New Delhi [India], June 27 (ANI): One year since his re-election as speaker of the Lok Sabha, Om Birla's second term has emerged as a defining period of transformative change, legislative productivity and digital innovation in India's parliamentary journey.

With four sessions already concluded and the fifth session scheduled to begin on July 21, the first year of the 18th Lok Sabha has proven to be not just a continuation but an evolution of India's vibrant democracy. During this period, Parliament has embraced reforms, responsiveness and representation like never before.

As per the record of Lok Sabha, under Birla's leadership, who assumed the office of Speaker on June 26, 2024, the house has conducted proceedings for 372 hours and 36 minutes and achieved an average productivity of 103.17%, a record in recent times. A historic milestone was achieved on April 3, 2025, when 204 issues were raised during Zero Hour in a single day, the highest ever in Lok Sabha's history.

A significant parliamentary reform was also introduced by renaming 'Matters of Urgent Public Importance' to 'Matters of Public Importance', streamlining procedures to reflect the evolving priorities of the House.

The tireless approach of Speaker Birla, the 18th Lok Sabha, has passed 24 key legislations aimed at national progress and public welfare. In just four sessions, which included the Waqf Board (Amendment) Bill 2024, the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill 2024, the Indian Aircraft Bill 2024 and the Immigration and Foreigners Bill 2025.

These build upon landmark bills passed during the 17th Lok Sabha under Birla's leadership, such as the abrogation of Article 370, the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam and the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019.

Not only at the domestic front, the voice of Indian democracy echoed across the globe, and Parliamentary diplomacy worked with a renewed vigour.

Om Birla has significantly elevated India's democratic voice in global forums. Representing India at key international events, including 10th BRICS Parliamentary Forum (Russia, July 2024), 149th and 150th IPU Assemblies (Geneva, Oct 2024 & Tashkent, Apr 2025), CSPOC Standing Committee Meeting (UK, Jan 2025), 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum (Brazil, June 2025) etc, Indian Parliamentary Delegations under Birla's leadership actively participated and put forth India's view point on major issues including Pahalgam terror attack.

In the last one year, India has also hosted parliamentary delegations from nine nations, including Japan, UAE, Russia, Mauritius, Maldives and Armenia, strengthening bilateral ties through parliamentary diplomacy.

The Speaker also reaffirmed to constitute Parliamentary Friendship Groups with foreign Parliaments, with a commitment to evolve consensus on key issues.

The most transformative initiative in Speaker Birla's tenure has been the launch of the Digital Parliament Project 2.0. Aimed at making Parliament smarter, transparent and accessible, the project includes digitisation of over 8,000 hours of archival parliamentary proceedings. Also, an AI-powered video search engine was launched with the capability of multilingual speech recognition.

Birla also started a digital attendance system for MPs using tablets and smart pens. During the tenure of Speaker Birla, Parliament Digital Library (PDL) and eHRMS for staff management were also introduced. With the efforts of Birla as Lok Sabha Speaker, a unified onboarding system for new MPs, replacing 19 separate forms with a single digital app, was launched, saving time and minimising errors.

'Sansad Bhashini', an indigenous AI-based translation tool to provide multilingual access to parliamentary documents and proceedings, was introduced, breaking language barriers and fostering inclusivity in line with the Digital India mission.

These initiatives not only reduce paper usage and boost efficiency but also redefine public access and transparency in the world's largest democracy.

Speaker Birla's focus on increasing engagement is visible in initiatives like opening Room No. 52 of the Parliament Library Building, the Parliamentary Knowledge Platform and regular briefings on important bills. Women and youth have been encouraged to participate in parliamentary discussions and fellowships, underscoring Parliament's inclusive ethos.

As India's population crosses 1.4 billion, Lok Sabha continues to be a platform that echoes the concerns and aspirations of every Indian citizen. The digital initiatives, record productivity, and legislative reforms under Om Birla's leadership not only modernise procedures but also strengthen the moral and institutional foundations of Indian democracy.

The 18th Lok Sabha under Om Birla has reaffirmed that democracy is not static, but it evolves, adapts, and modernizes in tune with the needs of the people it represents.

India's Parliament today is not just a custodian of the past; it is a beacon for the future. And at the heart of this transformation stands a Speaker who has seamlessly blended tradition with innovation, steering the House with firmness, foresight, and an unwavering commitment to public service. (ANI)