India's new Parliament will have a new name?
By Team Newsable | First Published May 25, 2023, 3:29 PM ISTThe new parliament, built at the cost of Rs 970 crore, will have separate entrances for VIPs, Members of Parliament (MPs) and visitors. The new building has three main gates, namely Shakti Dwar, Gyan Dwar and Karma Dwar.
Will India's new Parliament not be known by the name Sansad? According to some reports in the national media, there is speculation doing the rounds that the new Parliament building, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28, could witness a name change, one that completely sheds any remnants of the colonial imprint.
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The new parliament, built at the cost of Rs 970 crore, will have separate entrances for VIPs, Members of Parliament (MPs) and visitors. The new building has three main gates, namely Shakti Dwar, Gyan Dwar and Karma Dwar.
Constructed by Tata Projects Limited, the new building will have a grand constitution hall to showcase India's democratic heritage, a lounge for MPs, a library, multiple committee rooms, dining areas and ample parking space.
The new Parliament has a built-up area of around 65000 square metres. While the Lok Sabha will now be able to seat 888 members, compared to 552 seats presently, the Rajya Sabha will be able to accommodate 384 seats, 139 more than in the old Parliament. During joint sessions, the Lok Sabha seating capacity can be augmented to 1272.
The new Parliament building's design incorporates state-of-the-art technology to assist the Executive's functions. Inside the two Houses, the furniture has smart displays and biometrics for ease of voting. The members' seats are equipped with programmable microphones, digital language interpretation and recording infrastructure.
The new Parliament is designed to last at least 150 years. The prime minister had laid the foundation stone of the new Parliament Building on December 10, 2020. The new building has been built in record time with quality construction.
The existing building served as independent India's first Parliament and witnessed the adoption of the Constitution. Originally called the Council House, the building housed the Imperial Legislative Council. The Parliament Building witnessed the addition of two floors in 1956 to address the demand for more space.
In 2006, the Parliament Museum was added to showcase the 2,500 years of rich democratic heritage of India. Officials said the 96-year-old building was never designed to accommodate a bicameral legislature and the seating arrangements were cramped and cumbersome, with no desks beyond the second row. Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha had passed resolutions urging the government to construct a new building for Parliament.
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