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Home , 14th Lok Sabha, 15th Lok Sabha, 16th Lok Sabha, 17th Lok Sabha, Lok Sabha, Lok Sabha Secretariat

XVIIth in the service of the Nation The First Two Years

The 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 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 , that is . In furtherance of this cause, the Lok Sabha under the stewardship of Hon'ble Speaker, Shri , 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 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 and our democratic polity.

(Secretary-General) Lok Sabha GREATER PARTICIPATION, HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY

The 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)

• 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.

Work Productivity

180 167 160

140 125 116 120 115 114 103103 105 100 98 100 90 93 84 87 80 71 68 66 66 52 60 47

40 Work ProductivityPercentage in 20

0 First Session Second Session Third Session Fourth Session Fifth Session Work Productivity during the first 5 Sessions of 14th, 15th, 16th & 17th Lok Sabha (in precentage)

14th Lok Sabha 17th Lok Sabha

Work Productivity during the first 5 Sessions of 14th, 15th, 16th & 17th Lok Sabha (in Percentage)

Fig.1

3 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.

• 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).

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 2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha as Speaker A New Beginning

Because of constant efforts of Hon’ble Speaker after assuming the Office on 19 June 2019, the House functioned smoothly with unprecedented 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%.

Hon'ble speaker Lok Sabha accepting the The Hon’ble Prime , Leader of Opposition, and other greetings of the Members after been elected Members greeting the Speaker.

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 and 170 hours 25 minutes during the 15th Lok Sabha.

• 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 PRIMACY TO LAW MAKING

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 Bills during the first five sessions of the 17th Lok Sabha are clearly evident in the following (Fig.3)

First 5 Sessions (14th -17th Lok Sabha) 120 107 102 100 82 80 67 68 71 60 61 60

40

20

0 14th Lok Sabha 15th Lok Sabha 16th Lok Sabha 17th लLok Sabha

Government Bills Introduced Government Bills Passed Fig. 3 .

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.

6 2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha PRIMACY TO LAW MAKING

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

7 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.

2000 1800 1744 1600 1400 1200 1000 825 800 709

600 496

400 262.55 132.38 200 82.88 100.12 0 14th Lok Sabha 15th Lok Sabha 16th Lok Sabha 17th Lok Sabha No of times members spoke on government Time take in Hours Fig. 4 • 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)

8 2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha : Enforcing Accountability

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 Hon’ble Speaker, Lok Sabha , Shri Om Birla respectively, the corresponding average figure in the Chair. rose to 5.37 during 17th Lok Sabha. (Fig.5)

• 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.

Questions Orally answered (Average per Sitting)

6 5.37 5 4.34 4 3.07 2.96 3

2

1

0 14th Lok Sabha 15th Lok Sabha 16th Lok Sabha 17th Lok Sabha (upto 5th Session)

Fig.5

9 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.

Average Number of Members whose Questions were Admitted Per Sitting

17th Lok Sabha (upto 5th Session) 394.25

16th Lok Sabha 373.25

15th Lok Sabha 333.75

14th Lok Sabha 321.25

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400

Fig. 6

10 2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha Enforcing Executive Accountability-Rule 377

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.

Percentage of replies of Matters raised/laid under Rule 377 during the First 5 Sessions (From 15th - 17th Lok Sabha)

89.82% 90.00% 72.17% 80.00% 58.44% 70.00% 60.00% 50.00% 40.00% 30.00% 20.00% 10.00% 0.00% 15th Lok Sabha 16th Lok Sabha 17th Lok Sabha Fig.7 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. Matters related to Rule 377: New Initiatives By Hon’ble Speaker

• 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. 11 Accommodating Maximum Numbers of Members During Zero Hour

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.

• 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.

Matters of Urgent Public Importance raised during Zero Hour(Average/per day/First 5 Sessions)

29.72 17th Lok Sabha

24.19 16th Lok Sabha

9.27 15th Lok Sabha

9.86 14th Lok Sabha

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Fig. 8

12 2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha ZERO HOUR: Major Milestones during the 17th Lok Sabha

161 members raised matters on 18 July 2019 during Zero Hour, the Highest on A Single Day.

The highest number of Matters raised in one session in the history of Lok 1066 matters during 1st Session. Sabha. The highest number of Matters raised 47 matters on an average per day on an average per day in the history of during 2nd Session. Lok Sabha. 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 2436 matters were raised during First Year of any Lok Sabha. First Year of 17th Lok Sabha.

The highest number of matters raised 583 matters were raised in 5th in Fifth Session of any Lok Sabha. Session of 17th Lok Sabha, the highest as compared to 5th Session of all previous Lok Sabhas.

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.

13 Parliamentary Steps Towards Digital Footprints

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.

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.

Receipt of E-notices of Questions

100.00% 90.00% 90.36% 80.00% 70.00% 60.00% 44.22% 50.00% 40.00% 30.00% 20.00% 10.00% 0.00%

16th Lok Sabha (Last Session) 17th Lok Sabha (5th Session) Fig. 09

• 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. 2 Years of XVIIth 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.

Hon’ble MPs wearing mask in Parliament House. DespiteMembers wearingCOVIDmask in Parliament-19, theHouseproductivity14th September, 2020.of the House was 167% in the fourth session of the 17th Lok Sabha, which is historic.

• To ensure social distance, seats were allotted to Alliances/ Parties in both Lok Sabha and 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.

15 Procedural Innovations & Initiatives under the Directions of Hon’ble Speaker, Lok Sabha

HON'BLE SPEAKER, LOK SABHA, SH. OM BIRLA

A new Direction limiting a Member to introduce not Regular communication more than 3 Private Member's with Ministries / Bills during a Session has been Departments to obtain issued to take up more Private complete responses in Members’ Bills for House related matters. consideration.

To ensure more transparency, ballots of Communication to MPs Notices are now held in through I & CC regarding the presence of 2 information about issue Members of Lok Sabha & of Summons and tabling 1 Officer of Lok Sabha of Notices etc. Secretariat of the rank of Director.

A new Direction limiting the number of amendments to the Motion of Thanks and Cut Motions on a Demand to Ten has been issued to further streamline the Parliamentary Practice.

2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha 16 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 )

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.

Monitoring of expenditure resulted in savings

17th Lok Sabha

2019-20 2020-21 151.44 249.54

*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

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.

Flats at Dr BD Marg, inaugurated by Hon’ble Prime Hon’ble Prime Minister Sh. Minister Sh. Narendra Modi on 23th November, 2020 inaugurated Duplex flats of North Avenue on 19th through Virtual Conference in the presence of Hon'ble August 2019. Speaker. Residential Facilities

• 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 . 2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha 18 INTRODUCING QUALITATIVE CATERING SERVICES IN PARLIAMENT HOUSE COMPLEX 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.

Use of I.C.T.

• 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.

19 A NEW PARLIAMENT BUILDING FOR 21ST CENTURY INDIA

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. Paperless Secretariat is proposed to be created in New Parliament Building.

Hon’ble 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. View of the proposed New Parliament House. 2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha 20 PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES-MINI 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.

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.

21 Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla presiding over the General Purposes Committee meeting.

The Meeting of General Purposes Committee under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Speaker was held on 10th February 2020 after 19 years.

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.

2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha 22 Research Support

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 .

Path Breaking Recommendations By Some Important Committees

• 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.

23 CAPACITY BUILDING AND TRAINING PROGRAMMES IN PARLIAMENT: NEW INITIATIVES

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 (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.

Building Capacity at Grass Root Level – Panchayati Raj Institutions

Hon’ble Speaker at Outreach and Familiarisation Hon’ble Speaker at Outreach and Familiarisation Programmes for the Panchayati Raj Institutions in Programmes for the Panchayati Raj Institutions in th Dehradun. 8th January 2021. Shilong.25 February 2021.

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 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 .

2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha 24 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.

Introduced Briefing Sessions for the members.

Introduced Briefing Sessions on Important Legislative Business to enhance the quality of 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. Considerable increase in Legislative and Reference Notes

125

100 120

75

50 50 25

0 16th Lok Sabha 17th Lok Sabha Comparison of Reference/Legislative Notes Supplied to Members during the first five Sessions of 16th & 17th Lok Sabhas Fig. 10 25 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.

Other Key Initiatives by PRIDE in this Direction

• 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. 2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha 26 EffortsEFFORTS to enhance TO ENHANCEthe quality of THE discussion QUALITY in the OFHouse DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE

Under the visionary guidance of Hon'ble Speaker, Lok Sabha, innovative and creative Undermeasuresthe visionaryhave beenguidancetaken duringof Hon'ble17th LokSpeaker,SabhaLokto revampSabha, researchinnovativeandandinformationcreative measuressupport tohaveMembersbeen takenof Parliamentduring .17ItthhasLokbeenSabhathe constantto revampendeavorresearchof Hon'bleand informationSpeaker to supportsee thattotheMembersSecretariatof Parliamentpro-actively. It hasreachesbeen theoutconstantto Membersendeavorof Parliamentof Hon'bleandSpeakerprovideto seethemthatwiththe comprehensiveSecretariat pro-andactivelyrelevantreachesreferenceout to materialMemberstooffurtherParliamentimproveandqualityprovideof themdebateswithandcomprehensiveintervention duringand relevantHouse proceedingsreference material. to further improve quality of debates and intervention during House proceedings.

PRISM

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

अꅍयOtherपहलInitiatives

• For the First time, Research notes were prepared • Directors of the R&I Division are now in for Ministries whose Demand for Grants were constant touch with Chairpersons of being discussed in the House, during 5th session various Parliamentary Committees to of 17th Lok Sabha provide research inputs for the first time • For the First time, introduced Research Notes in • Provided Research and Information inputs Question/Answer format for ready use by during the inter-session period, and also Members even during the lockdown when Lok • Encouraged preparation of increased number of Sabha Secretariat was closed due to the Research documents in the Hindi language Covid-19 pandemic

27 Parliament Library : Member-centric Initiatives

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 • Initiated Display of Books written by sitting MPs in the Member’s 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.

A view of Parliament Library

Hon’ble Speaker at a book Exhibition at floral tributes in Central Hall of Parliament House, 10th December 2019. 2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha 28 STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY THROUGH PARLIAMENTARY DIPLOMACY

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

For the first time in the history of Indian , Indian MPs have membership of ten bodies of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) during June 2019 - May 2021

Increased Representation of Indian MPs in IPU bodies

14th Lok Sabha

15th Lok Sabha

16th Lok Sabha

17th Lok Sabha (First 2years)

Fig. 11

On the invitation of Hon'ble Speaker, newly- elected IPU President, HE Duarte Pacheco India's suggestion regarding SDGs and addressed the Members at Central Hall, Climate Change during the Fourth South Parliament House on 16 March 2021 in a Asian Speakers' Summit (1-2 September historical felicitation ceremony. This was his first 2019) were unanimously incorporated in port of call in Asia the 'Male Declaration' India's proposal for a Resolution on the Theme Hon’ble Speaker offered to host the 28th “Addressing Climate Change" received highest CSPOC in 2026 in India and that was number of affirmative votes, and was successfully unanimously approved at 25th Conference included in the agenda of the 141st Assembly of of Speakers and Presiding Officers of IPU (13-17 October 2019) as an Emergency Item Commonwealth (5-9 January 2020)

First Speaker of Lok Sabha who ever addressed the IPU Assembly in Hindi

29 Shri Duarte Pachecko, President, Inter Parliamentary Union Addressing Members of Parliament in Central Hall. 16 March 2021. 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)

In November 2020, Hon'ble Speaker participated in an Extraordinary Virtual Session (206th) of the Governing Council to elect the new IPU President.

Parliamentary Delegations have participated virtually in about two dozen high-level inter- parliamentary events during the period from May 2020 to May 2021

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.

First-ever Virtual Meeting was addressed by the Hon'ble Speaker in 142nd IPU Assembly

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), ; and to 6th BRICS Parliamentary Forum, Serbia;141st IPU Assembly, Serbia.

th Hon’ble Speaker Lok Sabha Shri Om Birla in Maldive Hon’ble Speaker Lok Sabha Shri Om Birla, 8 January, 2020 in

2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha 30 Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla ji at the 141th IPU Assembly, Belgrade , 13 October 2019

Celebrating Samvidhan Divas.

A function was organized to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the - ‘Samvidhan Divas’ on 26 November 2019 in the Central Hall, Parliament House

.Hon’ble , Shri Members of Parliament on Constitution Day. 26th November 2019.

President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind; Vice President Shri M. ; 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 Conferences of Presiding Officers and Other Parliamentary Events In India

• 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

Hon’ble President , Shri Ram Nath Kovind , Hon’ble Vice President Hon’ble President , Shri Ram Nath Kovind addressing the Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu and Hon’ble Lok Sabha Speaker, Shri Om Inauguration session of 80th All India Presiding Officers Birla and other dignitaries at 80th All India Presiding Officers Conference, at Kevadia, in on 25th November, 2020 Conference, at Kevadia, in Gujarat on 25th November, 2020

Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla at Orientation Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla at the 7th CPA Programme India Region 2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha 32 Harnessing Digital technology in the service Lok Sabha

33 2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha 34 35 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 interface between the people and the Parliament.

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Fig. 12

● Increasing presence of LSTV on social media with 892K subscribers on YouTube and 149K followers on twitter. ● Twitter handle of 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

2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha 36 37 GO GREEN: ENVIRONMENT INITATIVES

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.

Hon’ble Speaker inaugurated Swachchta Abhiyan in Hon’ble Speaker planting tree at parliament Parliament House Estate in July 2019 to mark the campus in the presence of Hon’ble PM and other beginning of the celebration of 150th Birth Anniversary Dignitaries in 26th July, 2019 . of Gandhi ji. 13th July, 2019. Organised Yoga Camps and Fit India

Hon’ble Speaker at Yoga Session on International Yoga Day in Parliament House Estate. 21st June 2019.

2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha 38 GO GREEN: ENVIRONMENT INITATIVES

Go Digital & Paperless Promote Electric Parliament E- Reuse and Recycle Vehicle, Say NO to Non Office, All notices in Use of Glass bottles, E- Rickshaw. Reusable Plastic Digital Format Two side paper 60% MPs prefer to (Ban on use of 15 million pages print. use electric ferry Polythene) saved in the last two vehicles. years which translates into saving of more than 1500 trees .

Plantation Drive Promote Renewable and Regular Energy & Save Maintenance of Energy. Reduction of Food Promote use of Waste & Save Water Eco- Friendly & Plants. A new herbal (Solar Panels and garden has been Use Day Light initiative in the Biodegradable canteens. Materials developed in the Replacement of Parliament traditional light Complex during the bulbs with energy 17th Lok Sabha efficient LED bulbs period. )

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.

39 INITIATIVES FOR BETTER HEALTH FACILITIES

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.

Hon’ble Speaker and other dignitaries seen at inauguration of Mega Health camp in Parliament house complex. 15th March 2021.

Health Related Initiatives

Upgradation of To widen the scope of medical services in the Medical Centre, Medical Centre , 24*7 three specialties viz. Endocrinology, Nephrology and Ambulance facility 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

Covid Initiatives

Covid Test & Total 17124 No of Covid Tests, conducted and 3625 Number of Vaccination persons vaccinated till now in two vaccination centers of P.H. Centers in PHC Complex. Distribution of COVID-19 Safety Kits were distributed at the COVID-19 Residences of the Hon’ble Members of Parliament on two Safety Kits occasions. . Control Room for A Control Room was set-up in the Lok Sabha Secretariat to Coordination with facilitate quicker interface between MPs, MLAs, MLCs and the States public. Officers and staff of the Lok Sabha Secretariat contributed one Contribution to day's salary amounting to approximately 45 lakhs to the PM PM CARES FUND CARES Fund.

2 Years of XVIIth Lok Sabha 40