PARLIAMENTARY FORUMS
Polity
Meaning and Purpose of Parliamentary Forums
• Parliamentary Forums are platforms created to enable focused discussions among Members of Parliament (MPs), ministers, experts and officials on select national priority issues.
• First Forum: Parliamentary Forum on Water Conservation & Management (2005)
• Aim: Strengthen policymaking and implementation by sensitizing MPs with updated knowledge and field realities.
List of All Parliamentary Forums
1. Water Conservation & Management (2005)
2. Youth (2006)
3. Children (2006)
4. Population & Public Health (2006)
5. Global Warming & Climate Change (2008)
6. Disaster Management (2011)
7. Artisans & Craftspersons (2013)
8. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (2013) – Now linked with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Objectives of Parliamentary Forums
• Provide MPs access to ministers, experts and officials for result‑oriented discussions.
• Sensitize MPs about critical ground-level issues and updated technical knowledge.
• Create a data bank on themes handled by each Forum using inputs from ministries, UN bodies, NGOs, research groups etc.
Composition of the Forums
• President: Speaker of Lok Sabha (ex-officio)
– Exception: Forum on Population & Public Health → President is Chairman of Rajya Sabha; Speaker acts as Co‑President.
• Vice-Presidents: Deputy Chairman (RS), Deputy Speaker (LS), concerned ministers, and chairpersons of Departmentally Related Standing Committees.
• Maximum 31 Members:
– Up to 21 from Lok Sabha
– Up to 10 from Rajya Sabha
• Members nominated based on expertise/interest.
• Tenure: Co-terminus with membership of respective House.
• Members may resign by writing to Speaker/Chairman.
• Meetings held during Parliament sessions.
• Member‑Convener: Appointed by the President of the Forum.
Specific Parliamentary Forums
• Water Conservation & Management – Focus on water scarcity, watershed management, river rejuvenation.
• Youth – Covers education, employment, entrepreneurship, sports.
• Children – Issues like malnutrition, child labour, education, juvenile justice.
• Population & Public Health – Family welfare, health systems, nutrition, disease control.
• Global Warming & Climate Change – Climate policy, emissions, adaptation and mitigation.
• Disaster Management – Preparedness, response, capacity-building.
• Artisans & Craftspersons – Welfare, skill development, marketing support.
• MDGs/SDGs – Poverty reduction, education, gender equality, sustainability goals.
INDIAN PARLIAMENTARY GROUP (IPG)
• Autonomous body created in 1949.
• Functions as:
– National Group of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
– Indian Branch of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA)
Membership Structure
• Open to all MPs (sitting members).
• Associate Members: Former MPs (limited rights; cannot be part of delegations).
• Ex-officio Positions:
– President: Speaker, Lok Sabha
– Vice-Presidents: Deputy Speaker (LS) and Deputy Chairman (RS)
– Secretary-General: Secretary-General of Lok Sabha
Objectives of IPG
• Promote contacts among MPs at national and international levels.
• Study major issues of public importance.
• Organize lectures on political, economic, social, defence and educational themes.
• Facilitate parliamentary visits to foreign countries.
• Build international goodwill and cooperation.
Functions of IPG
• Serves as India's link to global parliaments.
• Coordinates parliamentary delegations abroad.
• Organizes addresses of visiting Heads of State/Government.
• Conducts seminars on parliamentary functioning.
• Promotes bilateral Parliamentary Friendship Groups.
• Awards ‘Outstanding Parliamentarian’ annually (established in 1995).
Representation Norms
• Only MPs with at least 6 months of membership in IPG can be part of official parliamentary delegations abroad.
INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION (IPU)
• Global organization of national parliaments.
• Founded: 1889 (before UN), as the first international political organization.
• 179 Member Parliaments.
• Key Contribution: Helped establish the Permanent Court of Arbitration (1899).
• Role for India:
– Provides platforms for Indian MPs to interact globally.
– Encourages international cooperation and comparative legislative learning.
Informal Consultative Committees (Railways)
• Formed for various Railway Zones.
• Meetings held only during Parliament sessions.
• Aim: Improve coordination and address zone-specific railway issues.
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Subject: Polity
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