Staff Reporter / New Delhi/Dharamshala
— Lok Sabha Speaker Mr Om Birla today emphasized the need to make legislative bodies more efficient, transparent, and innovative by adopting technological advancements such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). Inaugurating the Annual Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), India Region, Zone–II, at Tapovan in Dharamshala, Mr Birla called on state legislatures to actively share best practices, technological tools, and innovations to address local challenges and meet citizens’ expectations.
Mr Birla highlighted that the Indian Parliament is already leveraging AI and other digital tools to boost the efficiency of legislative procedures. He said the Parliament is willing to collaborate with state legislatures to facilitate adoption of these technologies, which would help foster transparency, accountability, and good governance.
Referring to Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi’s ‘One Nation, One Legislative Platform’ initiative, Mr Birla expressed confidence that by 2026, India will have a unified digital platform linking the Parliament and all state assemblies. This initiative will enable seamless information exchange on legislative business, budgeting, and public policy. He added that it will also encourage healthy competition and innovation among state legislatures for improved governance.
In his address, Mr Birla urged elected representatives—from Gram Panchayats to Municipal Corporations and State Assemblies—to transform their institutions into centers of dialogue, innovation, and excellence. Stressing India’s status as the world’s largest democracy, he said the country must lead in making its democratic institutions more effective and future-ready.
Quoting Dr B.R. Ambedkar, Mr Birla reminded attendees that the strength of a Constitution lies in the conduct of its custodians. He stressed the importance of empowering legislative institutions through meaningful dialogue and structured debate, which in turn enhances the prestige of both individuals and institutions.
He also underlined the responsibility of legislative bodies to address pressing issues such as development planning, infrastructure expansion, and environmental conservation by adopting modern solutions and citizen-centric approaches.
Reflecting on Himachal Pradesh’s rich democratic legacy, Mr Birla noted that the first Presiding Officers’ Conference was held in Shimla in 1921. He paid tribute to Vitthalbhai Patel, who was elected Chairman of the Central Legislative Council from the region, and praised the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly for becoming the country’s first paperless assembly. He commended the democratic spirit and patriotism of the Himachali people and expressed hope that the conference would generate fresh ideas to empower legislators across the country.
The inaugural session was also addressed by Mr Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh; Mr Harivansh, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha; Mr Kuldeep Singh Pathania, Speaker of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly; Mr Harshwardhan Chauhan, Parliamentary Affairs Minister of Himachal Pradesh, along with several other dignitaries.
Presiding Officers from Zone–II states—Punjab, Haryana, Delhi—as well as representatives from the legislative bodies of Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, and members of the Himachal Pradesh Legislature, also attended the inaugural session.
