New Delhi: Nearly fifty private members’ Bills, including those seeking to protect employees’ rights in relation to use and implementation of artificial intelligence in workplaces; prevent and criminalise creation and use of deepfake contents were introduced in Rajya Sabha on Friday.
Members across political parties, from ruling BJP to Opposition TMC, Congress, RJD, CPI, CPI(M) and AAP introduced several private members’ Bills, including two separate Bills seeking to increase the
sitting of Parliament to at least 100 to 120 days a year, in the post lunch session of the Upper House.
TMC member Mausam B Noor introduced the Artificial Intelligence (Protection of Rights of Employees) Bill, 2023 that seeks to protect the rights of employees in relation to the use and implementation of AI at workplaces. It also seeks to regulate the use of and ensure transparency in the implementation of AI technologies at workplaces.
Noor also introduced the Deepfake Prevention and Criminalisation Bill, 2023 that seeks to prevent and criminalise the creation, dissemination, and use of deepfake content without consent or without digital watermark.
Derek O’ Brien (TMC) introduced the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2024 (amendment of article 85) seeking a minimum
of 100 days of sittings in Parliament and to have a fixed calendar.
Introducing the Bill, O’ Brien said, “Currently what is happening is the number of days we sit in Parliament is only 55 days. So, to uphold the integrity of representative democracy, it is important (that) we sit for 100 days and we have a calendar.”
Manoj Kumar Jha of RJD also introduced The Parliament (Productivity Enhancement) Bill, 2024 “whereby each house of Parliament shall compulsorily sit for not less than 120 days per year”.
The Bill proposed fixing minimum number of sittings for each House of Parliament, extending the hours of a sitting, introduction of a short session of Parliament in addition to the existing
practice of three Sessions, institution of a mechanism to separately discuss Opposition business and compensation for the hours unutilised due to disruptions.