1st session of 18th Lok Sabha today : Parliament Session begins; PM Modi takes oath as member of the Lok Sabha | IN POINTS

New Delhi : The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha began on Monday and Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah , Defence Minister Rajnath Singh , Union Minister and BJP MP Piyush Goyal, Union Minister Manohar Lal Khatta, Union Minister and JD(S) MP HD Kumaraswamy, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari  among others take oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha

This is the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha post the general elections, which saw the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) securing 293 seats and the INDIA bloc wining 234 with the Congress holding 99 of them.

Seven-time MP Bhartruhari Mahtab was on Monday sworn in as the pro-tem Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha.

The oath was administered by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Approximately 280 newly-elected MPs will be sworn in today, while the remaining 264 parliamentarians, including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, will take their oaths tomorrow.

The election for the Lok Sabha Speaker is scheduled for June 26. Until a new Speaker is chosen, the Pro-Tem Speaker will oversee the initial sessions of the Lok Sabha and conduct the elections for the new Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

What to expect in 1st session of 18th Lok Sabha IN POINTS 

Discussions regarding NEET-UG and UGC-NET row 

• The first session is expected to be stormy as the opposition is likely to corner the BJP-led NDA government on the election of the Speaker on June 26, discussions regarding allegations of paper leaks in NEET-UG and UGC-NET, and row over the appointment of the pro-tem Speaker.
• After the alleged irregularities in the medical entrance examination National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test-Undergraduate 2024 (NEET-UG), Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi targeted the BJP and said that they stand with the students.

Controversy over pro-tem Speaker's appointment

• The row over the appointment of BJP leader Bhartruhari Mahtab as the pro-tem Speaker is expected to shadow the proceedings as opposition claimed that Congress Member K Suresh, who is the senior most member was disregarded by the government.
• Meanwhile, BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, who has been appointed as the pro-tem Speaker, will administer the oath to newly elected members and oversee the proceedings of the House.
• The Congress has reacted sharply to the central government's decision to appoint seven-term BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab as Pro-tem Speaker of Lok Sabha over senior-most Dalit MP Kodikkunnil Suresh of Congress, saying that the appointment by the BJP deviates from the traditional practice of appointing the senior member.

Protest over West Bengal train accident

The tragic accident involving the Kolkata-bound Kanchanjunga Express, which resulted in the deaths of nearly 10 passengers, was initially blamed on human error. However, the incident highlights significant, unresolved railway safety issues. Opposition party leaders are expected to challenge the government on this matter. According to initial investigations, a goods train passenger allegedly ignored a signal and collided with the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express near North Bengal's Jalpaiguri station on June 17.

Notably, the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will be held from June 24 and conclude on July 3 for oath/affirmation of newly elected Members. The 264th Session of Rajya Sabha will also commence on June 27 and conclude on July 3.

The last session of the 17th Lok Sabha (Budget session) was held between January 31 and February 10, 2024. 

- With inputs from agencies

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