The Annual Review of State Laws, 2021 was recently published by PRS Legislative Research, highlighting the working of state legislature across the country. Kerala excelled in 2021 with its House sitting for 61 days, the highest among all states. Notably, Kerala promulgated 144 ordinances, marking the highest in the nation for the past year.
Report Highlights
States such as Manipur, Odisha, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh have established a minimum number of sitting days through the Rules of Procedure, which ranges from 40 days in Punjab to 90 days in Uttar Pradesh. In 2005, Karnataka even crafted a law, the Karnataka Conduct of Government Business in the State Legislature Act, aiming for a minimum of 60 days of legislative work.
Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra followed Kerala with 20 and 15 ordinances respectively, wherein bills that replaced 33 ordinances materialized into Acts. Besides, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh brought in ordinances to implement budget proposals.
Bill Passage and Focus Areas
Approximately 44% of the Bills introduced by 28 State Assemblies were passed within one day of their initiation. States like Gujarat, West Bengal, Punjab and Bihar managed to pass all Bills on the day of introduction, while others like Karnataka, Kerala, Meghalaya, Odisha and Rajasthan took over five days for a majority of their Bills.
Education emerged as the top priority, with 21% of all laws passed in 2021 pertained to this sector. Following Education, Taxation and Urban Governance made up the largest share of state laws passed last year.
Frequency of Assembly Meetings
The National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (2000-02) proposed guidelines stating that Houses with less than 70 members (Example: Puducherry) should meet for at least 50 days annually. Other Houses (Tamil Nadu), should meet at least 90 days annually. The Presiding Officers Conference in 2016 advised State legislatures to hold a minimum of 60 days of sittings annually.
Benefits of Increased House Sittings
More frequent House sittings can significantly influence the functioning of the legislature. They allow for more time for discussion on bills, fostering a healthier debate and leading to the passing of more Bills. For instance, more sittings lessen the cases of guillotine closure, where undiscussed clauses of a bill or resolution have to be voted upon due to lack of discussion time. Furthermore, they afford private members more opportunities to prepare, present, and discuss their bills in the house.
Previous Year Questions from UPSC Civil Services Examination
Prelims Q: During a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament, how is a bill passed? (2015)
Ans: The bill is passed by a simple majority of members present and voting. This mechanism is outlined in Article 108 of the Indian Constitution, which provides for a joint sitting in cases where: a bill passed by one House is rejected by the other; when both Houses disagree on amendments; or if no action is taken on the bill by the receiving House for over six months.
Mains Q: Explain the provisions in the Indian Constitution for holding joint sessions of the two houses of Parliament. When does this normally happen and when is it not possible? (2017)
