The bill was first introduced in 1996 by the Deve Gowda-led United Front government in the Lok Sabha. It lapsed when in 1997 the house was dissolved.
In 1998, the bill was introduced by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in the 12th Lok Sabha. It lapsed in April 1999 when the Lok Sabha was dissolved.
The Vajpayee-led NDA government again introduced the bill in the Lok Sabha in 1999 but it lapsed in 2004 when the 13th Lok Sabha was dissolved.
In 2008, the UPA-1 government of Manmohan Singh introduced the bill in the Rajya Sabha during the term of the 14th Lok Sabha.
The rest, as they say, is history.
