On November 19, 2019 the parliament passed the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill 2019 in Rajya Sabha(RS). The bill was first passed in Lok Sabha on August 2, 2019. The Bill seeks to amend the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Act, 1951. It seeks to remove president of Indian National Congress(INC) from being a permanent member of the Jallianwala Bagh memorial trust which was established in Amritsar, Punjab in 1951.
Bill’s other features:
- The bill also amends to include leader of opposition recognised as such in the Lok Sabha. In case there is no such leader of opposition, then the leader of the single largest opposition Party in that House is to be included as a member of the trust.
- The bill gives the power to the central govt. to terminate the term of a nominated trustee before the expiry of his/her assigned 5-year term, without assigning any reason.
Jallianwala Bagh:
i.Jallianwala Bagh is a public garden in Amritsar, Punjab.
ii.It houses a memorial of national importance, established in 1951 by the Government of India, to commemorate the massacre by British on the order of Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer, where by many unarmed men women and children were killed on the occasion of the Punjabi New Year on April 13, 1919.
iii.The year 2019 marked the 100th anniversary of the massacre.
About Rajya Sabha:
Fact- The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India.
Chairman- Venkaiah Naidu (Vice President of India).
Deputy Chairman- Harivansh Narayan Singh.
Leader of the House- Thawar Chand Gehlot (Union Minister of social justice and empowerment).
