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Lok Sabha Speaker
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will lead a delegation of presiding officers from India to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) in Barbados in October which will have a session on financial transparency in elections. Birla on Sunday evening chaired a meeting of Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies from across India to brief them about various aspects of the conference. The 68th CPC is scheduled to be held from October 5-12 at Bridgetown, according to a statement issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat. The Indian delegation will comprise Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh and presiding officers and secretaries of state and Union Territory legislatures from across the country. Birla will address the General Assembly of the CPC on the theme of 'The Commonwealth: A Global Partner'. In addition, members of Indian Parliamentary Delegation will be taking part in seven thematic workshops, including on 'Strengthening our Institutions to Support Democracy', 'Leveraging Technology:
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday urged leaders of political parties to send representatives who are empowered to take decisions to meetings for finalising the agenda for Parliament. Birla's remarks came as the opposition members sought an assurance from the government on discussion on the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar after the conclusion of the debate on Operation Sindoor. The opposition members were in the Well of the House, raising slogans and seeking an assurance before the Lok Sabha took up the discussion on Operation Sindoor. Birla said that at the all-party meeting chaired by him last week, all leaders sought a discussion on Operation Sindoor, which was agreed to, and 16 hours were allocated for the same. "There is something called commitment. Leaders of all parties had sought a discussion on Operation Sindoor and now you are in the Well of the House raising other issues," he said, addressing opposition members. "You can't demand a discussion on any issue from th
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday convened a meeting of senior leaders of political parties, where it was decided that the House will function smoothly from Monday onwards, parliamentary sources said. Amid repeated disruptions for the last five days, Birla told leaders that he wanted the House to have meaningful discussions and pushed for decorum during Question Hour, they said. It was decided that the House will function smoothly from Monday, the sources said. Lok Sabha will take up a discussion on 'Operation Sindoor' on Monday, they added. The opposition has been raking up issues such as special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, US President Donald Trump's claim on India-Pakistan 'ceasefire' and the Pahalgam terror attack since the Monsoon session commenced on July 21.
Ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday urged all political parties to reduce disruptions in House proceedings and asserted it is time to change past practices. Addressing the national level conference of Urban Local Bodies here, Birla said that people would teach a lesson to political parties that resort to disruption of the House proceedings. Birla said there has been some reduction in disruption of the House proceedings in the 18th Lok Sabha, which had its first sitting in June last year. "It is time for change. If we have to strengthen democracy and hold democratic institutions accountable, we have to ensure that the Houses function in a proper manner," he added. The speaker said all political parties should make efforts to reduce disruptions in proceedings of the House. Parliament's Monsoon Session is scheduled to begin on July 21 and continue till August 21, a week longer than the original plan to conclude on August 12. Birla said
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday said urban local bodies (ULBs) should function on the lines of Parliament with regular Question Hour and Zero Hour to raise issues concerning citizens. He was addressing the first National Level Conference of Urban Local Bodies in States and Union Territories. "I am pained to hear about meetings of ULBs getting adjourned amid pandemonium and key agenda such as budget getting approved without any discussion," Birla said. ULBs should also function on the lines of the Lok Sabha and state assemblies and find solutions to civic issues through regular debate and discussion in Question Hour and Zero Hour, he said. Birla also said parliamentary proceedings, which were drowned in ruckus in the earlier Lok Sabhas, were witnessing fewer disruptions in the current Lok Sabha due to the efforts of leaders of all political parties. "Changes were witnessed in the 18th Lok Sabha, when political parties agreed to allow the House to function to raise issues of
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday embarked on a visit to Brazil to participate in the 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum where he is scheduled to present his views on reform of multi-lateral peace and security architecture. Birla is leading the Indian parliamentary delegation for the BRICS Parliamentary Forum which will be held from June 3-5 at Brasilia. The Forum will be attended by presiding officers of parliaments of BRICS members and invited nations. The theme for the Forum is 'The Role of BRICS Parliaments in Building a More Inclusive and Sustainable, Global Governance'. The BRICS grouping comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Iran. Presiding officers from Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Nigeria, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan too have been invited to participate in the forum meetings along with the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Tulia Ackson. The Lok Sabha Spea
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will visit Jharkhand's Jamshedpur on May 25 to take part in the platinum jubilee celebrations of the Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), an official said on Sunday. Apart from Birla, who will be the chief guest at the event, Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth and former Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda will also participate in the programme to be held on Loyola School premises here, said SCCI general secretary Manav Kedia. SCCI president Vijay Anand Moonka said this would be the first time a Lok Sabha Speaker will visit steel city Jamshedpur. The chamber was formed in 1948 with the objective to address the issues faced by industries and traders, he said. It has 2,500 members, who represent around 2 lakh people of the city and surrounding areas directly or indirectly, Moonka said.
The Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on Friday, bringing down the curtains on the Budget session which began on January 31. As soon as the House met at 12 noon after an adjournment over remarks by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla read out his valedictory remarks and adjourned the House sine die (indefinitely till the new session is convened). He said as many as 16 bills were passed during the session and the House productivity was pegged at over 118 per cent. As he spoke, opposition members were raising slogans against Birla's observation against Gandhi that her claim that the Waqf amendment Bill was bulldozed without discussion was unfortunate and against dignity of the House. During the session, the government completed its budgetary exercise after the Lok Sabha gave its nod to the demands for grants for the various ministries as well as the Finance Bill. The budget for Manipur, under central rule, was also cleared. The Waqf amendment bill, which witness
Opposition DMK members protested in the Lok Sabha on Thursday against the proposed delimitation of constituencies, prompting Speaker Om Birla to remind them of a rule governing the conduct of MPs in the House. Birla said attending the House proceedings wearing T-shirts with slogans written on those is not acceptable and against parliamentary rules and decorum. "House functions with rules and procedures. Members have to maintain the dignity and honour of the House. But some MPs are not following the rules and violating the dignity, which is not acceptable," Birla said, citing Rule 349 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the House of the People. The speaker directed those members, who came wearing T-shirts with slogans written on those, to go out of the House and come back wearing proper dresses. Rule 349 deals with "Rules to be observed by members in House". Rule 349(xvi) says: "Whilst the House is sitting, a member shall not display flags, emblems or any exhibits
On International Women's Day, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla underscored the pivotal role of women in India's progress, emphasising their leadership across governance, science, defense, education, and entrepreneurship. Speaking at an event in the Parliament House Complex, he lauded the increasing presence of women in decision-making roles and reiterated that India is entering a new era where women are driving change from grassroots democracy to national governance. Highlighting the contributions of pioneering women in India's democratic framework, Birla paid tributes to the 15 women members of the Constituent Assembly, whose vision, he said, continues to inspire future generations. As the nation marks 75 years of the Constitution, he emphasised the importance of recognising their efforts in laying the foundation for gender equality and inclusive governance. He also reflected on India's deep-rooted tradition of revering women, citing their resilience and strength as key pillars of ...
Lok Sabha on Monday witnessed prolonged noisy protests by opposition parties demanding a discussion on the recent stampede at Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj and a list of those deceased. When the House met for the first time after the President's address to the joint sitting and presentation of the 2025-26 budget, the opposition MPs led by the Congress were on their feet and demanded a discussion on the recent tragedy in Maha Kumbh. Soon the opposition members stormed the Well of the House resorting to noisy protests and sloganeering. Led by deputy leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi and Congress general secretary K C Venugopal, the opposition members also sought suspension of the Question Hour and demanded a discussion on the stampede. Opposition members were raising slogans such as "Sanatan virodhi sarkar istifa do (step down anti-sanatan government). Speaker Om Birla warned members against thumping tables as a mark of protest, saying people send their representatives to ask .
Amid disruptions in Parliament and state legislatures, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday urged political parties to devise a code of conduct for their lawmakers to uphold the dignity of their respective Houses. The two-day 85th All India Presiding Officers' Conference also adopted a five-point resolution that included a collective resolve to take steps to ensure "disruption-free" debate and discussion in their respective legislatures. The presiding officers agreed to deploy technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to bring legislative bodies closer to the people by making available debates in the local and two additional languages, Birla said. The presiding officers voiced concern over the decline in the number of sittings of state legislatures and agreed to implement the resolutions of previous meetings. "In an earlier meeting of the presiding officers, we had resolved that the state legislatures would hold at least 60 sittings in a calendar year. We h
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla inaugurated the 85th All India Presiding Officers' Conference (AIPOC) in Patna on Monday. The two-day conference is being held on '75th Anniversary of Constitution: Contribution of Parliament and State legislative bodies in strengthening constitutional values'. In the conference, the delegates will deliberate on the adoption of modern technologies in legislative bodies for greater efficiency, effectiveness and productivity, officials said. Bihar Assembly Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav said this was the third time the state was hosting the programme after a gap of 43 years. "The land of Bihar is considered to be the centre of cultural, historical and intellectual heritage of India. This land has given birth to the compassion of Lord Buddha, the non-violence of Mahavira and the courage of Guru Govind Singh. This is the land from where Chanakya started the principles politics and emperor Ashoka gave the message of morality in governance," he said, adding that th
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday made a strong pitch for the use of artificial intelligence and social media in the working of parliaments. Birla made these remarks while chairing the standing committee meeting of the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Parliaments of Commonwealth Countries (CSPOC) in Guernsey. India is hosting the 28th CSPOC next year. Birla said India is witnessing massive transformation in several sectors, such as agriculture, fintech, AI, and research and innovation. He said delegates attending the CSPOC would experience a unique blend of heritage and progress of the country. Last year, the Lok Sabha adopted artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies to enhance the accessibility of parliamentary proceedings to lawmakers. These cutting-edge technologies are used to provide regional language translations for Members of Parliament and make available parliamentary papers in different languages. Birla highlighted the impo
There is a strong belief in India's democratic values and growth story here, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said in London during his ongoing visit to the UK. Addressing a community gathering at the High Commission of India in London on Wednesday evening, Birla shared insights from his dialogues with his UK counterpart House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and other members of Parliament. He noted that his interactions highlighted the strength of the India-UK parliamentary cooperation and the multifaceted nature of the bilateral partnership across multiple sectors. I had a good dialogue with leading UK parliamentarians and they displayed a strong belief in India's democratic values and growth story, Birla said. Our electoral process is transparent, which has helped reinforce a belief in democracy around the world. We take pride as the largest democracy of the world, dubbed the mother of democracy', and I extend an invitation to come visit India's new Parliament as we mark 75 year
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday asked women representatives from Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and innovation in order to make their areas more "people-oriented". Speaking at the 'Panchayat se Parliament 2.0' programme, Birla stressed the importance of technological advancements to drive sustainable development and improve governance at the grassroots level. The event, held at the historic Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan, was organized by the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE) in collaboration with the National Commission for Women and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. More than 500 women PRI representatives from 22 states and Union territories participated, with the gathering serving as a platform for reaffirming India's commitment to women-led development and grassroots empowerment. In his address, Birla underscored the transformative power of women leadership in strengthening India's democracy, ...