SYLLABUS
GS-2: Parliament and State Legislatures—Structure, Functioning, Conduct of Business, Powers & Privileges and Issues Arising out of these.
Context: The PRS has released its Annual Review of State Laws 2025, highlighting the key issues in the functioning of India’s State Legislatures.
More on the News
- The report analysed the functioning of 27 State Legislative Assemblies and three Union Territory legislatures (Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, and Puducherry) during 2025.
- Manipur was excluded as it remained under President’s Rule for most of the year.
- The report examined key legislative functions such as law-making, budget scrutiny, committee oversight, ordinance-making, and mechanisms for executive accountability.
- The findings have reignited concerns about the quality of legislative scrutiny, executive accountability, and the deliberative role of State Legislatures in a federal democracy.
Key Findings of the Report
- Legislative Sittings Remain Low
- State Assemblies met for an average of 24 days in 2025, a modest improvement from 21 days in 2024 and 23 days in 2023.
- There was considerable variation across states, with Odisha recording the highest number of sittings (43 days), and Nagaland recording the lowest (7 days).
- Despite some states having prescribed minimum sitting-day requirements, only Himachal Pradesh met its mandated target.
- Over the five-year period (2021–25), Kerala (41 days), Odisha (39 days), and Karnataka (37 days) recorded the highest average sittings.
- The lowest average number of sittings was recorded by Nagaland (8 days) and Tripura (9 days).
- More Bills Passed in Less Time
- State Legislatures passed over 600 Bills in 2025 (averaging 22 Bills per Assembly), an increase from about 500 Bills passed in 2024.
- Karnataka passed the highest number of Bills (84 Bills) in just 34 sitting days, while Assam passed 60 Bills in 21 sitting days.
- Around 30% of Bills were passed on the same day they were introduced, raising concerns regarding legislative scrutiny.
- Seven Assemblies—Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Mizoram, Puducherry and Punjab—passed all Bills either on the day of introduction or the following day.
- Weak Committee Scrutiny
- Legislative Committees, considered the backbone of detailed law-making, remained underutilised.
- In the six states where data were available, only 5% of Bills were referred to Committees for examination.
- Kerala stood out by referring 25 Bills to Subject Committees, while committee reports were eventually tabled for 90% of referred Bills.
- Budget Oversight Remains Limited
- State Legislatures spent an average of only eight days discussing annual Budgets.
- Tamil Nadu devoted the highest time, spending more than 20 days on budget discussions.
- Assam, Himachal Pradesh, and Jharkhand passed more than 70% of their expenditure demands without discussion, highlighting weak financial scrutiny.
- Growing Reliance on Ordinances
- States promulgated 127 Ordinances in 2025, compared to 100 Ordinances in 2024.
- About 31% of these Ordinances related to local governance, followed by education and labour-related matters.
- Institutional Concerns
- As of May 2026, eight State/UT Legislatures did not have a Deputy Speaker, despite Article 178 requiring the election of both a Speaker and Deputy Speaker as soon as possible.
- In Jharkhand, the post has remained vacant for over 20 years, while the current Assembly in Uttar Pradesh has not elected one after four years of its term.
Concerns / Implications
- Declining Deliberative Function: The passage of nearly one-third of Bills on the day of introduction raises concerns about inadequate debate, stakeholder consultation, and informed law-making.
- Weak Legislative Oversight: Fewer sitting days reduce opportunities for Question Hour, discussions, and motions, thereby weakening the Assembly’s role in holding the executive accountable.
- Limited Financial Scrutiny: The practice of passing large portions of budgetary demands without discussion undermines legislative control over public expenditure and fiscal accountability.
- Underutilisation of Committees: Low referral of Bills to Committees diminishes expert scrutiny and evidence-based policy-making, affecting the quality of legislation.
Way Forward
- Increase Sitting Days: States should adopt and adhere to minimum annual sitting-day norms to ensure adequate time for legislative business and public deliberation.
- Strengthen Committee System: Greater referral of Bills to Departmentally Related and Subject Committees can improve legislative scrutiny and policy outcomes.
- Enhance Budget Examination: Legislatures should devote more time to discussing budgetary proposals and expenditure demands to strengthen financial accountability.
- Promote Transparent Law-Making: Wider pre-legislative consultation, publication of draft Bills, and stakeholder engagement can enhance the quality, legitimacy, and inclusiveness of legislation.
Sources :
PRS India
Deccan Herald
New Indian Express
The Wire