New Delhi : The winter session of Parliament that started on November 29, ended on Wednesday, a day before its scheduled conclusion on December 23. This will be the fifth time in a row when a Parliament session got adjourned sine die ahead of schedule. Earlier the 2020 budget session that was wrapped up 13 days ahead of schedule. The winter session of 2020 and this year’s budget as well as monsoon sessions also faced early closure due to Covid-19. Parliament will now convene in the last week of January to present the budget.

As the winter session of Parliament entered its final phase, several bills were introduced in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha amid opposition protests. The Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was passed by Parliament. Opposition groups called for a boycott of the assembly. However, the bill was passed by a voice vote in Parliament. It was approved by the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday and the Lok Sabha a day ago.

The bill proposes linking electoral rolls to the Aadhaar database on a voluntary basis and make the language of India’s election law gender neutral. Opposition parties have stated they will not run in the by-elections. But this demand was rejected by a voice vote.

The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021 seeks to raise the legal minimum age for marriage for women to 21 years. Women and child development minister Smriti Irani announced in the Lok Sabha that the bill applies to all religions and seeks to repeal all existing laws, including any custom, practice or practice related to marriage. The bill was referred to a parliamentary panel for detailed examination. The House adjourned for the next day amid continuing protests by opposition members on various issues, including the Lakhimpur Kheri murder.