82 PARLIAMENT OF INDIA : THE FIFTEENTH LOK SABHA (20092014) 12 PARLIAMENT LIBRARY AND REFERENCE, RESEARCH, DOCUMENTATION AND INFORMATION SERVICE (LARRDIS)AN OVERVIEW There was no separate Library as such for Service is the result of a major functional re-organisation members of the Indian Legislature till the year 1921. of the Secretariats of the Lok Sabha and the Only a small collection of publications comprising Rajya Sabha effected during 1974-75. mainly Departmental reports, proceedings of the Legislatures, statutes, etc. used to be maintained, and Even though LARRDIS is a part of the administrative that too without any proper classification. Books and set-up of the Lok Sabha Secretariat, it serves members other important publications, when required by members, of both the Houses of Parliament and functions on a were obtained on loan from the Libraries of the then subject-section-cum-desk officer system. The objective Legislative Department and the Imperial Secretariat. has been to ensure the development of necessary Inadequacies inherent in such an arrangement came to specialization and expertise coupled with diversification be realized over the years and a small Library was, for of experience and interchangeability of desks within the the first time, established in the year 1921 in the then broad subject areas. Central Legislative Assembly. This Library continued to serve members on a modest scale for a number of years. LARRDIS is presently divided into several functional Divisions. The team of officers in each Division is led by It was only after the Constituent Assembly a Director/Additional Director. The nomenclatures of, and undertook drafting a new Constitution for free India that work allocation to, these Divisions are subject to the demands on the Library started multiplying. Too change, depending upon functional exigencies. much dependence of members only on governmental sources of information for policy-making as well as for Research and Information Services evaluation of policy, or even for a critical appraisal of any Government activity, was felt to be rather unsatisfactory. The research and information services for members An independent and comprehensive Library service was, of Parliament are provided by the Research and therefore, envisioned not merely as a repository of Information Division. Officers and staff in the Research books, legislative debates and parliamentary papers, but and Information Division are categorized into the also for providing an up-to-date and objective storehouse following specialized functional Wings or Sections of knowledge on which members could draw upon. identified by the subjects handled by each: The year 1950, when India became a sovereign, • Economic and Financial Affairs Wing democratic Republic, saw the beginning of a systematic expansion of the Parliament Librarys collections, both • Educational and Scientific Affairs Wing quantitatively and qualitatively. Simultaneously, a • Journal of Parliamentary Information Section Members Reference Service was also constituted within the newly established Research and Reference Branch • Legal and Constitutional Affairs Wing which initially functioned independent of the Parliament Library. • Parliamentary Affairs Wing During the past six decades, the Library as well • Political Affairs Wing as the Research and Reference Services for members of Parliament has gradually developed into what at • Practice and Procedure Unit present is known as the Parliament Library and Reference, Research, Documentation and Information • Social Affairs Wing Service, more familiar by its acronym, LARRDIS. The present set-up and nomenclature of the integrated • Whos Who Cell PARLIAMENT OF INDIA : THE FIFTEENTH LOK SABHA (20092014) 83 The functions of the Research and Information In the Parliament Complex, statues and portraits Division are broadly to assess in advance the information of former Speakers, Presidents of the Central Legislative requirements of members by anticipating and identifying Assembly, eminent parliamentarians and public leaders subjects of current parliamentary interest, including are unveiled from time to time. On such occasions, the legislative measures on which Parliament is likely to Research and Information Division brings out publications undertake discussions and which are likely to generate containing the profiles and select photographs of these demands from members for detailed information and eminent leaders. Leaders/dignitaries whose profiles data. were brought out in the recent past are: Sir Fredrick Whyte, Vithalbhai Patel, Sir Muhammad Yakub, Every effort is made to keep members of Parliament Sir Ibrahim Rahimtoola, R.K. Shanmukham Chetty, informed of the current developments, both national and Sir Abdur Rahim, G.V. Mavalankar, M. Ananthasayanam international, in various fields by bringing out Brochures, Ayyangar, Sardar Hukum Singh, Dr. Neelam Sanjiva Information Bulletins, Background Notes, Fact Sheets, Reddy, G.S. Dhillon, Bali Ram Bhagat, K.S. Hegde, Balram Jakhar, Rabi Ray, Shivraj V. Patil, P.A. Sangma, etc. which carry objective information. Handy pamphlets Ganti Mohana Chandra Balayogi, Manohar Joshi, are also prepared and circulated for the use of members. Somnath Chatterjee, Satguru Ram Singh, Babu Jagjivan All these publications are based on authentic published Ram, Jayee Rajguru, N.T. Rama Rao, Bhupendra Nath sources and continuous efforts are made to keep these Basu and Chandra Shekhar. up-to-date. On the birth anniversaries of national leaders Books whose portraits adorn the Central Hall of Parliament House, functions are organized under the auspices of As in the case of previous Lok Sabhas, during the the Indian Parliamentary Group (IPG) to pay tributes to life of the Fifteenth Lok Sabha too, the Research and the leaders. The Research and Information Division Information Division brought out several important brings out/updates booklets containing profiles of these publications. Some of these are: Constitution of India (in leaders which are brought out on these occasions. hard bound deluxe format and in pocket-size); Indian Parliament, 6th and 7th Edition; Indian Parliament; Brochures, Briefs, Background Notes, Draft 7th diglot Edition; Electing the President and the Vice- Speeches, etc. President; Whos Who: 1st Lok Sabha (Reprint); Whos Who of 15th Lok Sabha; Members of Fifteenth The Research and Information Division is entrusted Lok Sabha A Brief Introduction, 1st and 2nd Edition; with special assignments like the preparation of Finance Ministers Budget Speeches: 1947-2011 brochures, briefs, background notes, etc. Considering (in 3 volumes); Strengthening Parliamentary Democracy: the importance of objective information in respect of Selected Speeches of Speaker Somnath Chatterjee; national policies for members, the Division, over the Practice and Procedure of Parliament by Kaul and years, has brought out several brochures highlighting the Shakdher (6th Edition); Babu Jagjivan Ram in Parliament: various national policy formulations. A Commemorative Volume (2nd Edition); Tridib Chaudhury Information Bulletins, Brochures, Booklets and in Parliament: A Commemorative Volume; Speakers of Pamphlets on parliamentary, constitutional and other Lok Sabha (both English and Hindi versions); and Indian relevant subjects are also brought out from time to time. Parliamentary Companion: Whos Who of Members of Some of the Information Bulletins brought out during the 1st to 15th Lok Sabha. 15th Lok Sabha titled: Climate Change; Presidential Election, 2012; Vice-Presidential Election, 2012; Land As in the past, Profiles Handbooks, giving the bio- Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2011; data of Presiding Officers and Secretaries of Legislative Water Conservation and Management in India; Bodies in India, were also brought out by the Research Re-organisation of States in India; Petroleum Prices; and Information Division for use during the Conferences Diesel Fuel: Demand, Subsidy and Pricing; Indian Rupee of Presiding Officers and Secretaries of Legislative vs. US Dollar: The Current Scenario; National Food Bodies in India held at Bhopal (2010), Jaipur (2011) and Securities Bill, 2013; and Power Sector: Issues and Patna (2013). Profiles Handbooks were also brought out Challenges. for the use of the Delegates during the 20th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth, Other similar publications brought out by the the 22nd Commonwealth Parliamentary Seminar, and Division are: Booklet on Parliament of India; Booklet on the 5th Conference of the Association of SAARC Parliamentary Privileges; Pamphlet on Dr. Tristao De Speakers and Parliamentarians. Braganca Cunha; Booklet on Key Initiatives taken by 84 PARLIAMENT OF INDIA : THE FIFTEENTH LOK SABHA (20092014) the Honble Speaker during the Fourteenth Lok Sabha; SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians, the Conferences and Procedure and Practice Volumes of the Economic of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth, & Financial Affairs Wing and the Educational and and the Conferences of Non-Governmental Organisations. Scientific Affairs Wing. Resolutions on specific themes discussed at the IPU Conferences are also drafted as and when required. Reports on important Conferences carrying select proceedings and highlights of such Conferences are also Briefs and Background/Research Notes are also brought out by the Research and Information Division. prepared for use at the Seminars and Symposia held on Such Reports brought out during the