Even the ordinance to the companies bill, on the buyback issue was not dealt with. The implementation of stock index futures is also likely to be delayed. These have already affected the sentiment on the bourses, with the market crashing by around 30 points after the news broke out that the parliament has been adjourned.

In other words the whole winter session of the parliament was a failure for the BJP government, with no business of significance taking place. After its failure to get the insurance bill cleared, the BJP government postponed the tabling of the patents bill to the last but one day. A bill as important and ascontroversial as the patents bill, should definitely have required a lot of time for debate. However, a case in point of the thoughtlessness of the government, is reflected in the fact that it was tabled in the lower house at the very last minute.

Importantly, the deadline for India in implementing the Patents Act is April, 1999. This means that the bill, will have to be cleared in the budget session and if in the interim the BJP government falls, the country could have to face some serious consequences. Once again the politicians are holding the country at ransom with little sense for the outcome of the indecision.