JOIN USDH Toon | 'Satyameva Jayate'
The inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28 marks a watershed moment for Indian democracy. While the symbolic undertones of the transition have dominated media headlines, the building’s impact on the day-to-day life of a Member of Parliament (MP) deserves equal attention. The new building comes with several tech upgrades, including tablets for all MPs and the infrastructure to enable them to ‘Work From Anywhere’. our MPs are simply not given enough resources to do their jobs effectively. Every year, the MPs need to consider 50-60 Bills and study over 4,000 documents. Those who are on parliamentary panels have many additional meetings to attend and documents to review.
However, adequate resourcing for our MPs is necessary but insufficient to unlock the full power of parliamentary processes. Therefore, even as we look forward to inaugurating a new era for our Parliament, we must re-look at the limitations, both operational and structural, that reduce our MPs’ ability to effectively serve their role as the custodians of our vote and our voice.