Latest news with #Birla
Hindustan Times
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Digitisation, encouraging first-term MPs to raise issues hallmark of Birla's 6 years as LS Speaker
New Delhi, Digitisation of parliamentary records, special legislative briefings and giving opportunities to first-term lawmakers to raise issues have been the hallmark of Om Birla's tenure as the Lok Sabha Speaker for the sixth straight year. Digitisation, encouraging first-term MPs to raise issues hallmark of Birla's 6 years as LS Speaker Birla, a three-term Lok Sabha member, was re-elected as the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha on June 26 last year and completed six years as the presiding officer of the lower house earlier this week. "The first year of the 18th Lok Sabha has marked 104 per cent productivity. The House sitting lasted well past midnight to approve key legislations," the Speaker told reporters in a recent interaction. He said the 18th Lok Sabha passed 24 bills, including the Waqf Bill, the Disaster Management Bill, and the Immigration and Foreigners Bill during the 372 hours of sittings of the lower House through the past one year. Birla was elected as the Lok Sabha Speaker for the first time on June 19, 2019. His second term as the Lok Sabha Speaker began on June 26 last year. Birla said it has been his priority to allow members to raise issues of urgent public importance in the House and a record of sorts was created on April 3 this year when 204 issues were raised in the Lok Sabha the maximum ever in a single day. He said digitisation of Parliamentary records has been another area of priority and the Lok Sabha secretariat was in the process of digitising video recordings of historic parliamentary debates of yesteryears running into more than 8,000 hours. "We have sourced these videos from Doordarshan archives as these date before Sansad TV came into existence," a senior official said. He said an AI-powered search system now allows users to find specific words or topics in videos instantly, even across multiple languages. The official said new technologies have simplified newly elected MPs' daily tasks, replacing the cumbersome process of filling 19 different forms with a unified onboarding app that saves time and reduces errors. The Parliament Digital Library has emerged as a crucial resource, offering the public digital access to vast parliamentary research and information, furthering transparency and democratic engagement. "This initiative not only puts the rich parliamentary knowledge hub in digital space for wider use but also strengthens our democratic legacy," Birla said. He also said AI-driven translation and localisation tools now automatically convert parliamentary documents into the country's constitutional languages. The indigenous AI tool "Sansad Bhashini" provides multilingual support for parliamentary work, breaking language barriers and promoting inclusivity as part of the Digital India mission, the Lok Sabha Speaker said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
India Gazette
a day ago
- Business
- India Gazette
LS Speaker Om Birla's second term marked by record productivity, digital reforms
New Delhi [India], June 27 (ANI): One year since his re-election as speaker of the Lok Sabha, Om Birla's second term has emerged as a defining period of transformative change, legislative productivity and digital innovation in India's parliamentary journey. With four sessions already concluded and the fifth session scheduled to begin on July 21, the first year of the 18th Lok Sabha has proven to be not just a continuation but an evolution of India's vibrant democracy. During this period, Parliament has embraced reforms, responsiveness and representation like never before. As per the record of Lok Sabha, under Birla's leadership, who assumed the office of Speaker on June 26, 2024, the house has conducted proceedings for 372 hours and 36 minutes and achieved an average productivity of 103.17%, a record in recent times. A historic milestone was achieved on April 3, 2025, when 204 issues were raised during Zero Hour in a single day, the highest ever in Lok Sabha's history. A significant parliamentary reform was also introduced by renaming 'Matters of Urgent Public Importance' to 'Matters of Public Importance', streamlining procedures to reflect the evolving priorities of the House. The tireless approach of Speaker Birla, the 18th Lok Sabha, has passed 24 key legislations aimed at national progress and public welfare. In just four sessions, which included the Waqf Board (Amendment) Bill 2024, the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill 2024, the Indian Aircraft Bill 2024 and the Immigration and Foreigners Bill 2025. These build upon landmark bills passed during the 17th Lok Sabha under Birla's leadership, such as the abrogation of Article 370, the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam and the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019. Not only at the domestic front, the voice of Indian democracy echoed across the globe, and Parliamentary diplomacy worked with a renewed vigour. Om Birla has significantly elevated India's democratic voice in global forums. Representing India at key international events, including 10th BRICS Parliamentary Forum (Russia, July 2024), 149th and 150th IPU Assemblies (Geneva, Oct 2024 & Tashkent, Apr 2025), CSPOC Standing Committee Meeting (UK, Jan 2025), 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum (Brazil, June 2025) etc, Indian Parliamentary Delegations under Birla's leadership actively participated and put forth India's view point on major issues including Pahalgam terror attack. In the last one year, India has also hosted parliamentary delegations from nine nations, including Japan, UAE, Russia, Mauritius, Maldives and Armenia, strengthening bilateral ties through parliamentary diplomacy. The Speaker also reaffirmed to constitute Parliamentary Friendship Groups with foreign Parliaments, with a commitment to evolve consensus on key issues. The most transformative initiative in Speaker Birla's tenure has been the launch of the Digital Parliament Project 2.0. Aimed at making Parliament smarter, transparent and accessible, the project includes digitisation of over 8,000 hours of archival parliamentary proceedings. Also, an AI-powered video search engine was launched with the capability of multilingual speech recognition. Birla also started a digital attendance system for MPs using tablets and smart pens. During the tenure of Speaker Birla, Parliament Digital Library (PDL) and eHRMS for staff management were also introduced. With the efforts of Birla as Lok Sabha Speaker, a unified onboarding system for new MPs, replacing 19 separate forms with a single digital app, was launched, saving time and minimising errors. 'Sansad Bhashini', an indigenous AI-based translation tool to provide multilingual access to parliamentary documents and proceedings, was introduced, breaking language barriers and fostering inclusivity in line with the Digital India mission. These initiatives not only reduce paper usage and boost efficiency but also redefine public access and transparency in the world's largest democracy. Speaker Birla's focus on increasing engagement is visible in initiatives like opening Room No. 52 of the Parliament Library Building, the Parliamentary Knowledge Platform and regular briefings on important bills. Women and youth have been encouraged to participate in parliamentary discussions and fellowships, underscoring Parliament's inclusive ethos. As India's population crosses 1.4 billion, Lok Sabha continues to be a platform that echoes the concerns and aspirations of every Indian citizen. The digital initiatives, record productivity, and legislative reforms under Om Birla's leadership not only modernise procedures but also strengthen the moral and institutional foundations of Indian democracy. The 18th Lok Sabha under Om Birla has reaffirmed that democracy is not static, but it evolves, adapts, and modernizes in tune with the needs of the people it represents. India's Parliament today is not just a custodian of the past; it is a beacon for the future. And at the heart of this transformation stands a Speaker who has seamlessly blended tradition with innovation, steering the House with firmness, foresight, and an unwavering commitment to public service. (ANI)
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Knowledge Nugget: Why is Parliamentary Estimates Committee important for your UPSC exam?
Take a look at the essential concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here's your knowledge nugget for today. (Relevance: In 2023, UPSC has asked a question in General Studies II on the structure of the Parliamentary Committee system and how it helped in the institutionalisation of the Indian Parliament. A preliminary question was asked on the Estimate Committee (Do solve it in the post-read questions). In this regard, it makes this topic very important for your UPSC exam.) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday (23rd June) inaugurated the national conference marking the platinum jubilee of the Parliamentary Estimates Committee in Mumbai's Vidhan Bhavan complex. The two-day event, held at the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan complex in Mumbai, brought together committee chairpersons and members from across the country. 1. Describing the 75-year milestone as a 'significant moment in India's parliamentary journey,' Birla said the Estimates Committee had submitted over 1,000 reports since its formation in 1950, shaping key national policies in sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, and defence. 2. Birla underscored the importance of fostering institutional synergy, enhancing financial accountability, and embracing technology-driven governance to strengthen democratic processes. The Speaker urged members to uphold the spirit of collaboration and responsibility, reinforcing the committees' role as pillars of parliamentary democracy. He also called for coordination between the Estimates Committees of Parliament and the state/UT legislatures. 3. Dileep P Chandran wrote in the Indian Express, 'Parliamentary committees are devices to overcome the limitations of organisational and technical complexity of large legislatures. Independent India inherited the modern committee system from the British parliamentary system and innovated new techniques to effectively manage the voluminous tasks in the large Parliament.' 4. The origin of the parliamentary committee system in India can be traced back to the British colonial era. The first committee established in the Indian legislature was the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in 1921 under the Government of India Act, 1919, also called the Montford Reforms. 5. The constitution has not provided any special provisions on the composition, tenure, or functioning of the Parliamentary Committees. Parliamentary Committees draw their authority from Article 105, which deals with the privileges of MPs, and Article 118, which gives Parliament authority to make rules to regulate its procedure and conduct of business. Each House of Parliament may make rules for regulating, subject to the provisions of this Constitution, its procedure and the conduct of its business. (Article 118(1)) 6. The Lok Sabha Rules of Procedure provide for the appointment of the parliamentary committees. The committee is appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker/Chairman. They work under the direction of the Speaker/Chairman. The committee presents its report to the House or to the Speaker/Chairman. 7. Parliamentary committees help MPs devote more time to each item under scrutiny and examine matters in great detail. These committees can also seek inputs from experts from respective fields and ensure the participation of stakeholders in deliberations. These measures help members from various political parties to reach a consensus on insurmountable issues. 1. The Estimates Committee is a Financial Standing Committee which shall consist of not more than thirty members who shall be elected by the House every year from amongst its members according to the principle of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. A minister shall not be elected to be a member of the committee, and if a member, after election to the Committee, is appointed a Minister, such member shall cease to be a member of the Committee from the date of such appointment. 2. The term of the office shall not exceed one year. Rule 312 of the Lok Sabha provides that 'the Committee may continue the examination of the estimates from time to time throughout the financial year and report to the House as its examination proceeds.' It is not required that the committee examine the entire estimates of any one year. (a) Report what economies, improvements in organization, efficiency or administrative reform, consistent with the policy underlying the estimates, may be affected; (b) suggest alternative policies in order to bring about efficiency and economy in administration; (c) examine whether the money is well laid out within the limits of the policy implied in the estimates; and (d) Suggest the form in which the estimates shall be presented to Parliament. The Committee does not exercise its functions in relation to such Public Undertakings as are allotted to the Committee on Public Undertakings by the Rules of Procedure of Lok Sabha or by the Speaker. 1. Broadly, Parliamentary Committees can be classified into Financial Committees, Departmentally Related Standing Committees, Other Parliamentary Standing Committees, and Ad hoc Committees. 2. The Financial Committees include the Estimates Committee, Public Accounts Committee, and the Committee on Public Undertakings. These committees were constituted in 1950. 3. Seventeen Departmentally Related Standing Committees came into being in 1993, when Shivraj Patil was Speaker of Lok Sabha, to examine budgetary proposals and crucial government policies. The aim was to increase Parliamentary scrutiny, and to give members more time and a wider role in examining important legislation. The number of Committees was subsequently increased to 24. Each of these Committees has 31 members — 21 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha. 4. Ad hoc Committees are appointed for a specific purpose. They cease to exist after they have completed the task assigned to them, and have submitted a report to the House. The principal Ad hoc Committees are the Select and Joint Committees on Bills. Committees like the Railway Convention Committee, Committee on Food Management and Security in Parliament House Complex, etc. also come under the category of Ad hoc Committees. 5. Parliament can also constitute a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) with a special purpose, with members from both Houses, for detailed scrutiny of a subject or Bill. Also, either of the two Houses can set up a Select Committee with members from that House. JPCs and Select Committees are usually chaired by ruling party MPs, and are disbanded after they have submitted their report. (set up in 1921) (set up on the recommendation of John Mathai, the then Finance Minister) (created in 1964) Which one of the following is the largest Committee of the Parliament? (UPSC CSE 2014) (a) The Committee on Public Accounts (b) The Committee on Estimates (c) The Committee on Public Undertakings (d) The Committee on Petition (Source: India's Parliamentary Committee System: Unveiling its origin, significance and challenges, LS Speaker Om Birla inaugurates Estimates Committee platinum jubilee meet, Constitution of India, Rules of Procedure Lok Sabha, Parliament Committees, their leaders, and their role in law-making) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for June 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at
India Gazette
4 days ago
- Business
- India Gazette
Parliamentary committees should not oppose government but act as supportive and corrective instruments: Lok Sabha Speaker Birla
New Delhi [India], June 25 (ANI): The two-day National Conference of Chairpersons of Estimates Committees of Parliament and State / UT Legislatures, which was inaugurated by the Speaker, Lok Sabha Om Birla, on Monday at Maharashtra Vidhan Bhawan, Mumbai, concluded on Tuesday. Addressing the Valedictory Session, the Speaker, Lok Sabha, Om Birla underscored the importance of fostering institutional synergy, enhancing financial accountability, and embracing technology-driven governance to strengthen democratic processes. He highlighted that seamless coordination among various arms of governance is crucial for efficient policy implementation and citizen-centric administration. Emphasising transparency and fiscal responsibility, the Speaker called for robust mechanisms to ensure prudent use of public funds. Furthermore, he advocated for the integration of advanced digital technologies to improve administrative efficiency, promote real-time public service delivery, and uphold the values of good governance in the digital age. Emphasising on accountability and innovation in governance, he emphasised that Parliamentary Committees, whether at the Centre or in States, are not opposed to the government but rather act as supportive and corrective instruments, offering constructive guidance. By offering well-researched recommendations and acting as a bridge between the executive and the legislature, these committees contribute to transparent, accountable, and effective governance, he added. The Speaker urged members to uphold the spirit of collaboration and responsibility, reinforcing the committees' role as pillars of parliamentary democracy. He also called for coordination between Estimate Committees of Parliament and the states/UTs legislatures. Advocating for a robust Committee oversight and technology integration in public spending, Birla noted that by leveraging modern technological tools such as AI and data analytics, oversight mechanisms can become more precise and impactful. He called for empowering Committees with necessary resources and digital capabilities to monitor expenditures closely, thereby reinforcing fiscal discipline and promoting good governance. Birla stressed that public representatives, given their direct connection with the people, have a deep understanding of ground-level issues and can significantly enhance budget scrutiny through meaningful engagement. Mentioning that Estimates Committees must ensure that every rupee spent is for people's welfare, Lok Sabha Speaker emphasised that fiscal resources of the country must be utilised efficiently and responsibly. He reiterated that the role of Estimates Committees is not just to monitor expenditure but to ensure that welfare schemes are relevant, accessible, and effective for the common citizen, with a special emphasis on social justice and welfare. Birla stated that technology-driven governance, such as Direct Benefit Transfers, has reduced pilferage and ensured that benefits reach the intended recipients--a goal that Estimates Committees must continue to support. Reflecting on the purpose and impact of the Conference, Birla said that the platform reaffirmed the collective commitment of legislative institutions to fiscal discipline, transparency, and public accountability. Birla also called for wider public engagement with the Committee process and encouraged dissemination of Committee findings to build greater trust in democratic institutions. He suggested that similar conferences be held for other Committees such as the Privileges Committee, Petitions Committee, and the Committee on Empowerment of Women, to encourage inter-legislative dialogue and promote adoption of best practices. Birla expressed confidence that the consensus and ideas forged at this conference would translate into more efficient, accountable, and people-centric governance. The Conference unanimously adopted six key resolutions that lay out a forward-looking roadmap for strengthening Estimates Committees, Lok Sabha Secretariat said in a release. Chairpersons and Members of Estimates Committees from 23 States and Union Territories participated in the Conference. The conference, which marks 75 years of the Estimates Committee's journey, brought together key stakeholders to discuss ways to strengthen institutional mechanisms of financial oversight and improve administrative efficiency in the world's largest democracy. The theme of the Conference was, 'Role of Estimates Committee in effective Monitoring and Review of Budget Estimates for ensuring Efficiency and economy in Administration'. (ANI)
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Use public funds prudently, says Lok Sabha speaker
Mumbai: Addressing the valedictory session of the National Conference of Chairpersons of Estimates Committees of Parliament and State/UT Legislatures at the Vidhan Bhavan, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla underscored the importance of fostering institutional synergy, enhancing financial accountability, and embracing technology-driven governance to strengthen democratic processes. Birla highlighted that seamless coordination among various arms of govt is crucial for efficient policy implementation and citizen-centric administration. Emphasising transparency and fiscal responsibility, Birla called for robust mechanisms to ensure prudent use of public funds. He advocated for the integration of advanced digital technologies to improve administrative efficiency, promote real-time public service delivery, and uphold the values of good governance in the digital age. Stating that the Estimates Committees of Parliament and State Legislatures are the backbone of transparency and accountability in governance, governor C P Radhakrishnan hailed the committees for strengthening democracy in the country in his valedictory address. Noting that over 55% of revenue receipts of states are spent on committed expenditures such as salaries, pensions, and interest payments, Radhakrishnan expressed the hope that the estimates committees will look beyond traditional methods in promoting fiscal prudence and effective governance. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 쑤시는 무릎, 나이 탓하며 그냥 넘기시나요? 큰딸민지 더 알아보기 Undo In this connection, Radhakrishnan said the committees should adopt advanced tools such as data analytics, dashboards, and AI-powered audit platforms to ensure real-time monitoring of budget performance and public service delivery. Radhakrishnan highlighted Maharashtra's contribution to India's democratic fabric. He was all praise for the positive and constructive relationship between the treasury benches and the opposition in Maharashtra and said such healthy democratic practices are worthy of emulation by other states. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai The conference, which marks 75 years of the estimates committee's journey, brought together key stakeholders to discuss ways to strengthen institutional mechanisms of financial oversight and improve administrative efficiency in the world's largest democracy. The theme of the conference was 'Role of Estimates Committee in Effective Monitoring and Review of Budget Estimates for Ensuring Efficiency and Economy in Administration'. Mentioning that estimates committees must ensure that every rupee spent is for people's welfare, Birla emphasised that fiscal resources of the country must be utilised efficiently and responsibly. He reiterated that the role of estimates committees is not just to monitor expenditure but to ensure that welfare schemes are relevant, accessible, and effective for the common citizen, with a special emphasis on social justice and welfare. Birla stated that technology-driven governance, such as direct benefit transfers, has reduced pilferage and ensured that benefits reach the intended recipients — a goal that estimates committees must continue to support.
