Three takeaways from Finance Bill amendments

Passage of Finance Bill amending many non-financial laws indicates Opposition's poor preparedness

Much of the debate over the many amendments moved while passing the Union Budget for 2017-18 has been focused on how the government chose to modify several other laws by clubbing them with the Finance Bill. The government decided to follow such a path for obvious political reasons. By making them part of the Finance Bill (which by all definitions is a Money Bill), it obviated the need for getting the Rajya Sabha’s assent before they could be included in the statute book.
 
This was certainly an objectionable decision. The inclusion of provisions in the Finance Bill to amend