New Delhi: The Lok Sabha secretariat has launched a new app, Digital Sansad, that will make it easier for people to follow proceedings in Parliament, and also their own lawmakers. In addition, it will also help members of parliament access services such as checking personal updates like status of their notices, House bulletins, etc. As MPs are barred from using laptops inside the House, the app comes handy for parliamentary information for MPs during a debate in the House. In future, the MPs can log in for attendance, give questions for the Question Hour or submit notices for debates or adjournment motions.
The Digital Sansad app is available in both android and IOS platform and carries nearly all major content of the interlinked portal of Indian Parliament. A senior official claimed that the Digital Sansad is one of the few apps of a parliament internationally that offer a 360-degree view of legislative activities as well as services for members. It is a brainchild of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla who has sought to make parliamentary proceedings more accessible to people.
In addition to proceedings in the current House, people will also be able to access archival data related to all Lok Sabhas . They will be able to access speeches, debates, etc.
“It is the task of a committed legislature to keep its constituents apprised of its routine proceedings. This objective has required the Parliament to keep its communication channels up-to-date with the rapidly changing technological landscape. In keeping with this view, the Parliament too started to expand its digital footprint. Parliament’s official ’Digital Sansad App’ is an initiative in that direction,” added a top functionary who asked not to be named.
Aimed to be Indian Parliament digital interface with the younger generation, the app has already seen more than 8000 users from India and countries including the US and Saudi Arabia.
{{/usCountry}}Aimed to be Indian Parliament digital interface with the younger generation, the app has already seen more than 8000 users from India and countries including the US and Saudi Arabia.
{{/usCountry}}The App, planned by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, will help people get all Parliamentary updates. “It becomes easier for citizens to access general information on MPs, on budget speeches since 1947, House discussions from 12th Lok Sabha to 17th Lok Sabha. The App will also contain the live telecast of Sansad proceedings, the major news of the day, etc. Apart from a virtual tour of the Parliament, the 2022 Budget session too can be watched live on the App,” said the functionary.
The latest effort fits in with a larger digital plan which has seen a reduction in use of papers in Parliament . “Now members give notices mostly online. We have been able to cut down paper usage in parliament up to 98%. Important documents including the upcoming budget papers’ physical copies will be restricted and they can be accessed online,” said a top functionary.
Opposition leaders, however, pointed out that Parliament should have gone completely digital and allowed online meeting of its House panels during the pandemic . Several appeals by Opposition lawmakers to allow digital meetings in past two years were not accepted.