Right to Disconnect Bill Tabled in Lok Sabha; MPs Propose Menstrual Leave, NEET Exemption and Death Penalty Reform

A landmark proposal seeking to safeguard employees’ personal time was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Friday, with NCP MP Supriya Sule tabling the Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025. The private member’s bill aims to give workers the legal right to ignore work-related calls, emails, and digital communication beyond office hours, including weekends and holidays.

The bill proposes the establishment of an Employees’ Welfare Authority to oversee compliance and ensure that no employee is penalised for refusing after-hours work communication. If enacted, it would mark a major shift in India’s work culture at a time when remote and hybrid work models have blurred the boundaries between professional and personal life.

Private member bills—introduced by MPs who are not ministers—rarely become law, but they often spark national debate on key policy issues.

Other Private Member Bills Introduced

Several MPs introduced additional bills addressing social, workplace, and legal reforms:

Menstrual Benefits & Leave

• Congress MP Kadiyam Kavya introduced the Menstrual Benefits Bill, 2024, proposing workplace support and facilities for menstruating women.

  

• LJP MP Shambhavi Choudhary introduced a bill seeking paid menstrual leave for women employees and female students, along with better menstrual hygiene provisions.

NEET Exemption for Tamil Nadu

Congress MP Manickam Tagore proposed a bill to exempt Tamil Nadu from the NEET-based admission system for undergraduate medical courses. This follows the state’s legal battle after the President refused assent to a previous exemption law.

Abolition of Death Penalty

DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi tabled a bill calling for the abolition of the death penalty in India. The proposal aligns with the Law Commission’s earlier recommendation to restrict capital punishment only to terror-related offences, citing limited evidence of deterrence.

Protection for Journalists

Independent MP Vishaldada Prakashbapu Patil introduced the Journalist (Prevention of Violence and Protection) Bill, 2024. The bill seeks legal safeguards for journalists, including protection against violence and damage to property.

Together, the diverse set of bills reflects ongoing conversations around labour rights, gender welfare, justice reform, and press freedom.