UPSC Key—19 September, 2023: Women Reservation Bill, Sacred ensembles of the Hoysala and Parliament Secretariat

Women’s Bill in the works again

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc

Mains Examination: 

• General Studies I: Role of women and women’s organization

• General Studies II: Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-HOURS after the curtains were drawn on the old Parliament to mark the move to its new premises, the women’s reservation Bill, stuck for 27 years, was said to have been cleared by the Narendra Modi Government reserving 33 per cent seats for women in Parliament and legislative Assemblies.

• Women’s Reservation Bill [The Constitution (108th Amendment) Bill, 2008-what are the key provisions?

• The Constitution (One Hundred and Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2008 seeks to reserve how many seats for women?

• Will the reservation of seats be permanent or limited to a set time period?

• The Bill will be brought in the ongoing session but there are many ifs and buts-What are those?

• What is the historical context surrounding the implementation of reservations for women in politics in India?

• For Your Information-In 1987, Rajiv Gandhi’s government constituted a 14-member committee under then Union minister Margaret Alva, which presented the National Perspective Plan for Women, 1988-2000 to the Prime Minister the following year. Among the committee’s 353 recommendations was the reservation of seats for women in elected bodies.
These recommendations paved the way for the Constitution 73rd and 74th Amendment Acts, enacted when P V Narasimha Rao was Prime Minister, mandating the reservation of one-third of seats for women in Panchayati Raj institutions and offices of the chairperson at all levels of Panchayati Raj institutions, and in urban local bodies respectively. In several states, seats were reserved for women within the quotas for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
The amendments to the Constitution were followed by demands for reservation in the legislature from several quarters. On September 12, 1996, the government of Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda tabled The Constitution (81st Amendment) Bill, which sought to reserve one-third of seats for women in Parliament and state legislatures.
On July 12, 1998, soon after the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government took over, MPs including Mamata Banerjee, who had broken away from the Congress earlier that year, and BJP leader Sumitra Mahajan, disrupted proceedings in Parliament demanding the introduction of the women’s reservation Bill.
On July 20, as Law Minister M Thambi Durai rose to introduce the Bill to reserve one-third of seats for women, RJD MP Surendra Prakash Yadav snatched it from his hand and, along with his party colleague Ajit Kumar Mehta, picked up more copies of the Bill and tore them up. Lalu Prasad and Mulayam Singh Yadav defended their actions.
While parties like the RJD and SP, and even OBC MPs from the BJP, opposed the Bill strongly, MPs such as G M Banatwala of the IUML, and Iliyas Azmi of the BSP demanded representation for Muslim women as well. In December 1998, Mamata caught SP member Daroga Prasad Saroj by the collar in order to prevent him from reaching the Speaker’s table.
In April 1999, after Jayalalithaa withdrew support to Vajpayee’s government, a vote of confidence was taken in Parliament, which the government lost by a single vote. Lok Sabha was dissolved, and the Bill lapsed again.
Vajpayee returned as Prime Minister after the elections of 1999, and the demand to introduce the Bill resurfaced. On December 23, 1999, during Parliament’s Winter Session, Law Minister Ram Jethmalani introduced The Constitution (85th Amendment Bill) to give reservation to women amid disruptions. Several members including Mulayam and Raghuvansh Prasad Singh of the RJD protested strongly, saying the introduction of the Bill was illegal.
Support for the Bill cut across party lines, and many MPs sought its passage unanimously, on the same day. However, other MPs, especially those belonging to the OBCs, protested strongly, either opposing the Bill, or seeking changes in it.
On May 6, 2008, the UPA government introduced The Constitution (108th Amendment) Bill, 2008 in Rajya Sabha. The Bill, which sought to reserve one-third of all seats for women in Lok Sabha and the state legislative Assemblies, including one third of the seats reserved for SCs and STs, was referred to the Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice on May 8.
The Standing Committee gave its report on December 17, 2009, and the Manmohan Singh Cabinet approved the Bill on February 25, 2010. The Bill was passed by Rajya Sabha on March 9. However, due to differences within the UPA and even within the Cabinet, the Bill was never brought to Lok Sabha, and it lapsed with the dissolution of the Lower House.

• What are the issues and challenges with the bill?

• Quota within Quota and Women’s Reservation Bill-Connect the dots

• What Global Gender Gap Report 2022 says about women Political Empowerment in India?

• What is the current state of women’s representation in politics in India?

• One of the most remarkable experiments in building inclusive democratic institutions has been the attempt to improve the representation of women in local government in India-what do you know about that?

• The 73rd amendment to the Indian constitution, passed in 1992, mandated some seats etc-can you recall and tell what was that all about?

• The 73rd amendment to the Indian constitution was an successful attempt for inclusive participation of women in politics-comment

• Why is women’s participation in politics important?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Two House panels on women’s Bill: Govt should decide quota within quota, review after 15 yrs

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

📍“The reservation of seats for women in the institution of local self-government has had a limited impact on the patriarchal character of the Indian political process”. Comment. (GS2, 2019)

📍“Empowering women is the key to control population growth”. Discuss. (GS1, 2019)

📍‘Women’s movement in India has not addressed the issues of women of lower social strata.’ Substantiate your view. (GS1, 2018)

📍Male membership needs to be encouraged in order to make women’s organization free from gender bias. Comment. (GS1, 2013)

GOVT & POLITICS

Karnataka’s Hoysala Temples on UNESCO World Heritage List

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination:

• General Studies I: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

• General Studies II: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-THE SACRED Ensembles of the Hoysalas, which includes three temples in Karnataka, has been inscribed on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The Hoysala Temples, as they are also known, will be India’s 42nd UNESCO World Heritage Site. On Sunday, Rabindranath Tagore’s Santiniketan, the university town in West Bengal, was also included as a world heritage site.

• What you know about the sacred ensembles of the Hoysalas?

• Where is sacred ensembles of the Hoysala?

• Map Work-Belur, Halebid and Somnathapura

• Map Work-Sketch the extent of Hoysala Empire

• The Hoysala Empire originated from where, and what was the time period?

• How did the Hoysala Empire fare in terms of its economy, government, society, and culture?

• The Hoysala Empire exhibited specific discernible attributes in the domains of art, architecture, and culture. Can you tell what was that?

• Temple architecture during Hoysala time period-what was the style of architecture?

• What are the features of belur, halebid, and somnathapura temples ?

• Hoysala temples are sometimes called hybrid or vesara style-what is vesara style of architecture?

• For Your Information-According to NCERT Text book, with the waning of Chola and Pandya power, the Hoysalas of Karnataka grew to prominence in South India and became the most important patrons centred at Mysore. The remains of around hundred temples have been found in southern Deccan, though it is only three of them that are most frequently discussed: the temples at Belur, Halebid and Somnathpuram. Perhaps the most characteristic feature of these temples is that they grow extremely complex with so many projecting angles emerging from the previously straightforward square temple, that the plan of these temples starts looking like a star, and is thus known as a stellateplan. Since they are made out of soapstone which is a relatively soft stone, the artists were able to carve their sculptures intricately. This can be seen particularly in the jewellery of the gods that adorn their temple walls.
The Hoysaleshvara temple (Lord of the Hoysalas) at Halebid in Karnataka was built in dark schist stone by the Hoysala king in 1150. Hoysala temples are sometimes called hybrid or vesara as their unique style seems neither completely dravida nor nagara, but somewhere in between. They are easily distinguishable from other medieval temples by their highly original star-like ground-plans and a profusion of decorative carvings. Dedicated to Shiva as Nataraja, the Halebid temple is a double building with a large hall for the mandapa to facilitate music and dance. A Nandi pavilion precedes each building. The tower of the temple here and at nearby Belur fell long ago, and an idea of the temples’ appearance can now only be gleaned from their detailed miniature versions flanking the entrances. From the central square plan cutout angular projections create the star effect decorated with the most profuse carvings of animals and deities. So intricate is the carving that it is said, for instance, in the bottom-most frieze featuring a continuous procession of hundreds of elephants with their mahouts, no two elephants are in the same pose.

• What is World Heritage Site?

• Know about United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

• How is a World Heritage Site selected?

• What are the criteria for determining outstanding universal value?

• What is the role of UNESCO in protecting the World Heritage?

• Why should we protect World Heritage Sites in India?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: How UNESCO grants World Heritage Site tag

EXPRESS NETWORK

SC questions Maharashtra Speaker, gives one week to decide on Uddhav Sena pleas

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-Taking exception to the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker not yet deciding petitions seeking disqualification of MLAs, including those belonging to the Shiv Sena faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the Supreme Court on Monday directed the Speaker to fix the time schedule for adjudicating the petitions within “no later than one week”.

• A three-judge bench presided by Chief Justice of India recalled that the Supreme Court’s May 11, 2023 judgment in the Maharashtra political crisis matter-What was the SC judgement in this regard?

• What exactly Supreme Court said?

• What was the issue exactly?

• What was the Shiv Sena case?

• Quick Recall-Rival groups of Shiv Sena – the Eknath Shinde group and the Uddhav Thackeray group – petitioned the SC last year in relation to the political crisis in the state. In August 2022, a three-judge bench of the top court referred to a five-judge Constitution bench on the issues involved, saying some of the questions raised as part of it may require a larger Constitution bench for consideration. The Shinde group’s plea also challenged the disqualification notices served on him and 15 MLAs supporting him.

• What was the political setup in Maharashtra before the crisis?

• Why was there a political crisis in Maharashtra in 2022?

• What Supreme Court said exactly?

• Supreme Court’s Verdict- In its judgement, the Supreme Court said the “floor test cannot be used as a medium to resolve internal party disputes or intra party disputes” and noted that “dissent and disagreement within a political party must be resolved in accordance with the remedies prescribed under the party constitution, or through any other methods that the party chooses to opt for”. In its judgement, the Supreme Court said, “Ultimately, the decision of the Speaker on the question of disqualification is subject to judicial review.” It asked the Speaker to decide the disqualification petitions “within a reasonable period”. The court also rejected the contention of the Thackeray camp that the validity of the proceedings in the House during the pendency of the disqualification petitions would depend on the outcome of the disqualification petitions.

• Supreme Court on the role of the Governor-The SC said the power of the Governor to summon the House under Article 174 must be exercised on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers. Doing so without the aid of the Council of Ministers “has ramifications on parliamentary democracy”, it said, adding that “the discretion to call for a floor test is not an unfettered discretion but one that must be exercised with circumspection, in accordance with the limits placed on it by law”. On the Governor’s role, it said, “…He cannot exercise a power that is not conferred on him by the Constitution or a law made under it. Neither the Constitution nor the laws enacted by Parliament provide for a mechanism by which disputes amongst members of a particular political party can be settled. They certainly do not empower the Governor to enter the political arena and play a role (however minute) either in inter-party disputes or in intra-party disputes.”

• Supreme Court on the role of the Speaker and appointment of Whip-“The Speaker must only recognise the whip appointed by the political party,” the Supreme Court said. Accordingly, it termed the decision of the Speaker (Rahul Narwekar) recognising Gogawale as the Chief Whip of the SSLP “illegal because the recognition was based on the resolution of a faction of the SSLP without undertaking an exercise to determine if it was the decision of the political party”. “The Speaker must recognise the Whip and the Leader who are duly authorised by the political party with reference to the provisions of the party constitution, after conducting an enquiry in this regard and in keeping with the principles discussed in this judgement,” it said. Writing for the bench, the CJI said, “The plain meaning of the provisions of the Tenth Schedule, 1986 Rules, and Maharashtra Legislature Members (Removal of Disqualification) Act of 1956 indicate that the Whip and the Leader must be appointed by the political party.” “The Tenth Schedule was introduced to thwart the growing tendency of legislators to shift allegiance to another political party after being elected on the ticket of a certain political party… When the anti-defection law seeks to curb defections from a political party, it is only a logical corollary to recognise that the power to appoint a Whip vests with the political party,” it said.
“To hold that it is the legislature party which appoints the Whip would be to sever the figurative umbilical cord which connects a member of the House to the political party. It would mean that legislators could rely on the political party for the purpose of setting them up for election, that their campaign would be based on the strengths (and weaknesses) of the political party and its promises and policies, that they could appeal to the voters on the basis of their affiliation with the party, but that they can later disconnect themselves entirely from that very party and be able to function as a group of MLAs which no longer owes even a hint of allegiance to the political party. This is not the system of governance that is envisaged by the Constitution. In fact, the Tenth Schedule guards against precisely this outcome. That a Whip be appointed by the political party is crucial for the sustenance of the Tenth Schedule….,” the Supreme Court said.

• Supreme Court on the Election Symbols-The Election Commission and the Speaker were empowered to concurrently adjudicate on the petitions before them under the Tenth Schedule and under Paragraph 15 of the Symbols Order – to decide who is the real Shiv Sena, respectively. “This is because the decision of the Speaker and the decision of the ECI are each based on different considerations and are taken for different purposes. The decision of the ECI has prospective effect(s). A declaration that one of the rival groups is that political party takes effect prospectively from the date of the decision,” the SC said. “In the event that members of the faction which has been awarded the symbol are disqualified from the House by the Speaker, the members of the group which continues to be in the House will have to follow the procedure prescribed in the Symbols Order and in any other relevant law(s) for the allotment of a fresh symbol to their group,” it said.

• What is a ‘floor test’?

• What do you understand by the term ‘collective responsibility’?

• What Article 164 of the constitution states?

• “Council of ministers is collectively responsible to the legislative assembly of the state”-What do you understand by this expression?

• What happens when the legislative assembly passes a no-confidence motion against the council of ministers?

• What is the difference between a no-confidence motion and trust vote?

• How Floor test and collective responsibility are interlinked?

• Governor can ask Government to prove majority in floor test-True or False

• What constitutes defection? Who is the deciding authority?

• What Supreme Court of India said in Kihoto Hollohan case (1993)?

• Has the anti-defection law ensured the stability of governments?

• Have any suggestions been made to improve the law?

• The 91st Amendment Act of 2003 made one change in the provisions of the Tenth Schedule. What was that?

• The disqualification of member on the ground of defection does not apply in the two exceptional cases. What is that ‘exception’?

• The five-judge Bench referred certain issues related to its 2016 judgment in the Nabam Rebia case to a larger Bench-Know in detail about the Nabam Rebia case

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Key takeaways from Maharashtra verdict

📍Governor can’t exercise power that is not conferred on him by Constitution: top court

Previous Year Prelims Questions Covering the same theme:

📍With reference to anti-defection law in India, consider the following statements: (Please refer UPSC Prelims GS1, 2022 for complete question)1. The law specifies that a nominated legislator cannot join any political party within six months of being appointed to the House.
2. The law does not provide any time-frame within which the presiding officer has to decide a defection case.

📍 Which one of the following Schedules of the Constitution of India contains provisions regarding anti-defection? (UPSC Prelims GS1, 2014)
(a) Second Schedule
(b) Fifth Schedule
(c) Eighth Schedule
(d) Tenth Schedule

📍With reference to the Legislative Assembly of a State in India, consider the following statements: (Please refer UPSC Prelims GS1, 2019 for complete question)
1. The Governor makes a customary address to Members of the House at the commencement of the first session of the year.
2. When a State Legislature does’ not have a rule on a particular matter, it follows the Lok Sabha rule on that matter.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

📍Which of the following are the discretionary powers given to the Governor of a State? (UPSC Prelims GS1, 2014)
1. Sending a report to the President of India for imposing the President’s rule
2. Appointing the Ministers
3. Reserving certain bills passed by the State Legislature for consideration of the President of India
4. Making the rules to conduct the business of the State Government
Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Previous Year Mains Questions Covering the same theme:
📍Discuss the conditions for the exercise of the legislative powers by the Governor. Discuss the legality of re- promulgation of ordinances by the Governor without placing them before the Legislature. (UPSC Mains GS2, 2022)
📍The role of individual MPs (Members of Parliament) has diminished over the years and as a result healthy constructive debates on policy issues are not usually witnessed. How far can this be attributed to the anti-defection law, which was legislated but with a different intention? (UPSC Mains GS2, 2013)
📍 “Once a speaker, Always a speaker’! Do you think the practice should be adopted to impart objectivity to the office of the Speaker of Lok Sabha? What could be its implications for the robust functioning of parliamentary business in India. (UPSC Mains GS2, 2020)

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

A WIN-WIN FOR ALL

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- R. S. Sharma writes: Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is more than a tech buzzword; it’s a transformative concept that India has championed on the global stage, notably in G20 deliberations. The nation’s unique DPI initiatives, such as digital ID (Aadhaar) and payment infrastructure (UPI), have been highlighted by the Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) under the G20 umbrella. But what exactly is DPI, and why is it so crucial for India’s digital future?

• What is Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)?

• Why Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is more than a tech buzzword?

• What are India’s unique Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) initiatives?

• Why Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is so crucial for India’s digital future?

• Do You Know-Though the term DPI is relatively new, the concept is not. The internet, powered by common protocols like HTTP, HTML, and SMTP, is a prime example of DPI. It ensures global information exchange and interoperability. Telecom, with standards like GSM, SMS, CDMA, and IEEE 802.11, is another example. Loosely defined, DPI is a set of technology building blocks that drive innovation, inclusion, and competition at scale, operating under open, transparent and participatory governance.
India’s history with technology in the public domain began with disconnected applications developed in the ’80s and ’90s. State and central governments then developed infrastructure projects like state-wide area networks, Common Service Centres (CSCs), and State Data Centres (SDCs), along with several Mission Mode Projects (MMPs). The objective was to create the necessary infrastructure and software development in various domains.

• “Aadhaar’s development taught valuable lessons in minimalism”-Discuss

• A comprehensive understanding of DPI requires recognition of its three integral layers-what are those?

• “The matter of pricing for services provided by DPI has stirred a debate”-what debate?

• What makes for a strong digital public infrastructure (DPI)?

• How does digital public infrastructure (DPI) affect a country’s economy?

• Why is digital public infrastructure (DPI) important for countries facing crises like climate disasters, pandemics, and other emergencies?

• Can digital public infrastructure (DPI) help us reach the Sustainable Development Goals?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Pathways for digital inclusion

THE IDEAS PAGE

Corridor to a new world

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-M Jamshed writes: If you pulled at one end of the historic thread of the ancient Red Sea route, you might be led as far back as the beginning of the Common Era, towards an almost historic inevitability of that powerful connection which brought the coins of Tiberius to Punjab and took Indian Ocean pearls to Rome, and situated ancient India at the heart of a corridor that wielded both economic value and geopolitical clout. But it is equally true that in the modern world, heads of state have never before convened deliberately around the high table at a global summit to pronounce a memorandum of understanding on an economic corridor.

• “On September 10 in New Delhi, the Prime Minister of India, President of the United States, Chancellor of Germany, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, President of UAE, Prime Minister of Italy, and the President of the EU unanimously agreed to establish the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC)”-know in detail about India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

• What is India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC)?

• For Your Information- The IMEC will be a route in the historic sense of the word (with the geopolitical and economic significance that entails), providing transport connectivity to accelerate the development and integration of Asia, the Arabian Gulf, and Europe as a new locus of global power. It envisions a reliable, cost-effective railway and ship-to-rail transit network to supplement maritime and road routes, enabling goods and services to move between India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel and the EU. IMEC is India’s moment.
But it will also be the cornerstone of economic progress across the region by supercharging regional trade, and connecting Asia with Europe through a region that has never, since the ancient Red Sea route, been considered for such connectivity despite its game-changing potential in terms of shorter transits, accessibility, and multimodal connectivity.
The maritime corridor between Asia and Europe currently remains rooted in the saturated Suez Canal and Mediterranean shipping routes despite being longer and involving additional logistics costs. It takes 11 days to sail from JNPT in Maharashtra to Suez port, and six days to Dammam. An additional 24-hour transit by railway could land consignments at Haifa, saving three to four days of transit.
IMEC, which promises shorter routes, is a breakthrough. It links major ports of western India including JNPT, Kochi, Kandla and Mundra with major shipping ports of the Gulf, including Jebel Ali, Fujairah, Ras Al-Khair, Dammam, Duqm, and Salalah. From these ports, cargo will be transported by the Saudi rail network on their north-south line to the port of Haifa in Israel through Jordan. Haifa, being a deep seaport, can handle bulk container trains and post Panamax ships which after transhipment, carry cargo to European ports like Piraeus, Kavala (Greece), Trieste, La Spezia (Italy), Marseille-Fos (France), Barcelona, and Valencia (Spain). Road container trailers or container cargo trains will thereafter transport goods across Europe.
IMEC is envisioned as not one, but two corridors — an eastern corridor linking India to the Arabian Gulf and a northern corridor linking the Arabian Gulf to Europe. Both ends have robust port, rail, and road infrastructure.
India, whose connectivity infrastructure has helped it become the world’s fastest-growing major economy, has a massive, well-integrated railroad network, mega ports, and highways on the eastern end of IMEC. Mega infra projects for augmenting capacities — dedicated rail freight corridors, highways, expressways and ports — are at various stages of development. On the western end of IMEC, beyond Haifa, the sea route across the Mediterranean is also a well-charted path to Greece, Italy, France, and Spain, and well served by hinterland connectivity to Europe by rail and roads.

• The IMEC will include two separate corridors-Know them and mark them on map

• Can you mark or sketch the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) on world map?

• Which are the key places, water bodies and industrial belt in India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor? Mark them on the map

• What is the objective behind this corridor?

• What would make this corridor unique?

• How India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is different from China’s Belt and Road initiative (BRI)?

• India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and China’s Belt and Road initiative-Compare and contrast

• To what degree will the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) contribute to the enhancement of India’s external trade?

• What will be the challenges in implementing India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC)?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍India-Middle East-Europe mega economic corridor: What is the project and why is it being proposed?

EXPLAINED

As Parliament turns 75, the story of its ‘backbone’ — the Secretariat

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: 

• General Studies I: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

• General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- We can look at the 75-year journey of our Parliament through many lenses. One could be statistical. Like the number of days that Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha worked, and the number of laws they made. Or, it could be about the Members of Parliament (MPs) whose debates shaped legislation, cornered the government and voiced the nation’s conscience. But discussion about our Parliament’s rich history can only be complete by highlighting the behind-the-scenes, painstaking work done by women and men of the Parliament secretariat.

• India’s present Parliament House is a colonial-era building designed by whom?

• But discussion about our Parliament’s rich history can only be complete by highlighting the behind-the-scenes, painstaking work done by women and men of the Parliament secretariat- Know about Parliament secretariat

• Do You Know- Parliament secretariat is a professional body advises presiding officers of the two Houses, provides MPs with information to aid their legislative interventions and ensures that the legislature functions smoothly. It has also been the custodian of procedure, precedent, legislative knowledge and their transfer across parliamentary terms. If Parliament is a body, the secretariat is its backbone.

• “If Parliament is a body, the secretariat is its backbone”-Analyse

• Who championed the idea of a separate secretariat for the legislature?

• A Walk Through History-Vithalbhai Patel, who in 1925 became the first elected Speaker (then called the President) of the Central Assembly, championed the idea of a separate secretariat for the legislature. He believed that if the office of the Speaker had to work independently, it needed a staff directly under its control. Patel also pushed for a separate security establishment for the legislature. In 1929, after Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw bombs into the Central Assembly, the British administration wanted to place police officers to control access to the Parliament building.
Patel believed that Assembly precincts came under the Speaker’s authority and that any interference by the government would be an affront to the power of the legislature’s presiding officer. There was a stand-off between the Speaker and the administration. Patel closed access to the visitor galleries until the government agreed to place security arrangements under the Speaker’s control. His perseverance created a separate office for the legislature in 1929, independent of and unconnected with the government.
By then, a cadre of specialised Parliament staff had started emerging as legislatures evolved in our country.
Perhaps the first set of such individuals were the parliamentary reporters. These individuals are responsible for accurately reporting legislative proceedings. They sit in in the House, close to the presiding officer’s chair. Within a few hours of the end of a parliamentary sitting, their work makes hundreds of pages of speeches of MPs, ministerial statements and observations by the Chair are made available to the public.
Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha rules of procedure require that the “Secretary-General shall cause to be prepared a full report of the proceedings of the House at each of its sittings and shall, as soon as practicable, publish it in such form and manner” as directed by the presiding officer. The rule’s genesis lies in an 1861 communication from the Secretary of State for India to the Governor General.

• The task of professionalising the Parliament secretariat and establishing its standard operating procedures fell on whom?

• Who was Maheshwar Nath Kaul?

• Parliament secretariat after Post-independence-Know in detail

• How Secretary-Generals for Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are appointed?

• The position of the Secretary-General has dual obligations-know in detail

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍As Govt fetes ‘House journey of 75 yrs’, a preview: Lok Sabha is ageing, asking fewer questions, passing fewer Bills

For any queries and feedback, contact priya.shukla@indianexpress.com
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