Information Management in the Indian Parliament

The Origins

The Parliament Library and Reference Research Documentation and Information Service (LARRDIS) has been established to meet the information requirements of the Members of both Houses of Parliament in India. Though the nomenclature (and the array of activities it signifies) is of recent vintage, the Parliament Library has a long history, beginning from 1921, during the days of the Central Legislative Assembly, when India was still under British rule. During the pre-independence days the Library remained a very small establishment meeting the limited requirements of the Members of the Central Legislative Assembly.

It was only after Independence in the year 1947 and after the Constituent Assembly commenced the work of drafting a new Constitution for free India, that the demands on the Library started multiplying. Too much dependence by Members only on governmental sources of information for policy-making as well as evaluation of policy, or even for critical appraisal of any governmental activity, we felt to be rather unsatisfactory. An independent and comprehensive Library service was, therefore, envisioned not merely as a repository of books, legislative debates and parliamentary papers, but to provide an up-to-date and objective storehouse of knowledge on which Members could draw with freedom and confidence.

The year 1950, when India became a sovereign, democratic Republic, saw the beginning of a systematic expansion of the Parliament Library's collections, both quantitatively and qualitatively. A humble start was also made in setting up a Members' Reference Service within the newly established Research and Reference Branch which initially functioned independent of the Parliament Library.

During the past four decades, the Library as well as research and reference services for Members have gradually developed into what is now familiarly known as LARRDIS (the Library and Reference, Research, Documentation and Information Service). The present organisational structure and nomenclature of the integrated service is the result of a major functional re-organisation of the Secretariats of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha brought about during 1974-1975.

The Setting

It may be mentioned here that the Constitution of India has adopted the parliamentary form of government and a federal set up. The national Legislature consists of two Houses - the House of the People (or Lok Sabha), and the Council of States (or Rajya Sabha). Direct elections to the House of the People are held every five years and the first past the post system is prevalent. The country is at present divided into 543 single member territorial constituencies for the purpose of elections to the Lok Sabha.

The Members of the Council of States are elected by Members of the Legislative Assemblies of the States. Seats in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are apportioned to different states in proportion to their population. With its sub-continental size and the huge population, it is only natural that the country's Parliament reflects a wide spectrum of cultures, languages, political preference, and so on. Members of Parliament, belonging as they do to diverse backgrounds, are in need of information and assistance on a wide range of subjects. The task before LARRDIS is, therefore, enormous as well as unique.

This uniqueness of LARRDIS can be seen from another angle. The Constitution provides for a separate Secretariat for each House of Parliament under a Secretary-General who will report to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha or the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha as the case maybe. The LARRDIS is an integral part of the administrative structure of the Lok Sabha Secretariat and is under the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Yet all the information needs of Members of both Houses are attended to by this Service very much like the Congressional Research Service in the United States.

Library Committee

There is a Library Committee of Parliament consisting of six Members of the Lok Sabha, including the Deputy Speaker, and three Members of the Rajya Sabha nominated annually by the Speaker. The Deputy Speaker is the ex officio Chairman of the Committee. The role of the committee is to advise the Speaker on all matters concerning the development of the Parliament Library. The Committee keeps a watch on the quality and quantum of all acquisitions of the Library and gives comments and suggestions on the running and functioning of the Library and its ancillary services.

The Parliament Library in India is distinct from the national library. Whereas access to the national library is open to all, the Parliament Library is intended mainly for Members of Parliament. Former Members of Parliament also are eligible to make use of the Library under certain conditions. Research scholars in specified cases and assistants of Members are also allowed access to consult the documents though not to borrow books and other publications.

Organisation of LARRDIS

LARRDIS is presently divided into the following functional Divisions:

1. The Research and Reference Divisions
   
2. The Media and Research Division
   
3. The Parliamentary Affairs Division
   
4. The Library and Parliamentary Museum and Archives Division
   
5. The Research and Documentation Division, and
   
6. The Library Computerisation and Parliament Library Building Division.

The team of officers in each Division is led by a Joint Director. All the six Divisions are under the overall charge of a Director. Nomenclatures and the work allocated to these Divisions are subject to change, from time to time, depending upon the exigencies. At present we have a total of 154 research and library personnel working in the LARRDIS.

Parliament Library

The Parliament Library has holdings of about 1 million volumes, including debates of the Indian Parliament, the State Legislatures of India, and Foreign Parliaments, reports of Central and State Governments and the United Nations and its allied agencies, Gazettes of Central and State Governments, and other documents.

The Library receives nearly 200 newspapers from different parts of the country and from around the world. Of these, 181 newspapers are from India itself, which includes 35 newspapers in English, 40 in Hindi and 106 in the different regional languages of India. Foreign newspapers are received from United Kingdom, USA, Pakistan, China, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Indonesia. Afghanistan, Malaysia and Nepal. The Parliament Library also receives regularly 842 periodicals of which 263 are from abroad. Out of the 263 foreign periodicals, the UN and its agencies account for 59 titles and the rest are from different countries. Of the remaining 579 Indian periodicals, 403 are in English, 94 in Hindi, and the remaining 82 are in various regional languages.

Regional Languages Books

Ours is a nation which abounds in diversity based on several factors, the main constant among them being the languages. Each one of our major languages is rich in its own way and in its distinctive literature. Together, these languages add to the richness of our Library heritage. Keeping this in mind, our Library has also laid emphasis on developing its Regional Languages collections. A separate wing, containing over 54,000 holdings on various Indian languages, has been carved out in the Library for the benefit of readers in regional languages.

Gandhiana

As a mark of respect to the memory of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the Nation, and to make available all the works by and on the Mahatma at one place, there is a separate section called Gandhiana. This section contains about 1,700 books in Hindi, English and several other Indian regional languages.

Similarly, the Parliament Library also has a separate section exclusively devoted to the first Prime Minister and architect of modern India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

Staff Library

In order to enhance the reading habits of the employees of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha Secretariats and their wards, a separate "staff library" has been set up. Books are added to the Staff Library, from time to time, as per suggestions of the staff. The present holdings of the Staff Library are about 22,000 volumes. It also receives 22 newspapers and 59 periodicals regularly. Nearly 60 new books are added to the Staff Library per month.

Rare Books

The Parliament Library has a fairly good collection of rare books. Books in this category number about 800. The oldest book available in the Library dates back to the year 1671.

Acquisition and Processing

The function of informing the Members about the new additions to the Library is primarily performed through our monthly publication Parliament Library Bulletin. Latest arrivals are also put on display on the "New Arrivals Counters". From time to time, book exhibitions are organised on various themes to mark specific occasions. Addition of books to the Library is made through purchase, gifts and exchange. We have exchange arrangements with 50 countries, 74 foreign institutions/Universities and 129 semi-government organisations in India.

As mentioned earlier the Parliament Library is a depository of all UN publications. In all, we add 7,000 to 7,500 books and other publications to the Library every year. Of these 4,000 to 4,500 publications are purchased directly from the local booksellers. The acquisition procedure for books, particularly the initiation of titles for ordering, approval process, placing orders, accessioning, payments, acquisition order follow-up and on-line queries by readers, is now carried out using the computer software package LIBSYS.

We classify books according to the 20th edition of the Dewey Decimal Classification Scheme and catalogue cards are prepared as per the 2nd edition of the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules. We are using the Library of Congress List of Subject Headings (12th edition) for assigning search key words. Catalogue cards are arranged according to their class numbers as well as by author and subject in alphabetical dictionary order. For our card catalogue we follow word by word arrangement.

Press Clipping Service

We have a Press Clipping Service which helps in the speedy disposal of references from Members of Parliament on current subjects. All important news and views, which include editorial comments and articles from 19 English and 8 Hindi dailies published in different States of India, are clipped and maintained in separate subject folders. Moreover, Press Information Bureau (PIB) releases, features of the Indian News and Feature Alliance (INFA) and other daily digests of news and views on matters if topical interest are scrutinised for being retained in the folders. These folders have been found very useful by Members and other researchers who are always asking for them. We are also planning to have the clippings microfilmed.

Reprography Service

A reprography service has also been set up to meet the urgent requirements of Members for photocopying important press clippings, parliamentary questions and answers, articles from periodicals and newspapers and extracts from books and other documents. We have four photocopying machines at present and Members of Parliament and accredited press correspondents can get free copies of the documents connected with parliamentary proceedings.

Documentation Service

One of the principal adjuncts of our Library is its Documentation Service. It indexes and prepares annotations of important books, reports and articles appearing in newspapers and periodicals received in the Parliament Library.

These indexes and annotations are classified and published in a fortnightly indexing periodical titled Parliamentary Documentation. They are also fed into the computer to facilitate searches. The service has now become an invaluable aid for research and reference activity. It also enables preparation of select documentation lists for the use of Members.

Microfilming Service

The Parliament Library has a large collection of old debates, magazines, reports, rare files, and other documents which are required to be preserved for reference over long periods. We have started to preserve these documents in the form of microfilm rolls. Our microfilming service is now equipped with microfilmers, cameras, processors, duplicators, and microfilm reader-cum-printers. There is also a Computer Aided Retrieval (CAR) system for retrieving information form the microfilmed documents.

Research and Information Service

The Research and Information Division of the LARRDIS regularly brings out books, monographs, brochures, background notes, and so on, on matters of parliamentary interest, including prospective legislative measures which are likely to generate demands from Members. Research notes are also prepared by this Service for use at Seminars, Conferences and Symposia and for the parliamentary delegations going abroad.

Our Research and Information Service brings out the following periodicals:

1. Journal of Parliamentary Information (Quarterly)
   
2. Digest of Central Acts (Quarterly)
   
3. Digest of Legislative and Constitutional Cases (Quarterly)
   
4. Abstracts of Books, Reports and Articles (Quarterly)
   
5. Diary of Political Events (Monthly)
   
6. Science and Technology - News Digest (Monthly)
   
7. IPG News Letter (Quarterly)
   
8. Public Undertakings - Digest of News and Views (Monthly)

Members' Reference Service

The Members' Reference Service is perhaps the one service which is the most sought after by Members especially during Session days. It collects and supplies, on demand, factual and objective information to Members of Parliament, Presiding Officers and Committees.

The Members' Reference Service also undertakes anticipatory referencing work and brings out Information Bulletins, Background Notes, and prepares Study Boxes on topical issues. For this, the requirement of Members is assessed well in advance and relevant material is kept handy. During the course of an average year the number of references received, and disposed of would come to about 5,000.

Computerised Information Service

The Parliament Library has introduced a computer-aided information system know as PARLIS. The database is created by the Library's Computer Centre with the help of the National Informatics Centre (NIC). Our Computer Centre is presently linked with the NIC's satellite-based network known as NICNET. It is possible to interact with various Departments/Ministries of the Central and the State Governments and other organisations with the help of NICNET. In addition the network links State Capitals and all the District Headquarters in India. The Parliament Library is thus able to exchange messages and other information with the State Legislatures and District Headquarters.

NICNET is also connected with major international networks like INTERNET, SPRININET, UUNET, TELNET, TYMNET, DATAPAK, and so on. Therefore, it is possible to inter-change information with foreign Legislatures too.

Members of Parliament can have access to computerised information/database available in the Computer Centre from their residences through their personal computers. The ultimate aim is to offer speedy and efficient service to Legislators through a well-articulated and versatile Library and Information Network.

Parliament of India WEB Page

The Parliament of India home page at the world wide web site of the INTERNET became active on 15th March 1996. The information contained in the documents of the Indian Parliament, which until now existed in printed form, is now available to people across political and geographical barriers. The Constitution of India, Constituent Assembly Debates, Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, Directions by the Speaker of Lok Sabha, Decisions from the Chair, Parliamentary Debates from November, 1995, and bio-data of Members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha constitute the major components of the parliamentary information now available on the Internet. A comprehensive introduction to the constitution and functioning of the Parliament and facilities provided to the Members and to visitors is also given. The Internet address of the Site is: http://alfa.nic.in.

Audio-Visual Service

Computers, films, videos, and so on, have become normal elements of our Library culture and their products contribute to our knowledge and general world-view. Video News Magazines covering important national and international events in different areas of politics, economics, law, and so on, brought out regularly by various organisations and agencies, are of immense use to Members. Moreover, the archival value of recordings of parliamentary proceedings is also increasingly felt. Our Audio-Visual Service is maintaining a complete set of all the recordings of parliamentary proceedings from the time video recordings started in 1989. There is a proposal to acquire video copies of the proceedings of the Parliaments of other countries, too, in exchange for the cassettes produced by us. Language learning courses also form an integral part of the Audio-Visual Service.

Media Relations

LARRDIS caters to the needs of the press and other mass media, including television, radio, films, and so on, and provides all possible facilities to enable them to cover the day-to-day proceedings of the Lok Sabha. For this a separate Wing has been set up within the LARRDIS. It establishes liaison with the parliamentary press correspondents and the various government publicity organisations and communications media for the proper publicity of parliamentary and other activities of the Lok Sabha.

It displays on the closed circuit Television (CCTV) system, information pertaining to on-going business in both the Houses of Parliament. Important news items received through teleprinter machines are regularly collected, edited and displayed on news display boards at regular intervals throughout the day during session period for the information of Members.

Parliamentary Museum and Archives (PMA)

The Parliament Library has also set up the Parliamentary Museum and Archives (PMA) which has a section of photographs and films to preserve an authentic, comprehensive, complete and up-to-date pictorial record of the history of the institution of Parliament, its activities and personalities.

The PMA has a Museum Section which contains models, charts, objects and photographs depicting the evolution and functioning of parliamentary institutions in India and elsewhere.

A separate Parliamentary Archives Section within PMA has also been carved out. It plans to acquire and preserve the records connected with the framing of India's Constitution, the growth and work of parliamentary institutions and private papers of parliamentarians, irrespective of their political affiliations. These records are open to scholars, private as well as official, for consultation to promote scholarly ventures in the sphere of parliamentary and democratic traditions, practices and institutions.

From time to time, the PMA organises exhibitions on varying themes mostly connected with the functioning and achievements of Parliament. All photographs, records, books, and archival documents are accessioned and their indexes are computerised for facilitating reference and research work.

Future Plans

As mentioned earlier, the Parliament Library which had a modest beginning in the early twenties, started growing with the attainment of independence by the country in 1947. Now it has a staff strength of more than 150. The collections of the Library, too, have grown rapidly and have crossed the million mark. For some time now, we have been finding it too difficult to manage with the existing accommodation both for books and for staff. At last a solution is in sight. A new Parliament Library Building is coming next to the Parliament House. The project is due for completion in 1998. The new Library Building with all modern facilities will help us in improving the information services, and creature comforts, too, available the users of the Library.