Centre withdraws DNA Technology bill 2019, introduces three new bills

"Honourable Speaker Sir, with your kind permission, I rise to move/ leave to withdraw the DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019," Union Minister Jitendra Singh said in the Lok Sabha amid sloganeering by the Opposition parties over Manipur.

The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha by the then Minister for Science and Technology, Harsh Vardhan, on July 8 in 2019 with the aim of establishing the identity of certain categories of persons including the victims, offenders, suspects, undertrials, missing persons and unknown deceased persons and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

The Bill was later referred to the Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change for examination and report. The Report of the Committee was laid on the Table of Lok Sabha on February 3 in 2021.

The government, however, introduced the National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha on Monday. The Bill introduced by Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya seeks to provide for regulation and maintenance of standards of education and services by nursing and midwifery professionals, assessment of institutions, maintenance of a national register and state registers and creation of a system to improve access, research and development and adoption of latest scientific advancement and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

The Minister also introduced The National Dental Commission Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha which is intended to regulate the profession of dentistry in the country. It also aims at providing quality and affordable dental education, also to make accessible high-quality oral healthcare.

The Union Social Justice Ministry on Monday introduced the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 to modify the list of Scheduled Castes in the State of Chhattisgarh by adding two synonyms for the Mahar community the States Scheduled Castes list.

The Bill, introduced by Social Justice Minister Virendra Kumar, adds Mahara and Mahra as synonyms of the Mahar community, thereby expanding government schemes and benefits meant for SCs in the State to around 2 lakh more people. Chhattisgarh is set to see its next Assembly elections later this year. (ANI)