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The Lok Sabha secretariat has released Digital Sansad, new software that would make it easier for individuals to track the happenings in Parliament and their legislators. It will also assist members of parliament in accessing services such as personal updates, such as the status of their notices, House bulletins, and so on. Because MPs are not allowed to use laptops inside the House, the app comes in handy for parliamentary information during debates.
The Digital Sansad app is accessible on both Android and iOS platforms and contains practically all of the important information from the Indian Parliament’s interconnected web. According to a senior official, the Digital Sansad is one of the few parliament apps in the world that provides a 360-degree picture of legislative proceedings as well as member services. It was created by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who wanted to make legislative processes more accessible to the general public.
People will be able to access historical data about all Lok Sabhas in addition to proceedings in the existing House. They will have access to speeches, debates, and other materials. The software has already attracted over 8000 users from India and other nations such as the United States and Saudi Arabia.
The app, which is being developed by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, would provide citizens with all legislative information. “Citizens now have easier access to general information on MPs, budget speeches since 1947, and House debates from the 12th Lok Sabha to the 17th Lok Sabha.” The App will also include a live stream of Sansad proceedings, as well as the most important news stories of the day. The 2022 Budget session can also be seen live on the App, in addition to a virtual tour of the Parliament,” added the functionary.
The current initiative is part of a bigger digital strategy that has resulted in a decrease in the usage of paper in Parliament. “Most notices are now given online by members. We were able to reduce the amount of paper used in parliament by 98 percent. Physical copies of important documents, such as the future budget papers, would be banned, and they will only be available online,” a top official said.
Opposition leaders, on the other hand, pointed out that during the pandemic, Parliament should have gone digital and enabled online meetings of its House panels. Several requests by opposition lawmakers to allow digital meetings have been denied in the last two years.