Functioning of the 17th Lok Sabha

The 17th Lok Sabha (LS), spanning from June 2019 to February 2024, operated at an 88% functioning rate, with significant legislative achievements and challenges.

Key Highlights of the report:

• The 17th Lok Sabha (LS) sessions ran from June 2019 to February 2024, achieving an 88% functioning rate, compared to the Rajya Sabha’s (RS) 73%.
• Question Hour operated at 60% of its scheduled time in the LS and 52% in the RS, with a cancellation during the 2020 monsoon session due to the pandemic.
• 2020 saw the fewest sittings of the LS, with only 33 days of meetings amid the COVID-19 crisis.
• Notable bills passed: The Women’s Reservation Bill (2023), J&K Reorganisation Bill (2019), Appointment of CEC Bill (2023), three Labour Codes, Digital Data Protection Bill (2023), three Farm Laws (later repealed), and three Bills replacing the IPC (1860), CrPC (1973), and Indian Evidence Act (1872).

Issues with the 17^th LS:

• The LS faced criticism for not electing a Deputy Speaker, violating Article 93 of the Constitution, and 206 MPs were suspended across both Houses, with key legislation passed during these suspensions.
• Only 729 Private Members’ Bills (PMBs) were introduced, with just two discussed and none adopted since 1999, showing a decline in committee referrals to 16% and 35% of bills passed with less than an hour of discussion.
• Budget discussions in the LS have decreased over time, averaging only 35 hours for the 17th LS, with 80% of the budget voted on without discussion annually, and the 2023 budget passed without any discussion, marking a rare occurrence also seen in 2018 and 2013.

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