As Parliament turns 75, the ‘backbone’ that keeps it going — its secretariat

Subject: Polity

Section: Parliament

Introduction

The 75-year journey of the Indian Parliament is marked by various aspects such as statistics, debates, and legislation.
The Parliament secretariat plays a pivotal role, often in the background, supporting the functioning of the legislature.

Championing Independence: Vithalbhai Patel

Vithalbhai Patel, the first elected Speaker of the Central Assembly in 1925, advocated for an independent secretariat for the legislature.
He believed that the Speaker’s office needed its own staff and security establishment.
A standoff with the British administration in 1929 resulted in the creation of a separate legislature office under the Speaker’s control.

Emergence of Parliamentary Reporters

The first specialized individuals in the Parliament secretariat were parliamentary reporters.
Responsible for accurately documenting legislative proceedings.
Later, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha rulesof procedure mandated the preparation and publication of full reports of House proceedings.
This mandate originated from an 1861 communication emphasizing the importance of sending accurate reports of proceedings to the public.

Professionalization by M.N. Kaul

Maheshwar Nath Kaul, a lawyer, joined the legislative assembly office in 1937.
He later became the Secretary of the Constituent Assembly.
Kaul’s efforts influenced constitutional provisions for legislatures and supported the secretariat’s independence.
Post-independence, he led the Lok Sabha secretariat.
Kaul established Parliament’s research service.
He advocated for separate office spaces, realized in 1956.

Simultaneous Interpretation Services

Demand for simultaneous interpretation arose due to changing MP profiles.
Hindi and English real-time interpretation started in 1964.
Interpreters required expertise in parliamentary language, grammar, idioms, and humor.
Today, Parliament offers interpretation in 22 languages.

Structural Changes

In 1974, MP’s committee recommended restructuring Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats into 11 functional areas.
This led to administrative consolidation, with Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha officers grouped into eight services.
Recruitment and service conditions are determined by rules established by the presiding officers.

Role of Secretary-Generals

The Constitution allows Parliament to create a law regulating the recruitment and service conditions of secretarial staff. (Article 98)
However, Parliament has not enacted such a law.
As a result, these matters are governed by rules established by the presiding officers of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
Two Secretary-Generals, one for Lok Sabha and one for Rajya Sabha, lead the respective secretariats.
The presiding officers appoint them, and they assist in discharging constitutional and statutory responsibilities.
In 1990, the Secretary-General’s position was elevated in importance, equivalent to the Cabinet Secretary in the Government of India.

Contrast with State Legislature Secretariats

Unlike the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats, state legislature secretariats do not enjoy the same degree of autonomy.