82) Celebrating 60 years (Diamond Jubilee) of the Indian Parliament in 2012:
The term “Parliament” is derived
from the French word “parlement” (meaning the action of “parler” – “to speak/talk
or discuss”.
As a corollary, “parlement” means a discussion and refers to a
meeting or a forum or a group of people meeting to discuss matters of State. (To
“parley” means “to have a conference for debating the points in dispute” for
the purpose of arriving at a consensus).
A Parliament in a broader sense is
tasked with three functions: representation of the people, Legislation and
Parliamentary control through Committees, hearings and enquiries both personal
and through debates.
Historical
Development of Parliaments around the World:
Ø
In
Spain, the first Spanish Parliament “Cortes” was held in the Kingdom of
Leon in 1188, where Prelates, nobles and commoners met in the three Houses of
the Parliament, superseding earlier unicameral councils. This is the first example of a
Parliament in European history.
Ø
The
term “Parliament” was first used in England in 1236 superseding the
earlier term “Council” which discussed State matters with the King. In keeping
with the terms of the Magna Carta, King John expanded his “Council of Ministers”
made up from the ruling classes/nobility, to include Commoners coming from the
landed gentry, merchants and lawyers etc. to counsel him on Matters of State.
Later this practice developed into not only talking/counselling but to
facilitate decision making and Legislation.
Ø
In
ancient tribal societies, there were councils or a Headman/chief, whose
decisions were accessed by village elders. This system is still prevalent in
India in the form of village “Khaps” and “Gram Panchayats”.
Ø
Ancient
Athens
is credited with being the progenitor of democracy. The Athenian Assembly
(called “Ekklesia) was an important forum where every citizen could participate
in the deliberations. Nevertheless, the “Ekklesia” was less in the nature of
elected representatives and more in the nature of direct appointments, hence it
was not a Parliament in the strictest sense.
Ø
The
Roman Empire too had Legislative Assemblies with wide ranging powers
during war-time and peace while the Roman Senate controlled financial powers,
administration and macro-level foreign policy.
Ø
In
France, the “Parliament of Paris” was created out of the Curia Regis in
1307 and located inside the medieval Royal Palace (now the Paris Hall of
Justice) which had powers of jurisdiction all over France. Several
province-level Parliaments were created all over France from 1443 onwards until
the French Revolution. Later, these Parliaments were overwhelmed by the “Estates
General” when the National assembly became the Lower House of Legislature.
Ø
In
Iceland, Scandinavia and Germany, rudimentary forms of Governing
Assemblies called “Ting” comprising free men of the community legislated for
the communities and elected chieftains and Kings.
Ø
In
Poland, a legendary Polish ruler “Siemowit” founder of the Piast Dynasty
was chosen by a “Wiec” (which was a popular assembly in medieval Slavic countries.
In 1182, the “Weic” metamorphosed into the present day Polish Parliament “Sejm”
(meaning meeting of the populace).
Ø
Even
in old Anglo-Saxon England, the “Witena gamut” or the “meeting/council
of wise-men” was enacting laws in consultation with local assemblies and are
considered a rudimentary form of English Parliament as we know it today.
Ø
In
Scotland during the 10th century, Regional kingdoms were
ruled by chiefs (toisechs) and sub-kings (Mormaers) under the suzerainty of a
High King. The Parliament of Scotland
evolved during the Middle Ages from the King’s Council of Bishops and Earls.
The first unicameral Parliament functioned in 1235 at Kirkliston village in
present day Edinburgh and was called the “colloquium”. Till 1707, the
Parliament of Scotland referred to as the “Estates of Scotland” or the “Auld
Scots Parliament” legislated for Scotland till the Parliament of Scotland
merged with the Parliament of Great Britain in that year. However, in 1998,
after a referendum, the Parliament of Scotland was revived in Edinburgh.
Ø
The
British Model of Parliament known as the “Westminster Model” is regarded
as the Mother of all Parliaments” (a distortion of a quote by John Bright who
mentioned in 1865 that “England is the Mother of Parliaments”) developed over a
period of time through tradition and evolution of practices with the basic
distinction between the Lords and the Commoners being maintained in two
Chambers or Houses of Parliament. The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in
1707 by the Acts of Union that replaced the former Parliaments of England and
Scotland. The Parliament consists of a three tier model – A House of Lords, a
House of Commons and the Monarch (largely ceremonial – present day).
Ø
Based
on the British Model, most parliaments are bicameral and sometimes they
can be Unicameral or Tricameral as opposed to the Presidential system in the
USA where there is a well-defined separation of powers between the Congress and
the President.
The
Parliament of India :
v
The
Parliament of India is bicameral and is the supreme legislative entity in the
country. It is identically patterned on
that of the Parliament of Great Britain with the President of India (in place
of the British Monarch), and the two Houses –
“Rajya Sabha” or the “Council of States”(patterned on the British “House
of Lords”) and the “Lok Sabha” or the “House of the People”(patterned on the
British “House of Commons”). The President, although a titular Head, much like
the present day British monarchy, has the powers to summon and prorogue either
House of Parliament of dissolve the Lok Sabha.
v
The
President of India is elected from a group of nominees by the elected members
of both Houses of the Parliament as well as of the State legislatures (Vidhan
Sabhas) for a five year term.
v
The
combined strength of the Parliament is 795 members representing about 720
million registered Indian voters. The Lok Sabha can have a maximum strength of
552 as per the Constitution and presently has 545 members (525 from State Constituencies
and 20 from the Union Territories) with every member being elected for a
five-year term and General elections to the Lok Sabha being held once every
five years, unless contingencies require a mid-term election. To be eligible to contest for a Lok Sabha
seat, a candidate should be of 25 years or above in age. On the other hand, the
Rajya Sabha can have a maximum strength of 250 members as per the Constitution (
238 from the states and 12 from the Union Territories) with each member being
elected for a term of six years and elections being held for one-third seats
every two years. To be eligible for a Rajya Sabha seat, a candidate must be at
least 30 years of age.
v
The
Members of the Lok Sabha are elected directly by the Indian public
and the MPs of the Rajya
Sabha are elected by the members of the State Legislative Assemblies in
accordance with proportional representation.
v
The
Indian Parliament when it came into existence six decades ago, was an institution constituted by stalwarts
who had fought for the Independence of India from the British Raj and the
quality of debates and commitment of the members towards development of the
newly independent nation was beyond question, although the schools of thought
they subscribed to were different, and the methods of approaching the set goals
were divided along party lines. It was a Parliament with divergent voices and
views. Nevertheless, even when MPs differed during debates/proposals with their
opponents, Parliamentary decorum was maintained.
v
This
was a far cry from present day Parliaments where disorder has become the order
of the day in both Houses and the values and issues which the first Parliament
stood for have almost disappeared and partisan goals appear to have set in
superseding the overriding concern for the public good.
Some
interesting tit-bits about the Parliament of India:
Ø
The
first meeting of the Lok Sabha took place on May 13, 1952.
Ø
The
first Chairman of the Rajya Sabha was S. Radhakrishnan (later the President of
India).
Ø
The
first Speaker of the Lok Sabha was G.V. Mavalankar.
Ø
In
the first Lok Sabha, there was no Member of Parliament over the age of 70
years. This number has risen to 7% present day. The number of MPs below 40 has
decreased from 26% in 1952 to 14% present day.
·
On
13.05.2012 (Sunday) the Indian Parliament completed 60 years since its first
sitting. To commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of its creation a special sitting
of both Houses was organised on that day.
·
In
the present Rajya Sabha nonagenarian Rishant Keising (representing Manipur) and
Resham Lal Jangde, 87 (representing Chhattisgarh) were honoured in the special
sitting of the Parliament as being the
only live members of the first Lok Sabha!!
·
The
special sitting recalled the “60 years journey of the Indian Parliament”.
·
It
is to Keising’s credit that he mentioned in his address to MPs on the occasion,
that he was pained at the deteriorating standards in the Parliament from his
tenure in the first Lok Sabha to present day. He recalled with fond memories of
what the great and special Parliament was like when it was born with doyens
like Rajendra Prasad and JL Nehru. He concluded that it was mostly the “people”
who made up the Parliament then. (Did he mean the “aam aadmi”?). Now, there is
much public scrutiny of the work of MPs and the functioning of the Parliament.
Ø
Women
constitute 11% of the present Lok Sabha as compared to 5% in the first Lok
Sabha. This is still lower as compared to some other countries viz. UK (22%),
USA (17%), Sweden (45%) etc.
Ø
The
first Lok Sabha passed an average of 72 bills every year. This number has
dropped to about 40 or lesser number of bills every year, present day, with the
lowest number of bills being passed in 2004. The highest number of Bills was
passed in 1976 (118 Bills) and lowest number of Bills in 2004 (18 Bills). Since
1993, Parliament refers many Bills/issues to Departmentally Related Standing
Committees for in-depth study/analysis. These Committees meet and deliberate
these issues outside the scheduled sittings of Parliament. In addition, Ad-hoc
Committees, Parliamentary Committees focus on special areas, studies etc.
assigned to them for briefing Parliament
, No Private Members bill has been passed by Parliament since 1970.
Ø
The
Lok Sabha met for an average of 127 days in the 1950s and Rajya Sabha for 93
days. The number of sittings has decreased to 73 for both houses. This is
against a recommendation of Senior MPs of all parties who had met in 2001 that
Parliament should meet for a minimum of 110 days every year and that
constitutional amendment should be brought about in this regard. Presently, the
accepted practice is that three sessions are held as follows:
Budget Session: 20-35
days during February-March
Monsoon Session: 20-35
days during July-August
Winter Session: 20-35
days during November-December
Ø
Each
Member of Parliament (MP) represents over 2 million constituents.
Ø
The
percentage of Graduates has increased from 58% in 1952 to 79% in 2009,
including MPs with post-graduate and doctorate degrees.
Ø
The
percentage of MPs without secondary education has decreased from 23% in 1952 to
3% in 2009.
Ø
More
MPs (29%) have post-graduate degrees than in 1952 (18%).
Ø
PRS Legislative Research:
·
The
Ford Foundation and Google have sponsored a group comprising about a
dozen members called the PRS Legislative Research set up in 2005 with is a
not-for-profit and non-partisan research focus group, which is aware that the Members of Parliament
do not have a dedicated Research staff or Institutional support for each MP. As such, when Bills are placed in the
Parliament for discussion/ratification, it is important for the MPs to be
better informed so as to make knowledge-based decisions. This makes it easier
for MPs to participate in debates.
·
The
PRS as part of this initiative summarises the voluminous Bills into
bullet-points which highlight key points and provide context after careful
Research and interviewing stake-holders, outside experts and Government
officials who helped the proposed Bills, with a view to better understanding of
the issues involved.
·
These
briefs are presented to all Members of the Parliament, several journalists and
non-governmental organisations around the country and the briefs are also
placed on the PRS website for anyone to access them for information.
·
In
addition, the PRS also, informs citizens of the deliberations during
Parliamentary debates.
Ø
A
salient feature of the Indian Parliament is that a labourer or even an
ex-dacoit have equal opportunity to
legislate at the highest levels of the country just like their more privileged
counterparts, provided they get elected from their constituencies.
Ø
It
is equally true that money power has also become a major player in Indian
Democracy and several elections have been countermanded by the Election
Commission in this regard. Today’s Parliament is run on coalitions and drumming
up support from several parties on issue based politics rather that ideologies
is the norm on several issues.
Ø
Nevertheless,
the Indian Parliament despite several trials and tribulations has withstood the
tests of time thus far, but there is an urgent need to constantly strive for standards
beyond reproach.
Commemorative coins
issued by RBI/India Government Mints:
1) 5 (Five) Rupee coin
issued for general circulation:
The
reverse of this coin shows the image
of the Parliament House encircled in the centre by a round border like a picture
or a portrait. The inscription around this image on the upper periphery reads “Bharat
ki Sansad ke 60 Varsh” (in Hindi) and “60 years of the Parliament of India” in
English on the lower periphery. The Diamond Jubilee years 1952-2012 are
inscribed above the image of the Parliament House. This coin has been issued by
the Mumbai Mint. Notice the “Diamond Mint Mark” of the Mumbai Mint at the bottom of the coin below the letter "A" of Parliament.
The
obverse of the five rupee coin
issued on the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the Parliament of India shows the
Lion Capitol of the Ashoka Pillar in the middle with the inscription “Satyamev
Jayate” (Truth Always Prevails) in Hindi
below it, with “Bharat” mentioned in Hindi on the left hand side and “India”
in English on the right hand side. Below the Lion Capitol is the numeral “5” indicating
the denominational value of this coin. The denominational value of this coin is
not mentioned in words either in Hindi or English.
The specifications of
this coin are:
Shape:
Circular;
Diameter: 23mm;
Number
of serrations: 100
Weight:
6 gms;
Composition
of Alloy:Nickel–Brass (Copper :75%; Zinc: 20% and Nickel: 5%).
2) 10 (Ten) Rupee coin issued for general circulation:
The reverse of this coin shows the image of the Parliament House encircled in the centre. The inscription around this image on the upper periphery reads “ Bharat ki Sansad ke 60 Varsh” (in Hindi) and “ 60 years of the parliament of India” in English on the lower periphery. The Diamond Jubilee years 1952-2012 are inscribed above the image of the Parliament House. This coin has been issued by the Mumbai Mint. Notice the “Diamond Mint Mark” of the Mumbai Mint at the bottom of the coin below the letter "A" of Parliament.
The
obverse of the ten rupee coin issued
on the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the Parliament of India shows the Lion
Capitol of the Ashoka Pillar in the middle with the inscription “Satyamev
Jayate” (Truth Always Prevails) in Hindi
below it, with “Bharat” mentioned in Hindi on the left hand side and “India”
in English on the right hand side. Below the Lion Capitol is the numeral “10” indicating
the denominational value of this coin.
The specifications of
this coin are:
Shape:
Circular;
Diameter: 27mm (Bi-metallic);
Number
of serrations: 100
Composition
of Alloy: Outer Ring :( Aluminium Bronze): Copper: 92%; Aluminium: 6%; Nickel: 2%.
Centre-piece: (Cupro-Nickel): Copper:
75%; Nickel: 25%.
Posted on 19.09.2015:
I have a couple of days ago, received a Rs. Ten and a Rs. Five Commemorative Coins commemorating “60 Years of the Parliament of India” in 2012, details of which are as under:
Details of the Rs.5/- Coin album:
The following are the names of some of the important Parliaments of the World :Posted on 19.09.2015:
I have a couple of days ago, received a Rs. Ten and a Rs. Five Commemorative Coins commemorating “60 Years of the Parliament of India” in 2012, details of which are as under:
Details of the Rs.5/- Coin album:
The Cover of the
Commemorative coin album received from the Hyderabad Mint celebrating 60 Years
of the Indian Parliament (1952-2012). The cover shows the Indian Parliament
flying the Indian Flag.
Shown on this inner page is
the Obverse of the Coin.
The partial specifications
of this coin are mentioned as under:
Denomination: Rs.5/-
Alloy: Nickel-Brass
(Copper: 75%, Zinc : 20%, Nickel: 5%).
The Obverse of the Coin
shows the Lion Capitol of Emperor Ashok, presently the Emblem of the Government
of India in the centre with the words “Satyameva Jayate” (below the Lion
Capitol), meaning “Truth Always Prevails”. Below the Lion Capitol is the
denomination of the coin “Rs.5/-”. The name of the issuing country “Bharat” (in
Hindi/Devnagri) is on the left periphery of this coin face and “India” (in
English) is on the right periphery of this coin face.
The Reverse of the Coin is
shown on the left upper side. More specifications of the coin are shown on this
page:
Diameter: 23 mm; Weight:
6.00 gms; No. of serrations: 100.
Also shown on this page is
a Rs.4.00 stamp commemorating the “Golden Jubilee” (50 Years) of the Indian Parliament .
There is also a stylised impression of the “Bhartiya Sansad” or the “Indian Parliament”.
The Reverse of the Coin
shows an image of the Parliament . On the upper periphery is mentioned “Bharat
Ki Sansad Ke 60 Varsh” (in Hindi/Devnagri) and “60 YEARS OF THE PARLIAMENT OF
INDIA” (in English) on the lower periphery. Below this inscription is the
“Star” mint mark of the Hyderabad Mint.
Details of the Rs.10/- Coin album:
The Cover of the
Commemorative coin album received from the Hyderabad Mint celebrating 60 Years
of the Indian Parliament (1952-2012). The cover shows the Indian Parliament
flying the Indian Flag.
Shown
on this inner page is the Obverse of the Coin.
The partial specifications
of this coin are mentioned as under:
Denomination: Rs.10/-
Outer Ring: (Aluminium
Bronze): Copper: 92%, Aluminium: 6%, Nickel:
2%;
Inner Centre: (Cupro-Nickel :
Copper : 75%, Nickel: 25%.
The Obverse of the Coin
shows the Lion Capitol of Emperor Ashok, presently the Emblem of the Government
of India in the centre with the words “Satyameva Jayate” (below the Lion
Capitol), meaning “Truth Always Prevails”. Below the Lion Capitol is the
denomination of the coin “Rs.10/-”. The name of the issuing country “Bharat”
(in Hindi/Devnagri) is on the left periphery of this coin face and “India” (in
English) is on the right periphery of this coin face.
The Reverse of the Coin is
shown on the left upper side. More specifications of the coin are shown on this
page:
Diameter: 27 mm; Weight: 7.71
gms; No. of serrations: 100.
Also shown on this page is
a Rs.4.00 stamp commemorating the “Golden Jubilee” of the Indian Parliament .
There is also a stylised impression of the “Bhartiya Sansad” or the “Indian Parliament”.
The Reverse of the Coin
shows an image of the Parliament. On the upper periphery is mentioned “Bharat
Ki Sansad Ke 60 Varsh” (in Hindi/Devnagri) and “60 YEARS OF THE PARLIAMENT OF
INDIA” (in English) on the lower periphery. Below this inscription is the
“Star” mint mark of the Hyderabad Mint.
Country Name of Parliament
Afghanistan Hal-o-Aqad (National Assembly) Shura
Argentina National Congress
Australia Federal Parliament (House of
Representatives and Senate)
Bangla Desh Jatiya Sansad (Parliament)
Bhutan Tshogdu/Tasongadu (National
Assembly
Brazil National Congress
Canada Parliament (House of Commons and
Senate)
China (Mainland) National People's Congress
China (National) Yuan (National Assembly)
Denmark Folketing
Egypt People's Assembly
France National Assembly (Parlement)
Germany Bundestag (Lower House) and
Bundesrat (Upper House)
Great Britain Parliament (House of Lords-Upper
House - and House of Commons -
Lower House
Hungary Orszaggyules (National Assembly)
Iceland Althing
India Parliament or "Sansad" (Lok Sabha
- Lower House and Rajya Sabha -
Upper House
Indonesia People's Consultative Assembly
Iran Majlis
Ireland Oireachtas
Israel The Knesset
Italy Parlamento Italiano
Japan Diet
Jordan National Assembly
Kenya National Assembly
Kuwait Majlis-al-Umma(National
Assembly
Laos People's Supreme Assembly
Latvia Saeima
Liberia National Assembly
Libya General People's Congress
Madagascar National People's Assembly
Malaysia Parliament (Dewan Rakyat and
Dewan Negara)
Maldives Majlis
Mongolia Great People's Khural
Mozambique People's Assembly
Myanmar (Burma) Pyithu Hluttaw(People's Assembly)
Nepal Rashtriya Panchayat
The Netherlands States General (Staten Generaal)
Norway Storting
New Zealand Parliament (House of Represent-
atives)
Oman Majlis
Pakistan Majlis-i-Shoora
Poland Sejm
Romania Grand National Assembly
Russia Duma or Supreme Soviet
Seychelles People's Assembly
Somalia People's Assembly
South Africa Parliament or House of Assembly
Spain Cortes
Sudan National Assembly
Sweden Riksdag
Switzerland Federal Assembly (Nationairat
and Standerat)
Syria People's Council
Taiwan Yuan
Tunisia National Assembly
Turkey Grand National Assembly
United States of Congress (House of
America Representatives and Senate)
Uzbekistan Oli Majlis
Venezuela National Congress
Vietnam National Assembly
Zaire (Democratic National Legislative Council
Republic of Congo)
Zambia National Assembly
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