In this episode, we’ll discuss the plan for India’s new parliament building, part of the Modi government’s ambitious central vista project which entails building and refurbishing the government buildings on part of the 3.5km stretches from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate. On December 10, Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone for the new Parliament building and the new building was the need of the hour as it would be equipped with new technology and have more space for smooth functioning of Parliament and various ministries.
There has also been criticism from several quarters, much of it centred on the cost of the central vista project and whether undertaking a project such as this is appropriate at a time when the economy is suffering. A batch of petitions in the Supreme Court opposing the proposed change in land usage of the Central Vista.
So as we look ahead and back while trying to give context to this story one overarching question stands out - what is the case for a new parliament building and does India need one. In this episode we’ll take up that question in detail, tracking the way the role and functions of parliament have expanded since independence and whether the current infrastructure is enough to support it. We’ll also take up the question of whether an upgrade in infrastructure alone is enough to fix many of the issues with parliament’s functioning.
Guest: Chakshu Roy, head of legislative and civic engagement, PRS legislative research.