Time lost during 16th Lok Sabha lower than most previous sessions since 1991: Data

By Rajiv Shah
Amidst major hue and cry around “time lost” during the recently-ended Parliament session, with accusations flying high that the tax-payers’ money is being “wasted”, data of Lok Sabha sittings suggest that the last session when the BJP was in opposition saw the highest per cent of time lost since 1991.
The data also show that till the end of the current monsoon of the 16th Lok Sabha (2014-19), only 8.77 per cent of the time was actually lost due to interruptions and adjournments, but in sharp contrast, a whopping 39.88 per cent of the time was lost due to interruptions and adjournments during the last 15th Lok Sabha (2009-14), when the the UPA-2 ruled, with scandals flying high.
In fact, the time lost during the 16th Lok Sabha considerably less than all previous sessions since 1991, except for the 11th Lok Sabha (1996-98), when it was a meager 5.28 per cent of the total hours for which the session met. Ironically, the BJP was in opposition during the 11th Lok Sabha.
The actual figures further reveal that the current Lok Sabha has so far sat for 610.7 hours, while the time lost was 58.7 hours. During the previous session, the Lok Sabha sat for 1,344.6 hours, while the time lost was 891.9 hours, thanks to the disruptions caused by the BJP.
The previous Lok Sabha sessions’ figures are as follows: During the 10th Lok Sabha (1991-96), the time lost was 9.95 per cent. It sat for 2,257 hours, but the time lost was 279.4 hours. At that time, the Congress was in power, while the BJP was in the opposition.

In the 11th Lok Sabha (1996-98), when the United Front was in power and the BJP was in Opposition, the actual time for which the House sat was 813.6 hours, while the time lost was 45.3 hours (5.28 per cent). In the following 12th Lok Sabha (1998-99), when the BJP returned to power, the House sat for 574.9 hours, while the time lost was 68.6 hours (10.66 per cent).
Then, during the 13th Lok Sabha (1999-2004), when the BJP again regained power under AB Vajpayee, the House sat for 1,945.7 hours, and the time lost was 454.6 hours. This was 18.94 per cent of the total time for which the House met. And during the 14th Lok Sabha (2004-09), when the Congress-led UPA government came back to power, the House sat for 1736.9 hours, while the time lost was 423 hours (19.58 per cent).
Analyzing the data on the basis figures made available by the Parliament Secretariat,, an online portal comments, “The recently concluded monsoon session of the Parliament was unique for one reason. Members of both the ruling dispensation and the Opposition came onto the roads to protest against one another.”
Though the hours lost due to disruptions and adjournments was considerably less in the current Lok Sabha than the previous ones, the the BJP is guilty of losing highest percentage of time during the previous Lok Sabha, the portal says, “While the BJP accused the Congress of being an obstructionist party, data compiled by the Lok Sabha Secretariat suggests that both the parties are equally guilty of disrupting the proceedings of the house when they were in the Opposition.”

Comments

Grueling summer ahead: Cuttack’s alarming health trends and what they mean for Odisha

By Sudhansu R Das The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.

Stronger India–Russia partnership highlights a missed energy breakthrough

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

From natural farming to fair prices: Young entrepreneurs show a new path

By Bharat Dogra There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

The Vande Mataram debate and the politics of manufactured controversy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The recent Vande Mataram debate in Parliament was never meant to foster genuine dialogue. Each political party spoke past the other, addressing its own constituency, ensuring that clips went viral rather than contributing to meaningful deliberation. The objective was clear: to construct a Hindutva narrative ahead of the Bengal elections. Predictably, the Lok Sabha will likely expunge the opposition’s “controversial” remarks while retaining blatant inaccuracies voiced by ministers and ruling-party members. The BJP has mastered the art of inserting distortions into parliamentary records to provide them with a veneer of historical legitimacy.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

The cost of being Indian: How inequality and market logic redefine rights

By Vikas Gupta We, the people of India, are engaged in a daily tryst—read: struggle—for basic human rights. For the seemingly well-to-do, the wish list includes constant water supply, clean air, safe roads, punctual public transportation, and crime-free neighbourhoods. For those further down the ladder, the struggle is starker: food that fills the stomach, water that doesn’t sicken, medicines that don’t kill, houses that don’t flood, habitats at safe distances from polluted streams or garbage piles, and exploitation-free environments in the public institutions they are compelled to navigate.

Why India must urgently strengthen its policies for an ageing population

By Bharat Dogra A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

Thota Sitaramaiah: An internal pillar of an underground organisation

By Harsh Thakor* Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.

Proposals for Babri Masjid, Ram Temple spark fears of polarisation before West Bengal polls

By A Representative A political debate has emerged in West Bengal following recent announcements about plans for new religious structures in Murshidabad district, including a proposed mosque to be named Babri Masjid and a separate announcement by a BJP leader regarding the construction of a Ram temple in another location within Behrampur.

Search This Blog