How 17th Lok Sabha performed: One-third of Bills passed under an hour, record suspensions, lengthy interruptions

From the passage of some key and controversial Bills, many after little to no discussion, to the move to the new Parliament building where MPs were suspended in record-high numbers, the curtains have fallen on the 17th Lok Sabha.

As the focus starts shifting towards the parliamentary elections, here are the highlights of the 17th Lok Sabha and the numbers behind them, as per data from the Lok Sabha and PRS Legislative Research.

Since the first Lok Sabha convened between 1952 and 1957, the number of sittings has consistently declined over the years. While the first Lok Sabha convened for an annual average of 135 days across all sessions, the 16th and 17th Lok Sabhas (of the NDA government) met for 66 and 55 days per year. The number of sitting days was marginally higher in the UPA I and II eras, at 66 and 71 days per year, respectively.

During the term of the 17th Lok Sabha, legislators met for 15 sessions, including curtailed sessions during the Covid-19 pandemic and the Special Session last September. The 17th Lok Sabha kicked off with a productive Budget Session in 2019, with 25 sittings and working overtime for 135% of the scheduled time. The number of sittings peaked at 37 in the Budget Session last year but it was one of the least productive ones, functioning for just 33% of the scheduled time.

At a total of 274, just the four Lok Sabhas that were dissolved before the end of their five-year terms held fewer sittings than this one.

In terms of hours spent working, particularly discussing and passing Bills, there was a marked decline during the 17th Lok Sabha. From 281 total hours of work and 125 hours spent on Bills in the 2019 Budget Session, the Lok Sabha’s working hours fell to 62 overall and 37 on Bills in the 2023