Reforming India's Legislative Calendar

NEW DELHI — Amid a growing national debate over the declining duration of legislative sittings, Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta has thrown his weight behind a proposal demanding that state assemblies across India meet for a minimum of 30 days annually.

The push for extended legislative calendars comes on the heels of a stark operational reality in the national capital. Official records indicate that the Delhi Assembly met for a mere 17 days in 2025. Furthermore, data from the previous legislative term spanning 2020 to 2025 reveals an average of just 15 working days annually.

The proposal for a mandatory 30-day minimum sitting was initially adopted as a resolution during the 86th All India Presiding Officers' Conference held in January. It took center stage on Tuesday during a high-level meeting of Assembly Speakers tasked with drafting a unified, modern rulebook for legislative bodies nationwide.

Balancing Uniformity With Constitutional Realities

While the committee—chaired by Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana—aims to streamline parliamentary procedures, Gupta emphasized that standardization must not override local constitutional nuances.

"Uniform rules must not mean identical rules," Gupta asserted during the deliberations, underscoring the distinct constitutional frameworks governing Union Territories and special regions like Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and Puducherry.

Gupta endorsed a structured schedule comprising three distinct annual sessions—Budget, Monsoon, and Winter—while advocating for sweeping procedural modernizations. His proposals include transitioning to electronic notices, summons, and petitions, alongside ensuring that proposed bills reach lawmakers well in advance with clear translations and comprehensive financial, administrative, and legal impact assessments.

Streamlining Rules and Enhancing Accountability

The discussions also tackled antiquated legislative procedures. UP Speaker Satish Mahana proposed slashing the mandatory notice period for convening an Assembly session from 15 days to just three, arguing that modern digital communication channels render prolonged advance notices obsolete. Mahana also suggested empowering members to submit questions 15 days after prorogation, eliminating the current requirement of waiting for months.

Addressing disciplinary mechanisms, Gupta pushed back against sweeping restrictions, specifically objecting to a proposed 30-day cap on member suspensions. He maintained that legislatures must retain robust disciplinary powers under the law, and that quorum requirements should only be altered through formal legislation.

Tuesday's deliberations also featured contributions from Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar, Himachal Pradesh Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania, and Karnataka Speaker G.S. Patil.

Notably, the meeting itself underscored the push for administrative efficiency: conducted entirely paperless, the Delhi Assembly Secretariat estimated that the digital circulation of documents prevented the consumption of over 18,000 sheets of paper, conserved an equivalent volume of water, and curbed significant carbon emissions.