15th Kerala Legislative Assembly meets less but pushes laws faster

Despite fewer sittings, Kerala Assembly saw faster lawmaking and high committee use, raising concerns over compressed scrutiny and limited legislative deliberation

The 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly (2021–2026) met for 204 days, averaging 43 days a year — the lowest since 1967, even as it remained above the national average. Even with fewer sittings, the House compensated through longer working hours and faster legislative output, pointing to a shift towards efficiency-driven functioning.

 

PRS Legislative Research data show uneven sittings — dropping to 29 days in 2023 — but higher productivity, with a sharp rise in Bills passed compared to the previous term.

 

Between 2021 and 2026, 84 per cent of Bills were referred to committees, though scrutiny timelines were compressed; in 38 per cent of cases, reports were submitted the very next day.

 

 

The Assembly also took up 285 calling attention motions, largely focused on transport, education, and health.

 

For legislation to take effect, Bills require the Governor’s assent. While most were cleared within a month, about 30 per cent were delayed, with some still pending as of April 2026 — including key university law amendments shifting powers from the Governor to the state. The issue led the state to approach the Supreme Court of India in 2023 over delays, before withdrawing its petition in 2025 following a ruling in a similar Tamil Nadu case.

 

The big picture 

The 15th Kerala Assembly underscores a model of higher output with fewer sittings, driven by longer hours, faster lawmaking, and strong committee use. However, rapid turnaround times and compressed scrutiny raise questions about whether efficiency is coming at the cost of deeper legislative deliberation.

 

Kerala Assembly by the numbers:

 

·         Assembly met for 204 days, averaging 43 days a year, lowest since 1967

·         Average sitting lasted around 6 hours, with 25 per cent of sessions exceeding 8 hours

·         129 Bills passed (vs 80 earlier), with 84 per cent sent to committees

·         Around 48 per cent of reports in 2 days, 85 per cent of Bills in 1 month, 47 per cent within a week

·         Committees remained central, but some reports were submitted within a day

·         118 ordinances issued, with around 80 per cent in the first 6 months and a peak in 2021

·         Budget scrutiny held steady at 14 days annually

·         285 calling attention motions, but only 5 of 16 adjournment motions were discussed

·         600+ committee reports presented across financial and subject panels

·         110 private Bills notices, but only 31 per cent of time utilised

·         MLAs asked 848 questions on average, excluding MLAs who were ministers.

 

Source:  PRS Legislative Research