4 days ago
Assembly to host speakers' conference on August 24, 25
The Delhi Assembly is set to host the All India Speakers' Conference on August 24 and 25, with the theme 'Virasat Se Viksit Ki Ore' (from heritage to development). The event will be held to commemorate the centenary of Vitthalbhai Patel's tenure as the first Indian Speaker of the central legislative assembly, Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta said at a press conference on Monday. Assembly to host speakers' conference on August 24, 25
Union home minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the conference while the valedictory session will be presided over by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, and Union minister for communications and development of north eastern region Jyotiraditya M Scindia will release a commemorative postage stamp.
'The Delhi Assembly stands as the first Parliament in the country from where revolutionaries and national leaders raised the call for freedom. The Assembly building, constructed in 1912 after Delhi was declared the capital, served as the crucible of India's political awakening. It was here that legislators like Lala Lajpat Rai, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, and Gopal Krishna Gokhale challenged colonial authority. The event promises to be a grand tribute to democratic values, freedom-era leadership, and future-ready governance,' Gupta said.
As part of the two-day event, the Delhi Assembly will organise an exhibition showcasing archives such as rare documents, photographs, and transcripts, including moments from Mahatma Gandhi's visits and Vitthalbhai Patel's elevation as Speaker 100 years ago. A specially commissioned documentary will also be screened, chronicling these defining chapters the country's democratic journey.
Thirty two speakers and deputy speakers from state legislative assemblies and legislative councils across the country will be participating in the event where Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh, Union minister of culture and tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar will be among the speakers.
Delhi government has appointed 125 liaison officers as all the participating guests will be accorded state guest honours to ensure hospitality and protocol.
Speaker Gupta said multiple thematic sessions will be held during the conference such as Vitthalbhai Patel's role in constitution-making and democratic institution-building, pre-independence legislative struggle for social reform, artificial intelligence and its role in transparent and accountable governance.
The event will conclude with a Yamuna Aarti and a briefing on the river's rejuvenation efforts.
'Blending heritage with progress, the Delhi legislative assembly marks the centenary of Vitthalbhai Patel's speakership as both a tribute to India's parliamentary pioneers and a pledge to fortify democracy's foundations. Through paperless governance, solar energy adoption, and emerging technologies, it stands as a beacon of progressive governance rooted in history,' the Speaker said.
