AE1 - Legislative Support
(62323312)
AECC (Electives) - (AECCE) Credit:4
Course Objective
To acquaint the student with the legislative process in India at various levels, introduce them to
the functions of peoples’ representatives and provide elementary skills to be part of a legislative
support team. Peoples’ representatives need support for the multiple tasks they are supposed to
undertake.
The need to understand complex policy issues, draft new legislation, track and analyse ongoing
bills, make speeches and floor statements, write articles and press releases, attend legislative
meetings, conduct meetings with various stakeholders, monitor media and public developments,
manage constituent relations and handle inter-office communications. All over the world, elected
representatives have an office with specialised support team to carry out these tasks.
With about 5000 MPs and MLAs, and more than 30 lakhs representatives at the Panchayati Raj
level, there is a vast need for legislative support among representatives that needs to be
addressed. This course will equip the students with basic skills for this task and expose them to
real life legislative work. In the process of learning legislative support skills, students will also
build and deepen their understanding of the Indian political process.
Course Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
• Demonstrate knowledge of the structure and the functions of legislating bodies in India
• Demonstrate knowledge of the law making procedure in India
• Acquire skills related to a close reading of legislative documents
• Understand the relationship between the people and their elected representatives
• Develop basic skills to become a part of a support team engaged at different levels of the
law making functions
Unit 1
Powers and functions of people’s representatives at different tiers of governance
Members of Parliament, State Legislative Assemblies, functionaries of rural and urban local self-
government from Zila Parishads/Municipal Corporation to Panchayat/Ward. (Weeks 1-3)
Unit 2
Supporting the legislative process:
How a Bill becomes a Law, Role of the Standing Committee in reviewing a Bill, Legislative
Consultations, amendments to a Bill, the framing of Rules and Regulations. (Week 4)
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Unit 3
Supporting the legislative committees
Types of committees, Role of committees in reviewing government finances, policy,
programmes, and legislation (Weeks 5-7)
Unit 4
Reading the budget document:
Overview of Budget Process, Role of Parliament in reviewing the Union Budget, Railway
Budget, Examination of Demands for Grants of Ministries, Working of Ministries. (Weeks 8-10)
Unit 5
Support in media monitoring and communication:
Types of media and their significance for legislators. Basics of communication in print and
electronic media (Weeks 11-12)
References
Madhavan, M.R. & N. Wahi, Financing of Election Campaigns PRS, Centre for Policy Research,
New Delhi, 2008. URL:
http://www.prsindia.org/uploads/media/conference/Campaign_finance_brief.pdf
Vanka, S., Primer on MPLADS Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, 2008. URL:
http://www.prsindia.org/parliamenttrack/primers/mplads-487/
Kalra, H., Public Engagement with the Legislative Process PRS, Centre for Policy Research,
New Delhi, 2011. URL:
http://www.prsindia.org/administrator/uploads/media/Conference%202011/Public%20Engageme
nt%20with%20the%20Legislative%20Process.pdf
Government of India (Lok Sabha Secretariat) Parliamentary Procedures (Abstract Series), 2009.
URL: http://164.100.47.132/LssNew/abstract/index.aspx
Government of India, (Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs) Legislation, Parliamentary Procedure,
2009. URL: http://mpa.nic.in/Manual/Manual_English/Chapter/chapter-09.htm
Government of India, (Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs) Subordinate Legislation, Parliamentary
Procedure, 2009. URL: http://mpa.nic.in/Manual/Manual_English/Chapter/chapter-11.htm
Kapur, Devesh and Pratap Banu Mehta, “The Indian Parliament as an Institution of
Accountability,” Democracy, Governance and Human Rights, Programme Paper Number 23,
United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, January 2006. URL:
http://www.unrisd.org/UNRISD/website/document.nsf/240da49ca467a53f80256b4f005ef245/8e
6fc72d6b546696c1257123002fcceb/$FILE/KapMeht.pdf
Agarwal, O.P. and T.V. Somanathan, “Public Policy Making in India: Issues and Remedies,”
February, 2005. URL:
http://www.cprindia.org/admin/paper/Public_Policy_Making_in_India_14205_TV_SOMANAT
HAN.pdf.
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Debroy, Bibek, “Why we need law reform,” Seminar January 2001.
Mehta, Pratap Bhanu, “India’s Unlikely Democracy: The Rise of Judicial Sovereignty,” Journal
of Democracy Vol.18, No.2, pp.70-83.
Additional Resources:
Government links:
http://loksabha.nic.in/
http://rajyasabha.nic.in/
http://mpa.nic.in/
Sanyal,K. Strengthening Parliamentary Committees PRS, Centre for Policy Research, New
Delhi, 2011. URL: http://www.prsindia.org/administrator/uploads/media/Conference%202011
/Strengthening%20Parliamentary%20Committees.pdf
Celestine, A. How to read the Union Budget PRS, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, 2011.
URL: http://www.prsindia.org/parliamenttrack/primers/how-to-read-the-union- budget-1023/
Teaching Learning Process
Students will engage in discussion on legislative procedures. They will be imparted elementary
skills to become part of legislative support team and engage in real legislative work by attending
legislative meetings and monitoring media and public developments. They will be given
interactive lectures on powers and functions of representatives at different tiers of governance.
Assessment Methods
Students will be assessed on continuous basis followed by end term examination. Internal
assessment will be conducted at the end of each unit which may include assignments,
participation in class discussions and viva voce. They will be evaluated on the basis of their
skills to become part of legislative support team and engage in real legislative work. They will be
required to submit project report on any one unit of the syllabus before end term examination.
Keywords
Functions, Governance, Legislature, Powers, Procedures, Representative
