UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 2 –Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.
Introduction
India’s governance has become complex. Yet many State legislatures remain weak, with disruptions, short sittings and poor research support. A National Legislative Index (NLI) is proposed to measure how well these institutions function and to push them towards being disciplined, research-based and citizen-facing “temples of democracy” in spirit, not only in name.
About National Legislative Index (NLI)
Purpose:
- The NLI is a proposed annual, state-wise benchmarking system for State legislatures.
- It would provide a common yardstick to measure legislative productivity, transparency and innovation across India.
- Its purpose is to turn how Houses function into measurable public data so that performance is visible, comparable and open to scrutiny.
Functions:
- The NLI aims to provide a comprehensive benchmarking mechanism and to distill a transparent annual score from 0 to 100 for each legislature.
- It will identify gaps in functioning, inform corrective reforms, highlight inter-State disparities, strengthen the Speaker’s office as a driver of institutional excellence, and encourage reforms and digital, participatory practices.
Key indicators and focus areas:
- The NLI will consider sitting days, session duration, and time spent on debate and questions.
- It will track the percentage of Bills referred to committees, the average time taken to pass Bills, and the hours devoted to Question Hour and floor discussion.
- It will assess transparency, digitisation and efforts for knowledge preservation. These measures convert processes into public information without prescribing any policy stance.
Need for National Legislative Index (NLI)
- Very Low Sitting Days: Many state assemblies meet for only 20–25 days a year, and Parliament’s sitting days have fallen from 135 days in the 1st Lok Sabha to about 55 days in the 17th Lok Sabha. Such low sitting time weakens debate and oversight. This gap shows the need for a clear system that measures and encourages regular functioning.
- Loss of Working Time Due to Disruptions: Frequent disruptions severely reduce debate hours. The 15th Lok Sabha lost over 30% of its scheduled time due to disruptions. Without a common assessment tool, legislatures do not face pressure to improve discipline. An index can highlight and compare disruption levels.
- Weak Committee Scrutiny: Only 10% of Bills were referred to committees in the 17th Lok Sabha, compared to 60–71% in earlier Lok Sabhas. Poor scrutiny leads to weak laws. An index can track and reward assemblies that strengthen committee-based examination.
- Declining Quality of Debate and Accountability: Question Hour functioned for only 19% of scheduled time in Lok Sabha and 9% in Rajya Sabha during the 17th Lok Sabha. Limited debate reduces executive accountability. An index helps monitor how seriously legislatures engage in questioning and discussion.
- Low Participation and Weak Legislative Engagement: MPs attended around 79% of sessions in the 17th Lok Sabha but participated in only 45 debates on average. Private Member Bills rarely move forward, and key posts like the Deputy Speaker remained vacant. A performance index can highlight such gaps and push for corrective reforms.
- Lack of Transparency and Comparable Data: State legislatures follow different reporting practices, and most information is obtained only through RTIs. There is no unified tool to compare productivity, committee use, or debate hours. The NLI helps create standardized, publicly available data across states.
- Growing Complexity of Governance: Modern governance demands deeper technical understanding, research support, and disciplined functioning. Many legislatures lack research systems, digital processes, and structured evaluation.
Other Initiatives to Strengthen India’s Legislative Efficiency
- Digital Adoption in Legislative Work: India has introduced digital tools such as paperless systems, live streaming, and digitised records to make legislative work faster, more transparent, and easier for citizens to follow.
- e-Vidhan (NeVA) for Paperless Legislatures: The e-Vidhan (NeVA) initiative aims to convert all State Legislatures into fully paperless institutions, ensuring real-time access to documents, smoother functioning, and higher transparency in legislative processes.
- One Nation, One Legislative Platform: A national digital platform is being developed to connect all legislatures by 2026, enabling states to share debates, budgets, committee reports, and legislative updates on one integrated interface.
- Strengthening the Parliamentary Committee System: India continues to strengthen parliamentary committees so that they can examine Bills, policies, and executive actions in greater detail, improving the depth and quality of legislative scrutiny.
- Capacity Building for Legislators: Regular workshops, training programmes, and handbooks equip legislators with better knowledge of procedures, rules, and policy issues, helping them participate more effectively in debates and oversight work.
- Strong Disciplinary Mechanisms: Parliament enforces disciplinary tools such as suspension or expulsion to control disruptions, uphold decorum, and ensure that legislative work proceeds in an orderly manner.
Way Forward
- Rebuilding Discipline: Legislatures need predictable annual calendars, minimum sitting days, and uniform procedural rules. These steps help ensure structured deliberation and reduce disruptions that weaken debate quality.
- Institutionalising Scrutiny: Stronger committees, mandatory referrals for major laws, and regular sharing of attendance and debate data will deepen accountability. Live streaming and archiving should become standard practices.
- Promoting Dialogue: Legislatures must shift from disruption to dialogue. Citizen-centric outreach, educational programs, and participatory platforms can bring legislatures closer to people and reinforce democratic trust.
- Harnessing Technology and Innovation: Digital systems, AI tools, and shared platforms can help manage legislative records, strengthen debate quality, and ensure uniformity across states. This supports a more responsive and modern legislative ecosystem.
Conclusion
The National Legislative Index offers a clear path to strengthen India’s legislative institutions through transparency, competition, and reform. By measuring productivity and promoting best practices, it can rebuild trust and deepen accountability. With disciplined functioning, digital integration, and citizen engagement, legislatures can rise to meet the demands of a rapidly changing India and reinforce democratic governance.
Question for practice:
Examine why India needs a National Legislative Index (NLI) to improve legislative functioning.
Source: Indian Express
