking verbatim note of proceedings of the House) will be accommodated in the special box meant for foreign dignitaries.

The three interpretation booths of Rajya Sabha will be integrated with audio systems for simultaneous interpretation for the benefit of the members seated in both the Houses.

RSTV and LSTV, through their existing arrangements in both the Houses, will enable live telecast of the proceedings of the two Houses besides displaying the proceedings of each of the Houses on the screens in the other House.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M.Venkaiah Naidu also directed the secretariat officials to minimize the need for the members to physically handle various papers by ensuring necessary arrangements.

The budget session of Parliament started on January 31 and continued till February 11. After the break, it commenced on March 2 for its second leg and was scheduled to end on April 3. However, it was adjourned sine die on March 23 due to COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Monsoon session of Parliament has already been delayed.