New Delhi: In what may be a paradigmatic shift, parliament may allow MPs to attend the monsoon session virtually.
The Indian Express reported that in what is being termed as a ‘hybrid session’, the government is exploring the possibilities of a session in which some MPs could be physically present in the House while others could join online to respect social distancing norms during the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, this would require a detailed assessment of physical and digital infrastructure available with the parliament. Secretaries-general of the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, after their initial assessment, have reportedly told the presiding officers – Rajya Sabha chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla – that facilities to arrange a full virtual session are currently inadequate. They have also said that safety arrangements for a full physical session are also not completely in place.
The idea of a hybrid session, sources told the daily, emerged last month during a meeting after the National Informatics Centre (NIC) that is in-charge of cyber infrastructure reported that it can’t ensure a full virtual session. It has only 500 dedicated lines which aren’t enough for the full house to function.
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Given the space constraint in the Houses, a full physical session would also be unsafe.
“As every MP has a right to participate in the session, choosing MPs for participation is ruled out. But neither the Central Hall nor Vigyan Bhavan have the seating capacity to accommodate all the MPs as per social distancing norms. So, as of now, the only option seems to be a hybrid session – with some members being physically present in the House and others attending on a virtual platform,” a source told the daily.
However, for the hybrid session to happen, the rules of conducting the sessions will have to be changed in both the Houses of Parliament through a motion.
On Tuesday, Birla and Naidu reviewed all options for the monsoon session.