XVII - Lok Sabha
Transcript of XVII - Lok Sabha
XVIIth Lok Sabha in the service of the Nation
The Parliament of a nation is a living embodiment of the faith of the people
in a democratic polity and an affirmation of commitment to participation in the
governance process. The Houses of Parliament are thus hallowed institutions that
represent the sovereign will of the people and are mandated by the Constitution to
guide the destiny of the nation. It is therefore critical that all efforts are made to
provide Members with a congenial and enabling environment for their effective
participation in the business of the Houses of Parliament and in the discharge of
their roles as representatives of the people.
Meaningful and effective participation of Members in the business of Lok
Sabha is the cornerstone of strong and vibrant democracy, that is India. In
furtherance of this cause, the Lok Sabha under the stewardship of Hon'ble Speaker,
Shri Om Birla, has in the last two years, endeavored to provide all Members with
the comfort and assurance of an enabling environment in the House that is
conducive for free and fair debates and discussions as is cherishable in a
parliamentary democracy.
Under the guidance of Hon'ble Speaker, a series of steps have been taken
for sensitive handling of all matters that may contribute to improvement in ease in
participation for the Members in House proceedings. These measures include
necessary facilitation to all members in terms of improved research support,
proactive library services, welfare and housing, prompt medical assistance, etc. In
addition, digital tools are being promoted to help bring greater efficiency and
transparency in the functioning of the Lok Sabha. The slew of measures have
proved timely and well-conceived in the face of unprecedented challenges posed
by Covid-19 pandemic for the best part of the past two years, given the better
performance and productivity in the XVIIth Lok Sabha when compared with the
previous years.
The journey of the current Lok Sabha, I am sure will continue to serve as a
benchmark in the times to come. The high standards of performance will
undoubtedly enthuse Members of this and future Lok Sabhas to set higher goals in
the service of their constituents, i.e., the people of India and in the process
strengthen the faith of our people in the Parliament of India and our democratic
polity.
The First Two Years
(Secretary-General)
Lok Sabha
Fig.1
• The average productivity of work during the first Five
Sessions of the 17th Lok Sabha stands at 122.2%
• This is one of the highest in recent years.
3
GREATER PARTICIPATION, HIGHER
PRODUCTIVITY
The 17th Lok Sabha which was constituted on 25 May 2019 held its first sitting on 17 June 2019. So far
five Sessions have been held. The fruits of tireless effort put in by Hon’ble Speaker in building consensus
among political parties and Members to work overtime and ensure smooth functioning of the sittings is
evident from the higher work productivity which has been the hallmark of the current Lok Sabha.
Hon’ble Members worked till late night in the House even in challenging circumstances of Corona
pandemic. As a result, the average performance during the first 5 sessions of the 17th Lok Sabha has been
122.2%, which is the highest in recent years. (Fig. 1)
52
66
10093
105
68
103
84
71
87
66
10398
116
47
125115
90
167
114
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
First Session Second Session Third Session Fourth Session Fifth Session
Wo
rk P
rod
uct
ivit
y in
Pe
rce
nta
ge
Work Productivity during the first 5 Sessions of 14th, 15th, 16th & 17th Lok Sabha (in precentage)
14th Lok Sabha 15th Lok Sabha 16th Lok Sabha 17th Lok Sabha
Work Productivity during the first 5 Sessions of 14th, 15th, 16th & 17th Lok Sabha (in Percentage)
Work Productivity
Fig.2
• 114 sittings in first five sessions of 17th Lok Sabha.
• This is Higher than the sittings held in first five
sessions of 14th , 15th & 16th Lok Sabhas ( Fig 2).
• Duration of sittings during first five sessions of 17th
Lok Sabha i.e. 712.93 hours
• Higher than the hours spent in 14th , 15th & 16th Lok
Sabhas.
4
Fruits of Consensus -
More Sittings, Higher Productivity
With the collective efforts of honorable members and cooperation of all political parties, a
favorable working environment was created in the 17th Lok Sabha. It was only due to the active
participation of the members that high performance could be ensured in the house even during
the time of corona pandemic. As a result, in the first five sessions of the present Lok Sabha, a
total of 114 sittings of the House were held and the proceedings of the House continued for a
total of 712.93 hours. This is a higher performance than 14th, 15th and 16th Lok Sabha.
2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha
Minimal time of the House has been lost due to interruptions/adjournments since Hon'ble
Speaker of Lok Sabha assumed office. So far only 73 hours and 44 minutes have been
wasted in the 17th Lok Sabha as in comparison to 112 hours 29 minutes during the 14th
Lok Sabha and 170 hours 25 minutes during the 15th Lok Sabha.
Election as Speaker A New Beginning
• The House sat an unprecedented 480 hours during
the first Session of the 17th Lok Sabha.
• During these 37 sittings, no time was lost due to
interruptions/ adjournments.
5
Hon'ble speaker Lok Sabha accepting the
greetings of the Members after been elected
Because of constant efforts of Hon’ble Speaker after assuming the Office on
performance. So far 107 bills have been passed in five sessions with wide
participation of honorable members and the productivity of the house has
been 122%.
The Hon’ble Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition, and other
Members greeting the Speaker.
19 June 2019, the House functioned smoothly with unprecedented
The primary mandate of Parliament in a constitutional democracy like India, is to legislate laws
for governance of the nation. In this respect the 17th Lok Sabha under the sagacious guidance of
Hon'ble Speaker, Lok Sabha, Shri Om Birla has been one of the most productive in recent times.
The superior Legislative productivity with respect to the introduction and passing of
Government Bills during the first five sessions of the 17th Lok Sabha are clearly evident in the
following (Fig.3)
PRIMACY TO LAW MAKING
67
82
71
102
6068
61
107
0
20
40
60
80
100
120First 5 Sessions (14th -17th Lok Sabha)
14th Lok Sabha 15th Lok Sabha 16th Lok Sabha 17th लLok Sabha
Fig. 3 .
6
Government Bills Introduced Government Bills Passed
The First Session of the 17th Lok Sabha witnessed a record
33 Government Bills being introduced and 35 Government
Bills passed, which was the highest for any first session of
any Lok Sabha. The House discussed Government Bills for
approx. 124 hours & 40 minutes.
During the Second Session of the 17th Lok Sabha 18
Government Bills were introduced and 14 Government
Bills were passed by the House. The House devoted
approximately 54 hours and 31 minutes on discussing
Government Bills.
2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha
PRIMACY TO LAW MAKING
7
During the Third Session of the 17th Lok Sabha also, 18
Government Bills were introduced and 15 Government
Bills were passed. 14 hours and 53 minutes were spent on
Government Bills.
107 Government Bills were passed during the first
five sessions of 17th Lok Sabha which is a great
achievement.
During the Fourth Session of Seventeenth Lok
Sabha, 16 Government Bills were introduced and
25 Government Bills were passed. 33 hours and 24
minutes time was spent on Government Bills
During the Fifth Session of Seventeenth Lok
Sabha, 17 Government Bills were introduced and
18 Government Bills were passed. 35 hours and 5
minutes time was spent on Government Bills
Fig. 4
496
709
825
1744
82.88 100.12 132.38
262.55
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
14th Lok Sabha 15th Lok Sabha 16th Lok Sabha 17th Lok Sabha
• An enabling environment was created in the 17th Lok Sabha created by Hon’ble
Speaker for participation of Members in the conduct of legislative business of the
house.
• This was very evident from the number of Members who spoke on Government Bills
and the total time devoted to the discussions.
• The data reveals a staggering increase in the participation of Members and the
duration of discussion time during the first five Sessions of the 17th Lok Sabha when
compared to the corresponding periods of the earlier Three Lok Sabhas (Fig. 4)
UNPRECEDENTED INCREASE IN THE PARTICIPATION
OF MEMBERS
In the 17th Lok Sabha, there has been maximum
participation of honorable members in legislative business.
There was a total participation of 1744 in the discussion on
government bills in the first five Sessions of the 17th Lok
Sabha.
No of times members spoke on government Bill
Time take in Hours
8
2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha
• 5.37 Questions answered orally ( average per siting ) in the 17th
Lok Sabha
• This was the HIGHEST numbers so far in comparison to
corresponding period of 14th , 15th & 16th Lok Sabha.
Fig.5
9
Recognising that Question Hour is one of the
potent instruments available to the Members of
Lok Sabha to enforce Executive accountability,
Hon'ble Speaker ensured that maximum number
of questions by Members are accommodated
during Question Hour for oral and written
answers. There has been a considerable increase
in the number of Questions orally answered in
the House. Over the period spanning from 14th
Lok Sabha to 17th Lok Sabha, while the average
of oral answers per sitting figures was 3.07, 2.96
& 4.34 during 14th, 15th & 16th Lok Sabha
respectively, the corresponding average figure
rose to 5.37 during 17th Lok Sabha. (Fig.5)
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
14th Lok Sabha 15th Lok Sabha 16th Lok Sabha 17th Lok Sabha(upto 5th Session)
3.07 2.96
4.34
5.37
Questions Orally answered (Average per Sitting)
Question Hour: Enforcing Executive Accountability
Hon’ble Speaker, Lok Sabha , Shri Om Birla
in the Chair.
Fig. 6
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
14th Lok Sabha
15th Lok Sabha
16th Lok Sabha
17th Lok Sabha (upto 5th Session)
321.25
333.75
373.25
394.25
Average Number of Members whose Questions were
Admitted Per Sitting
Rise in Number of Questions Admitted.
In the same manner, the average number of Members whose Questions were
admitted per sitting during the first five sessions of the 14th, 15th & 16th Lok
Sabha was 321.25, 333.75 and 373.25 respectively, whereas the corresponding
average figure rose considerably to 394.25 during the 17th Lok Sabha . (Fig. 6)
The average number of members whose questions
were admitted was the HIGHEST i.e. 394.25 in 17th
Lok Sabha in comparison to 14th , 15th & 16th Lok
Sabhas.
2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha10
The percentage of replies to Members of Lok Sabha on matters under Rule 377 of the Rules of
Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha by Ministers in the Union Government
witnessed an exponential increase during the 17th Lok Sabha. The percentage of replies by
Ministers during the current Lok Sabha was considerably higher at 89.82% when compared to
72.17% in 15th and 58.44% in 16th Lok Sabha respectively. This is also a measure of success of
the Lok Sabha in securing the cooperation of the Executive through rigorous monitoring by
Hon’ble Speaker in matters of public importance raised in the House under the Rules.
Matters related to Rule 377: New Initiatives By Hon’ble Speaker
Fig.7
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
80.00%
90.00%
15th Lok Sabha 16th Lok Sabha 17th Lok Sabha
72.17%58.44%
89.82%
Percentage of replies of Matters raised/laid under Rule 377 during the First 5
Sessions
(From 15th - 17th Lok Sabha)
• Matters can now be raised on all FIVE days i.e. from Monday to Friday while it
was only for four days a week.
• Rigorous and regular follow up with Govt. Ministries/Departments are now
made with a aim to receive action taken on seen matters in time bound manner.
• Approved text of matter under Rule 377 is provided to Hon’ble Members
electronically through Member's Portal one day in advance.
• The development of software for electronic management of the various processes,
including receipt of replies from the ministries for matters raised/laid under Rule 377
is operational now.
Enforcing Executive Accountability-Rule 377
89.82% replies received from Ministers on matters
raised under Rule 377 were much higher in 17th Lok
Sabha in comparison to first five Sessions of 14th ,
15th & 16th Lok Sabhas.
11
The Zero Hour affords Members an unique opportunity to raise matters of urgent Public
Importance and bring them to the notice of the Executive. The Zero Hour is therefore
cherished by the Members. Recognising the importance of Zero Hour, Hon'ble Speaker has
taken great pains to afford opportunities to maximum number of MPs to raise matters in the
House even if it meant extending the sitting time of the Lok Sabha.
Fig. 8
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
14th Lok Sabha
15th Lok Sabha
16th Lok Sabha
17th Lok Sabha
9.86
9.27
24.19
29.72
Matters of Urgent Public Importance raised during
Zero Hour(Average/per day/First 5 Sessions)
Accommodating Maximum Numbers of Members During
Zero Hour
• The first 5 sessions of 17th Lok Sabha witnessed 3389
Matters of Urgent Public Importance averaging 29.72
matters per day.
• This is considerably higher than the average of
9.86,9.27 & 24.19 matters raised per day during the
corresponding period in the 14th, 15th & 16th Lok
Sabhas respectively.
2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha12
ZERO HOUR: Major Milestones during the 17th Lok Sabha
The development of software for management and further follow up
of matters raised during Zero Hour is at its final stage. It will help
electronic management of the various processes including receipt of
replies from the ministries on matters raised during the Zero Hour.
The highest number of Matters raised
in one session in the history of Lok
Sabha.
1066 matters during 1st Session.
The highest number of Matters raised
on an average per day in the history of
Lok Sabha.
47 matters on an average per day
during 2nd Session.
Record time devoted to Zero Hour. 24 hours and 41 minutes,
averaging 1 hour and 14 minutes
on an average per day were
devoted in 2nd Session
Record number of matters raised in
First Year of any Lok Sabha.
2436 matters were raised during
First Year of 17th Lok Sabha.
The highest number of matters raised
in Fifth Session of any Lok Sabha.
583 matters were raised in 5th
Session of 17th Lok Sabha, the
highest as compared to 5th
Session of all previous Lok
Sabhas.
161 members raised matters on 18 July 2019 during
Zero Hour, the Highest on A Single Day.
13
Consequent upon direction by Hon’ble Speaker for the achievement of 100% receipt of
Questions through e-notices, the receipt of e-notices has increased from 44.22% in the last
Session of 16th Lok Sabha to 90.36% during the 5th Session of 17th Lok Sabha.
‘Member’s Participation in the Business of the House’ link has been created on Lok Sabha
homepage from the 3rd Session of the 17th Lok Sabha and information about Member’s
participation during Question Hour is now available under this link from the 1st Session of the
17th Lok Sabha.
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
80.00%
90.00%
100.00%
16th Lok Sabha (LastSession) 17th Lok Sabha (5th
Session)
44.22%
90.36%
Receipt of E-notices of Questions
• With effect from the 1st Session of 17th Lok Sabha, e-replies to Starred Questions are
being provided on Members’ e-Portal at 09:00 hrs. Earlier these replies were being
provided at 10:00 hrs, Hon’ble Members now get more time to study the replies and
prepare for supplementary questions during Question Hour.
• SMS alerts about the questions of Hon’ble Members listed for the day has been
started from the 2nd Part of 5th Session of 17th Lok Sabha.
Fig. 09
Parliamentary Steps Towards Digital Footprints
2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha
Achieving 90.36% of the receipt of E-Notice of
questions from members in 5th session of 17th Lok
Sabha is much Higher then E- Notices i.e. 44.2%
received in last session of 16th Lok Sabha.
14
Extraordinary Measures to Deal with the
Extraordinary Covid-19 Situation
During the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic times, the
House sat late night following COVID-19 protocol and
completed record Legislative and other Business.
• To ensure social distance, seats were allotted to Alliances/ Parties in both Lok
Sabha and Rajya Sabha Chambers/ Galleries and Members were advised to
sit only at the marked seats.
• Arrangements were made for the two Houses to run in two separate shifts;
Rajya Sabha from 9.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. and Lok Sabha from 3.00 pm to
7.00 pm, during the 4th Session of 17th Lok Sabha.
• Audio and video system between the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Chambers
and their Galleries were integrated and synchronised along with
interpretation facility.
• Seats were provided with sound consoles, ear phones and microphones were
placed in Lok Sabha Galleries.
• LED screens were also placed in Rajya Sabha Chamber & Galleries of Lok
Sabha & Rajya Sabha.
• Polycarbonate sheets were installed between rows and seats in the Lok Sabha
Chamber to create a physical barrier between the seats.
• Sensor based Sanitizer Dispensing Machines and water dispensers along with
disposable paper glasses were provided at appropriate places.
Members wearing mask in Parliament House 14th September, 2020.Despite COVID-19, the productivity of the House was 167%
in the fourth session of the 17th Lok Sabha, which is historic.
15
Hon’ble MPs wearing mask in Parliament House.
A new Direction limiting thenumber of amendments to theMotion of Thanks and CutMotions on a Demand to Tenhas been issued to furtherstreamline the ParliamentaryPractice.
HON'BLE SPEAKER,
LOK SABHA, SH. OM BIRLA
A new Direction limiting aMember to introduce notmore than 3 Private Member'sBills during a Session has beenissued to take up more PrivateMembers’ Bills forconsideration.
To ensure moretransparency, ballots ofNotices are now held inthe presence of 2Members of Lok Sabha &1 Officer of Lok SabhaSecretariat of the rank ofDirector.
Regular communicationwith Ministries /Departments to obtaincomplete responses inHouse related matters.
Communication to MPsthrough I & CC regardinginformation about issueof Summons and tablingof Notices etc.
Procedural Innovations & Initiatives under the
Directions of Hon’ble Speaker, Lok Sabha
2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha16
EFFECTIVE FINANCIAL SET UP IN PARLIAMENT
As part of the mission of Hon’ble Speaker during the past two years to improve
efficiency, transparency, prudence in public expenditure, accountability and expansion of
digital footprint in the functioning of the Secretariat several steps were taken which have
not only reduced lead time in many of the routine activities related to financial
management but have been responsible for considerable financial savings.
• Hon'ble Speaker, volunteered to reduce his salary, constituency,
allowances, Daily Allowance and sumptuary allowances by 30 % for
one year ( from 01-04-2020 to 31-3-2021 )
• 30% Reduction in salary of MPs due to COVID-19 ( from 01-04-2020 to
31-3-2021 )
*Figures in Crore
As an initiative towards economizing usage of paper and improving
efficiency, electronic versions of Form 16 are being issued to all
employees w.e.f. financial year 2020-21. This initiative has been
productive in saving 25000 pages annually
Monitoring of expenditure resulted in savings
17th Lok Sabha
2019-20 2020-21
151.44 249.54
Hon’ble Members of Parliament contributed their salaries to the PM-
CARES Fund during the COVID-19 period and volunteered for a
reduction of 30% in their salaries and allowances for one year.
17
STEPS FOR THE WELFARE OF MEMBERS OF
PARLIAMENT
It has always been the endeavor of Hon'ble Speaker Shri Om Birla to provide basic amenities
to our parliamentarians to enable them to participate in the House proceedings without any
let or hindrance and represent their constituencies effectively. The vision of Hon’ble Speaker
has resulted in improvement of existing residential/ logistic facilities and addition of new
amenities for Hon'ble Members.
• Duplex flats – On 19th August 2019, Hon’ble Prime Minister inaugurated 36 duplex flats
for the Hon’ble Members of Parliament at North Avenue. The work on next phase of
redevelopment of North Avenue has also been initiated .
• Flats at Dr BD Marg –Through the tireless efforts and personal monitoring of Hon’ble
Speaker, 76 flats have been constructed for Members of Parliament and inaugurated by
PM on 23.11.2020.
• Redevelopment Project at B.K. Singh Marg –Foreseeing the increase in the number of
Members of Parliament under delimitation plan of Lok Sabha constituencies in future,
construction of 184 houses (Type-VII) for the use of Hon’ble MPs has been planned.
• Transit Accommodation – Creation of transit accommodation for newly elected MPs in
the newly constructed Western Court Annexe has helped Members of Parliament to settle
down soon and at the same time helped make significant reduction to the tune of approx.
Rs.22 crores in the expenditure on Transit accommodation.
• Multipurpose Hall in Western Court Annexe – A Multipurpose Hall has been provided at
the Western Court Annexe for the use of the Hon’ble MPs.
• Several purposeful steps taken to ensure faster allotment of residential accommodation to
Members of Lok Sabha .
Residential Facilities
2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha
Flats at Dr BD Marg, inaugurated by Hon’ble Prime
Minister Sh. Narendra Modi on 23th November, 2020
through Virtual Conference in the presence of Hon'ble
Speaker.
Hon’ble Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi
inaugurated Duplex flats of North Avenue on 19th
August 2019.
18
• Information and Communication Centre (ICC) - On the initiative of Hon'ble
Speaker, a round the clock ICC has been setup to provide information and facilitation to
Hon’ble Members
• About 99,850 calls and 51,200 SMS/messages have been made to Hon’ble
Members of Parliament (Lok Sabha) since the Inception of ICC including
more than 15,000 calls during the period of Lockdown in 2020 conveying
important information. So far about 2000 calls have been received from
Hon’ble MPs on various issues.
• The Party Leaders are informed of Bills that are listed for consideration and
discussion in Lok Sabha and ‘List of Business’ for the next day.
• ICC conveys important and urgent information to Members during Session as
well in Inter-Session period.
• Special provisions during Lockdown - On the initiative of Hon'ble Speaker, the
Landline numbers of I&CC were immediately configured with the mobile number of
officers to provide Hon’ble Members round-the-clock support. Hon’ble Members and
their staff have also contacted I&CC in case of medical emergency in respect of
Hon’ble Member as well as for COVID related Assistance.
• Comprehensive Database for Covid-related exigencies- On the initiative of Hon'ble
Speaker, apart from the contact numbers of Hon'ble Members, phone numbers of
Member’s PS/PA, and staff have been maintained in the data base for quick
transmission of information.
• ‘Committees’ using ICT – The Parliamentary Committees have been encouraged to
use SMS, e-portal for circulation of all information related to sitting, circulation of
agenda papers including background notes, draft reports, PPT etc.
Use of I.C.T.
With a view to do away with subsidy and improve the overall quality of catering services, at
the initiative of Hon'ble Speaker, the catering service in Parliament House complex was
handed over to ITDC. No food subsidy is provided to ITDC. With this shift a substantial
amount of nearly rupees 8 to 9 crore of the exchequer is being saved and the kitchen’s
electrical gadgets and other catering items have been upgraded.
INTRODUCING QUALITATIVE CATERING SERVICES IN
PARLIAMENT HOUSE COMPLEX
19
A historic initiative was taken during the XVII Lok Sabha to commence construction of a
New Parliament Building on 10th December, 2020. This new building will be equipped with
state of the art technology to meet the demands of our 21st century Parliamentarians. In
addition, this new parliament building will have sufficient space to enhance the ease of
participation in House proceedings even with the likely increase in the number of MPs after
the delimitation of Parliament Constituencies in the near future. Special attention has been
paid to conservation of energy, reduction of water consumption, reuse and recycling of wastes
and retention of indigenous architectural features. The new parliament building will be ready
for the 75th Anniversary of India's Independence in 2022.
A NEW PARLIAMENT BUILDING FOR 21ST
CENTURY INDIA
Hon’ble Prime Minister of India
laying the foundation stone of
the new Parliament Building on
10th December 2020 .
Hon'ble Prime Minister and
Hon'ble Speaker, Lok Sabha and
other dignitaries unveiling a
plaque to commemorate the
occasion. 10th December 2020.
Inner View of New Parliament House.
Paperless Secretariat is proposed to be created in New
Parliament Building.
2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha
View of the proposed New Parliament House.20
21
Lok Sabha transacts a great deal of its business through Committees which not only perform
oversight functions over the Executive, but also provide valuable guidance in policy and
legislative matters. The role of Parliamentary Committees is critical in the management and
running of the House. Hon’ble Speaker, Shri Om Birla has taken keen interest in the
functioning of the Committees and made constant efforts at strengthening of the Committee
System.
PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES-MINI
PARLIAMENTS
Hon’ble Speaker Lok Sabha Shri Om Birla with the members of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC ).
Hon'ble Speaker has stressed on effective functioning of the Committees
through the following suggestions
• Selection of subject should be done keeping in view the needs and
aspirations of common citizens.
• Committee Branches should focus on greater participation and attendance
of Members during the sittings of the Committees.
• The Committee Branches should undertake deep-dive research on the
subjects selected and ensure that draft reports are comprehensive,
exhaustive and professional.
• Committee and Committee Branches should intensely follow-up with the
concerned Ministries/Departments for effective implementation of the
recommendations.
22
Committee Sitting
Notwithstanding the fact that a major part of the first two years of the 17th
Lok Sabha was affected by the pandemic, the Committees demonstrated
remarkable resilience by continuing their work while strictly observing
Covid appropriate norms.
• A total of 558 sittings were held by the committees
during the first two years of the 17th Lok Sabha. The
committees presented 272 reports to the House during
this period.
• A total of 2664 recommendations were made by the
committees through these reports out of which 1739
recommendations were accepted by the Executive.
The Meeting of General Purposes Committee under the
chairmanship of Hon’ble Speaker was held on 10th
February 2020 after 19 years.
Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla presiding over the General Purposes Committee meeting.
2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha
• On recommendations of COSL , Memorandum regarding amendments to Rules 317 and
320 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, so as to broaden
the parameters based on which scrutiny of Gazette Notifications are made has been
considered and adopted in 17th Lok Sabha.
• Increased the Insurance amount from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh in the newly announced
Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana on the recommendations of Standing
Committee on Agriculture.
• On recommendations of Committee of Defence the Government created the post of Chief
of Defence Staff , sanctioned 100 Sainik Schools and permitted in take of girl cadets in
Sainik schools. The Ministry also increased the bond amount at graduate level from Rs.
25 lakh to Rs.1 crore and at post-graduate level from Rs. 28 lakh to Rs. 2 crore to
encourage retention of the Armed Forces Medical personnel.
• On the recommendations of Standing Committee on Water Resources, Government
decided to take up rejuvenation of water bodies by engaging with all the concerned
stakeholders.
• The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment appreciated and accepted all the
recommendations made by the Standing Committee on Social Justice & Empowerment
while examining "The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior citizens
(Amendment) Bill, 2019”.
• Mandating dispensing of Jan Ausadhi Medicines under all Central and State Government
healthcare services for benefit of poor people.
• Setting up of National Bureau of Water Use Efficiency in view of the depleting water as
a national resource.
Path Breaking Recommendations By Some Important
Committees
In light of the HS direction, the Committee branches reoriented their approach and
maximised the use of the available information and the services of the Research
division for improving the quality of their reports. The LARRDIS services provided
extensive Research Inputs to Committees as per their demand .
Research Support
23
Capacity Building for Members of Parliament and other stakeholders is a pre-requisite for
enhancement of quality of interventions and debates in the Lok Sabha through exposure to
knowledge and information in a rapidly changing world. Under the leadership and directions of
Hon'ble Speaker, Lok Sabha, the Parliament Research and Training Institute for Democracies
(PRIDE) and Library, Research, Reference, Documentation, and Information Service
(LARRDIS) have expanded the array of programmes and modes of delivery for the benefit of
all stakeholders.
CAPACITY BUILDING AND TRAINING
PROGRAMMES IN PARLIAMENT: NEW INITIATIVES
In a First, to reach out to the democracy at the grassroots level, Outreach
and Familiarisation Programmes for the Panchayati Raj Institutions was
conducted for the State of Uttarakhand at Dehradun on 8 January 2021,
and for 8 North-Eastern States at Shillong on 25 and 26 February 2021.
Approximately 40,000 participated online and 445 participants attended
in physical mode in Uttarakhand, while 118 representatives attended
physically and 332 participants attended online in Meghalaya.
Building Capacity at Grass Root Level – Panchayati
Raj Institutions
2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha
Hon’ble Speaker at Outreach and Familiarisation
Programmes for the Panchayati Raj Institutions in
Dehradun. 8th January 2021.
Hon’ble Speaker at Outreach and Familiarisation
Programmes for the Panchayati Raj Institutions in
Shilong.25th February 2021.
24
Comparison of Reference/Legislative Notes Supplied to Members during the first fiveSessions of 16th & 17th Lok Sabhas
16th Lok Sabha 17th Lok Sabha
125
100
75
50
25
0
50
120
Introduced Briefing Sessions for the members.
Introduced Briefing Sessions on Important Legislative Business to enhance the quality of
debate and discussions. The domain experts briefed the members . A total of 43 Briefing
Sessions were organised for Members of Parliament on important Bills, etc. during
the 17th Lok Sabha.
A glimpse of Briefing Session on "The Juvenile Justice Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill,
2021" for MPs in Parliament House on 19th March 2021.
During the first two years of the 17th Lok Sabha, 216 training programs for capacity
building were organized for MPs and various other stakeholders. Approximately 50,849
participants attended in both online and offline mode.
Considerable increase in Legislative and Reference
Notes
25Fig. 10
2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha
• For the First time, National Youth Parliament Festival, 2021 was organized in the Central
Hall of Parliament. The Festival brought the youth of the country together in a festival of
national unity and solidarity
• For the First time, an online interactive session with Padma Awardees was held for the
benefit of MPs.
• Three Internship Programmes instituted for young students/youth for enabling them to gain
first-hand experience of Parliament.
• Special attention is given to conduct more programmes for foreign participants in PRIDE.
• PRIDE is now acting as a 'facilitator' and provides information regarding online SWAYAM
platform courses and Coursera portal for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).
• Social media platforms of PRIDE were launched on Twitter and Facebook.
• Programmes for MPs and officials from Foreign Parliaments, Parliamentary Internship
Programme and Study Visits from different countries were organised by PRIDE.
• To mark National/International Days of importance, PRIDE conducted the programme for
International Women's Day from 8 to 12 March 2021 with a series of Panel Discussions
through hybrid mode and the International Day of Sports for Development and Peace on
6th April 2021.
Other Key Initiatives by PRIDE in this Direction
Home Minister Addressing Newly Elected Members of the 17th Lok Sabha..
From June 2019 to May 2021, a total of 9578 reference requests from Members were catered to.
In comparison to the corresponding period last year, due to Covid-19 pandemic, the number of
requests were affected.
26
Efforts to enhance the quality of discussion in the House
अन्य पहल
27
Under the visionary guidance of Hon'ble Speaker, Lok Sabha, innovative and creative
measures have been taken during 17th Lok Sabha to revamp research and information
support to Members of Parliament. It has been the constant endeavor of Hon'ble Speaker to
see that the Secretariat pro-actively reaches out to Members of Parliament and provide
them with comprehensive and relevant reference material to further improve quality of
debates and intervention during House proceedings.
PRISM, which was introduced on 23rd January 2021,
proactively engages with Members of Parliament to
provide them with all relevant information on policy
issues and others in the form of research, reference,
legislative and background notes.
• Round-the-Clock research support
to Members
• 950 Research Notes till Budget
Session
• 100+ Members availed the service
• For the First time, Research notes were prepared
for Ministries whose Demand for Grants were
being discussed in the House, during 5th session
of 17th Lok Sabha
• For the First time, introduced Research Notes in
Question/Answer format for ready use by
Members
• Encouraged preparation of increased number of
Research documents in the Hindi language
• Directors of the R&I Division are now in
constant touch with Chairpersons of
various Parliamentary Committees to
provide research inputs for the first time
• Provided Research and Information inputs
during the inter-session period, and also
even during the lockdown when Lok
Sabha Secretariat was closed due to the
Covid-19 pandemic
Other Initiatives
PRISM
Under the visionary guidance of Hon'ble Speaker, Lok Sabha, innovative and creative
measures have been taken during 17th Lok Sabha to revamp research and information
support to Members of Parliament. It has been the constant endeavor of Hon'ble Speaker to
see that the Secretariat pro-actively reaches out to Members of Parliament and provide
them with comprehensive and relevant reference material to further improve quality of
debates and intervention during House proceedings.
EFFORTS TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF
DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE
28
The Parliament Library is one of the richest in the country which is eminently
suited for use by Members of Parliament. It has been the endeavor of Hon'ble
Speaker that Members be facilitated in making use of the library resources to
enhance their understanding of various subjects to enable more informed
participation in the House.
• Introduced Doorstep delivery of books at Member’s Residences in the NCR.
• Organising Book exhibition during floral tribute functions in the Central Hall ,
Parliament House
• Created Library Interface on Member’s Portal
• Extension of Parliament Library Services to Members of State Legislatures
• Initiated Display of Books written by sitting MPs in the Member’s Reading Room
• Introduced Hotline/dedicated phone lines in the Parliament Library for encouraging
MPs to use Library
• Acquired Membership of DELNET for the widening of resources of the Library
• Social Media platform of Parliament Library launched on Facebook.
2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha
Parliament Library : Member-centric Initiatives
Hon’ble Speaker at a book Exhibition at floral tributes in Central Hall of Parliament House, 10th December 2019.
A view of Parliament Library
The Parliament of India, under the leadership of Hon'ble Speaker, Lok Sabha, Shri Om Birla
has taken purposeful steps in the arena of global parliamentary diplomacy. Hon'ble Speaker,
Lok Sabha, a firm believer in the march of democratic forces worldwide, has ensured that
India's participation and contribution in international fora is meaningful
Parliament of India in the Forefront to Expand Parliamentary Diplomacy
14th Lok Sabha
15th Lok Sabha
16th Lok Sabha
17th Lok Sabha
(First 2years)
Increased Representation of Indian MPs in IPU bodies
On the invitation of Hon'ble Speaker, newly-
elected IPU President, HE Duarte Pacheco
addressed the Members at Central Hall,
Parliament House on 16 March 2021 in a
historical felicitation ceremony. This was his first
port of call in Asia
India's proposal for a Resolution on the Theme
“Addressing Climate Change" received highest
number of affirmative votes, and was successfully
included in the agenda of the 141st Assembly of
IPU (13-17 October 2019) as an Emergency Item
First Speaker of Lok Sabha who ever
addressed the IPU Assembly in Hindi
India's suggestion regarding SDGs and
Climate Change during the Fourth South
Asian Speakers' Summit (1-2 September
2019) were unanimously incorporated in
the 'Male Declaration'
Hon’ble Speaker offered to host the 28th
CSPOC in 2026 in India and that was
unanimously approved at 25th Conference
of Speakers and Presiding Officers of
Commonwealth (5-9 January 2020)
STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY
THROUGH PARLIAMENTARY DIPLOMACY
For the first time in the history of Indian Parliamentary Group, Indian MPs have
membership of ten bodies of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) during June 2019 - May
2021
Fig. 11
29
30
Hon’ble Speaker Lok Sabha led Indian Parliamentary Delegations to the Fourth South Asian
Speakers' Summit, Maldives; 64th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA)
Conference, Uganda;6th G-20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P 20), Tokyo; and to 6th
BRICS Parliamentary Forum, Serbia;141st IPU Assembly, Serbia.
Hon’ble Speaker has been extending birthday greetings to fellow Presiding Officers of
Foreign Parliaments and regularly communicating with them. A total of 151 birthday
greetings have been sent so far.
Parliamentary Delegations have participated virtually in about two dozen high-level inter-
parliamentary events during the period from May 2020 to May 2021
In November 2020, Hon'ble Speaker participated in an Extraordinary Virtual Session (206th)
of the Governing Council to elect the new IPU President.
First-ever Virtual Meeting was addressed by the Hon'ble Speaker in 142nd IPU Assembly
Hon’ble Speaker addressed on 'bridging the gap between People and Parliament through
practicing the 5-Is- Interact, Inform, Imbibe, Improve and Involve' during the 5th World
Conference of Speakers of Parliament (5WCSP) ) (19-20 August 2020)
Shri Duarte Pachecko, President, Inter Parliamentary Union Addressing Members of Parliament in Central
Hall. 16 March 2021.
Hon’ble Speaker Lok Sabha Shri Om Birla in Maldive Hon’ble Speaker Lok Sabha Shri Om Birla, 8th January,
2020 in Ottawa
2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha
A function was organized to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the
Constitution Day- ‘Samvidhan Divas’ on 26 November 2019 in the Central Hall,
Parliament House
Celebrating Samvidhan Divas.
.Hon’ble President of
India, Shri Ram Nath
Kovind Members of
Parliament on
Constitution Day. 26th
November 2019.
Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla ji
at the 141th IPU Assembly,
Belgrade , 13 October 2019
President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind;
Vice President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu;
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi; Lok
Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla and
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Shri
Prahlad Joshi at the function to release
the Coins by the Hon'ble President of
India to commemorate the 250th Session
of Rajya Sabha at the `Samvidhan Divas`
at Central Hall of Parliament House on
26th November 2019.
31
Hon’ble President , Shri Ram Nath Kovind addressing the
Inauguration session of 80th All India Presiding Officers
Conference, at Kevadia, in Gujarat on 25th November, 2020
Hon’ble President , Shri Ram Nath Kovind , Hon’ble Vice President
Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu and Hon’ble Lok Sabha Speaker, Shri Om
Birla and other dignitaries at 80th All India Presiding Officers
Conference, at Kevadia, in Gujarat on 25th November, 2020
• Hon’ble Speaker presided over the 79th and 80th All India Presiding Officers’ Conference
(AIPOC) held at Dehradun and Kevadia in December 2019 and November 2020,
respectively. The 80th AIPOC was inaugurated by Shri Ram Nath Kovind, Hon'ble
President of India. The valedictory session of the two-day 80th AIPOC was addressed by
Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi through video conferencing on 26 November 2020
to mark the celebration of Constitution Day
• Hon'ble Speaker called a virtual meeting of the Presiding Officers of the State Legislatures
and other Leaders on the subject “Prevailing COVID-19 Situation and the Role and
Responsibility of Public Representatives” on 19 April 2021. A similar Meeting was held in
April 2020 at the outbreak of the pandemic.
• A publication was brought out on 'Parliamentary Diplomacy', which covers HS's prominent
speeches during various Inter-Parliamentary Conferences/Meetings
Conferences of Presiding Officers and Other
Parliamentary Events In India
Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla at the 7th CPA
India Region
Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla at Orientation
Programme
2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha32
Harnessing Digital technology in the service Lok Sabha
33
2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha34
35
892000
150000
0
500000
1000000
यूट्यूब ट्विटर
Series1
● Increasing presence of LSTV on social media with 892K subscribers on
YouTube and 149K followers on twitter.
● Twitter handle of Lok Sabha Secretariat for Social Media outreached 120K
followers.
● Exclusive Coverage of Video Messages by HS on important occasions.
● Telecast of special capsules conveying birthday wishes to members while
highlighting their personal and political journey
● Simultaneous transmission of members speeches through SMS/WhatsApp,
Email/ M.P Portal and are also uploaded in LSTV
● Telecast of bulletins on works by Parliamentary committees to keep the
citizens abreast of recommendation made by committees and
implementation thereon
● Program to keep viewers well informed of parliamentary/ legal/ regional and
international developments
Hon’ble Speaker, Shri Om Birla with women Journalists on International Womens Day, 8th March 2021
36
Fig. 12
HARNESSING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IN THE
SERVICE OF LOK SABHA
To strengthen democracy, citizens need to be aware and kept informed of the
various activities of the Parliament. On the direction of the Hon'ble Speaker, the
Parliament of India has taken important steps to develop robust interfacebetween the people and the Parliament.
2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha
37
The heritage Parliament complex area with trees, lawns and gardens is one of the most beautiful
in the National Capital. It is the vision of the Hon’ble Speaker that the green footprint be further
expanded to make it a sustainable and Eco-friendly Parliament Campus.
GO GREEN: ENVIRONMENT INITATIVES
Hon’ble Speaker planting tree at parliament
campus in the presence of Hon’ble PM and other
Dignitaries in 26th July, 2019 .
Hon’ble Speaker inaugurated Swachchta Abhiyan in
Parliament House Estate in July 2019 to mark the
beginning of the celebration of 150th Birth Anniversary
of Gandhi ji. 13th July, 2019.
Hon’ble Speaker at Yoga Session on International Yoga Day in Parliament House Estate. 21st June 2019.
Organised Yoga Camps and Fit India
2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha38
Promote use of Eco- Friendly & Biodegradable
Materials
Plantation Drive and Regular
Maintenance of Plants. A new herbal
garden has been developed in the
Parliament Complex during the
17th Lok Sabhaperiod.
Promote Renewable Energy & Save
Energy.
(Solar Panels and Use Day Light
Replacement of traditional light
bulbs with energy efficient LED bulbs
)
Reduction of Food Waste & Save Water
initiative in the canteens.
Go Digital & Paperless
Parliament E-Office, All notices in
Digital Format
15 million pages saved in the last two
years which translates into
saving of more than 1500 trees .
Reuse and Recycle
Use of Glass bottles, Two side paper
print.
Promote Electric Vehicle,
E- Rickshaw.
60% MPs prefer to use electric ferry
vehicles.
Say NO to Non Reusable Plastic (Ban on use of
Polythene)
The new Parliament building has been designed to provide further fillip to the Go Green
movement in the Parliament Complex Area by introducing effective and modern energy ,water
and paper saving technology and stress on recycling and re use of waste material . It has also
been ensured that minimum number of trees are affected.
GO GREEN: ENVIRONMENT INITATIVES
39
Due to deep interest of Hon’ble Speaker in the welfare of Hon’ble Members, steps have been
taken to provide 24×7 medical assistance to Members of Parliament and Officers/Staff of Lok
Sabha Secretariat.
INITIATIVES FOR BETTER HEALTH FACILITIES
Officers and staff of the Lok Sabha Secretariat contributed one
day's salary amounting to approximately 45 lakhs to the PM
CARES Fund.
COVID-19 Safety Kits were distributed at the Delhi
Residences of the Hon’ble Members of Parliament on two
occasions.
.
Total 17124 No of Covid Tests, conducted and 3625 Number of
persons vaccinated till now in two vaccination centers of P.H.
Complex.
A Control Room was set-up in the Lok Sabha Secretariat to
facilitate quicker interface between MPs, MLAs, MLCs and the
public.
Covid Test &
Vaccination
Centers in PHC
Distribution of
COVID-19
Safety Kits
Control Room for
Coordination with
States
Contribution to
PM CARES FUND
Hon’ble Speaker and other
dignitaries seen at
inauguration of Mega
Health camp in Parliament
house complex. 15th
March 2021.
Covid Initiatives
Health Related Initiatives
Upgradation of
Medical Centre , 24*7
Ambulance facility
To widen the scope of medical services in the Medical Centre,
three specialties viz. Endocrinology, Nephrology and
Gastroenterology have been initiated. Ambulance Service for
the MPs on call 24x7.
Organised Mega Health Camp and awareness Program.
Online workshop on Post Covid Care - 3 Orientation & awareness programs were
organised for MPs. Online workshop on ‘Post-Covid Care’, Physiological and Psychological
Recovery was held on 28th May 2021
2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha40