Hardest-working state assemblies in last 5 years: Kerala, Odisha, Karnataka

A report released by PRS Legislative, an independent research organisation, stated that Karnataka (45), West Bengal (42), and Kerala (41) met for the highest number of days in 2022. On average, 28 state assemblies met for 21 days.

Between 2016 and 2022, 24 state assemblies met for an average of 25 days. Kerala had the highest number of average sitting days at 48 days a year, followed by Odisha (41), and Karnataka (35).

Average sitting days have declined steadily from 2016 to 2022, with a dip in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sitting days reduced the most in Telangana Rashtra Samithi-ruled Telangana, and BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh and Goa. Three states, Haryana, Punjab, and Tripura, have not met for more than 20 days in any year since 2016.

West Bengal and Maharashtra met for more days in 2022 as compared to 2021. In 2021, they met for 19 and 15 days respectively. Of the 28 states, 17 states met for less than 20 days, and of these, three met for less than 10 days (Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Tripura – BJP is part of the government in all of these states).

However, Kerala promulgated the highest number of ordinances (15), followed by Maharashtra (13) in 2022. The states promulgated 79 ordinances in 2022. This is much lower than the last two years. states promulgated around 265 ordinances in 2020, and around 255 in 2021. The high figure is partly due to Kerala issuing 81 ordinances in 2020 and 144 ordinances in 2021.

In most states, legislatures meet for two or three sessions in a year - a longer budget session, held between January and March, followed by brief monsoon and winter sessions. Twelve states, including five in the Northeast Region, met for only two sessions in 2022.

In 2022, 61 per cent of sittings were held during the budget session. Tamil Nadu held more than 90 per cent of its sittings in the budget session. Gujarat and Rajasthan held more than 80 per cent of their sittings in the budget session.

On an average, 20 states discussed budgets for eight days in 2022. Tamil Nadu spent 26 days on the entire budget discussion, followed by Karnataka (15), Kerala (14), and Odisha (14). Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, and Punjab discussed their budgets for two days each. Nagaland discussed and passed its budget in a day.

Five states, including Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh passed budgetary demands of all ministries without discussion.

The 28 states passed 21 Bills on average in 2022. The highest number of Bills were passed by Assam (85), followed by Tamil Nadu (51), and Goa (38). Assam passed 85 Bills in 2022, 51 more than they passed in 2021 (34). Thirteen other states passed more Bills in 2022 than in 2021. Eleven states, including Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha passed fewer Bills in 2022 as compared to 2021. Nagaland passed the fewest Bills (3), followed by Puducherry.

In 2022, Bills relating to health were introduced in seven states - Chhattisgarh, Goa, Haryana, Kerala, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. Of these, seven Bills, five were passed.

Sitting days

Average sitting days have declined steadily from 2016 to 2022, with a dip in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sitting days reduced the most in Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, and Goa. Three states, Haryana, Punjab, and Tripura, have not met for more than 20 days in any year since 2016.

According to the report, the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (NCRWC) had recommended that states set a minimum number of sitting days for state legislatures, based on the number of members in the Assembly. States such as Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh have mandated a minimum number of sitting days for their legislature and it varied from 5 days in Himachal Pradesh to 90 days in Uttar Pradesh. None of these states have met the target since 2016, revealed the report.

According to rules, a Bill must receive the assent of the Governor or the President to become an Act. In 2022, 57 per cent of Bills received the assent of the respective Governor within a month. States, where the average time for Bills to receive assent was the shortest, include Sikkim (two days), Gujarat (six days), and Mizoram (six days).

On average, it took 188 days for a Bill to receive assent in Delhi, the longest among all states and Union Territories. There has been a long-standing feud in the national capital between the Lieutenant Governor and the chief minister.

Other states with comparatively longer time for assent are West Bengal (97 days on average), where Trinamool Congress is in power and Chhattisgarh (89 days), where Congress is in power.

In 2022, the current vice president of India Jagdeep Dhankar was the governor of West Bengal. He has been associated with the BJP since 2003. In Chhattisgarh, the governor was Anusuiya Uikey, who has also been associated with BJP since 1998 and is currently the governor of Manipur. 

Religious conversion laws

Haryana and Karnataka both passed laws prohibiting conversion of another person to any religion through the use of force, misrepresentation, fraud, or coercion. Under these laws, all wilful religious conversions including conversions by marriage require the submission of a declaration to the District Magistrate. The District Magistrate must publicly display such declarations for 30 days to invite objections. Religious conversions performed in violation of these laws will be considered illegal.

Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat had passed similar laws in 2021.