How healthy are India's State legislatures?
A new report by PRS Legislative Research that examines how 31 State Assemblies performed in 2024 has found that States passed over 500 Bills, yet most Assemblies met for just 20 days and spent around 100 hours in session. Many laws were cleared on the very day they were introduced, and States issued 100 ordinances in total.
What does this say about legislative scrutiny, accountability, and the democratic process at the state level?
Guest: Niranjana S Menon, a Senior Analyst at PRS Legislative Research.
Host: Nivedita V.
Edited by Jude Francis Weston
For more In Focus episodes:
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Tamil Nadu's shoddy roads: Here, the right to life ends in a pothole
The Constitution guarantees the Right to Life and Personal Liberty under Article 21. It has been judicially expanded to cover everything from the right to dignity to the right to sleep. But apparently, not the right to survive your morning commute Srimathi Venkatachari Recently, in the Madras high court , the bench of justices S M Subramaniam and A D Maria Clete issued directions on a public interest litigation petition filed by C M Raghavan, seeking action against a contractor for allegedly laying a substandard road in Tirunelveli. The judges observed that private contractors in collusion with officials are laying roads using substandard materials without adhering to govt standards. The competent authorities are bound to inspect while road projects are being implemented, they added. The state has to issue stern instructions to its officials that in the event of damage or violation, contractor and inspecting officials will be held responsible and the financial losses assessed recovered from all concerned, the judges observed. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai The Supreme Court in Umri Pooph Pratappur Tollways Pvt Ltd vs M P road development corporation (2025) held that 'the contract for laying of a state highway/district road, when assigned by the corporation owned and run by the govt, assumes the character of a public function — even if performed by a private party — and would satisfy the functionality test to sustain the writ petition'. In 2023, the case of Shobana, a software engineer from Zoho, who lost control of her two-wheeler after hitting a pothole and died on the spot, made headlines. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 Most Beautiful Female Athletes in the World Click Here Undo The death of Shobana is not an 'accident' in the colloquial sense. It was designed by apathy, systemic neglect and a civic culture that treats the citizens' right to life as collateral damage in the cycle of shoddy public works and zero accountability. Her death joined the silent parade of 1,856 Indians who die each year in pothole-related crashes as per 2022 data from the Ministry of road transport and highways. Even Zoho's CEO, Sridhar Vembu, felt compelled to speak publicly about it: 'One of our engineers, Shobana, died tragically when her scooter skidded on the heavily potholed roads …' The Constitution, in its noble abstraction, guarantees the Right to Life and Personal Liberty under Article 21. It has been judicially expanded to cover everything from the right to dignity to the right to sleep. But apparently, not the right to survive your morning commute. In Consumer Education and Research Centre vs Union of India, AIR 1995 SC 922, the Supreme Court held that the right to life includes the right to health and safe working conditions, but stated that unsafe infrastructure violates constitutional rights. So, if a person dies because their scooter plunges into a pothole large enough to hold municipal accountability, isn't that a constitutional violation? in theory, there are remedies: Tort Law: You can sue the state for negligence. Motor Vehicles Act , 1988: File a compensation claim under Section 166. Section 304A IPC: Causing death by negligence is a crime. But in practice? It's a game of snakes without ladders. Take the case of Nilabati Behera vs State of Orissa (1993). Here, compensation was awarded for a custodial death due to state inaction. But when it comes to potholes, courts often stop at angry observations and moral outrage. The state, unfazed, continues patching its PR instead of roads. Ask who's responsible and you'll see a blame-passing relay: The municipal corporation blames the contractor. The contractor blames PWD. PWD blames the weather. And the weather, unlike the govt, doesn't hold press conferences. In Rajkot municipal corporation v. Manjulben Jayantilal Nakum (1997) , the high court held the civic body's inaction grossly negligent. That was 25 years ago. In municipal corporation of Delhi vs Subhagwanti, the court held the civic authority liable for not maintaining a clock tower that collapsed. But apparently, Indian roads aren't as important as colonial timepieces. In 2022, Tamil Nadu and Bihar reported zero pothole deaths. That's not data. That's delusion. India loves big numbers: Six-lane expressways, ₹20,000 crore budgets, 'smart cities'. But basic repairs? Too pedestrian. In India, your chances of dying are higher on a two-wheeler than in a terror attack, a fact the Supreme Court remarked on record. Zero engineers have been convicted, and 96% of civic bodies still lack independent road audits. Constitutional rights cannot stop where bad roads begin. Every pothole is a legal breach. Every road death is a constitutional betrayal. And if justice is to mean anything at all, it must travel beyond the courtroom and arrive on the street. Because in India, the Constitution doesn't die in Parliament. It dies in a ditch. (The writer is an advocate in Madras high court) The way forward Real-time tracking of potholes and geo-tagged pothole portals monitored by courts and civil society. South Korea and Singapore track potholes in real-time through citizen apps Accountability dashboards for civic bodies Mandatory audits of road repairs Criminal prosecution when complaints are ignored and someone dies Statutory mandates for repair timelines and penalties for delays; Section 304A IPC to be invoked against engineers and officials Automatic, no-fault compensation linked to FIRs and video evidence Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
India Today
3 hours ago
- India Today
Sharad Pawar claims he got 160-seat win offer for MVA, Devendra Fadnavis retorts
Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday claimed that two persons had approached him ahead of the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly polls, and "guaranteed" a victory for the Maha Vikas Aghadi in 160 out of 288 seats. The claim drew sharp reaction from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who slammed the veteran politician for "hiding" it from the Election Commission, if it ever happened, and also asked whether he ever "utilised" such people to his said the two men met him in Delhi, guaranteeing victory in the polls. The NCP chief went ahead and said that he took them to Rahul Gandhi, who refused the offer, saying the Opposition should not indulge in such back, Fadnavis asked why the Opposition leaders did not approach the Election Commission or police over the issue. "Have you also tried using such people? Who came to you with the idea of influencing the elections? I am surprised that such people approach these big leaders with the idea of influencing the elections of India, and the leaders introduce them to each other," he said."They did not complain to the police, or the Election Commission. They did not act on it, which means, they have tried using them," he added, while dubbing Pawar and Rahul Gandhi's claims on poll rigging "cooked-up stories".Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut also echoed Pawar's claim, saying two persons had also met party chief Uddhav Thackeray ahead of last year's state polls and ensured victory "through EVMs" in 60-65 difficult explosive claims came a day after Rahul Gandhi alleged that the poll body was "hiding a big crime" by refusing to share electronic voter lists and polling booth videos, claiming this was done to shield the BJP's alleged theft of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka and other states, a claim vehemently refuted by the poll body, who sought "proof" from him to prove what he was saying was indeed Saturday's media briefing, Fadnavis slammed Rahul Gandhi for not complying with the poll panel's demand that he give a declaration on oath about his allegations."Will you say I have already taken an oath under the Constitution if the court asks you to submit an affidavit?" he said, adding it was Gandhi's usual tactic to tell a lie and go away (without substantiating it)."Why doesn't Gandhi give a declaration in a quasi-judicial matter? Because he is lying, and if caught, he will be liable to face criminal proceedings," Fadnavis further also raked up the "EVM hack" claim often made by several opposition parties after poll losses and asked as to why none of them came forward to join the "EVM hackathon" organised by the chief poll the Maharashtra Assembly elections held last November, the BJP won 132 out of the 288 seats, while its allies - Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) and NCP (Ajit Pawar) - added 57 and 41 seats to the Mahayuti alliance's tally, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance of the Congress, NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT), who won a total of 46 seats in the 2024 elections, alleged discrepancies in EVMs and anomalies of data.- EndsMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Maharashtra#Devendra Fadnavis#Sharad Pawar#Rahul Gandhi
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
If pigeon-feeding ban continues in Mumbai, we will launch hunger strike from Aug 13, warns Jain muni
Mumbai: According to TV reports on Sunday, a Jain monk warned that members of the community will launch a hunger strike from Wednesday if the ban on feeding pigeons continues. Speaking to reporters, he said, "We will decide our final course of action on Aug 13, after Paryushan. If the ban remains, we will begin a satyagraha and hunger strike." He stressed that the Jain community is peace-loving and does not believe in taking up arms. "However, if needed to protect our religion, we will take up arms. We respect the Constitution, judiciary, and chief minister, but if our faith is attacked, we will not abide by court orders," he said. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
