The Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Shri Harivansh, called for greater synergy between Parliament and State Legislatures to ensure the effective, accurate, and responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in legislative functioning. He made these remarks while addressing the plenary session of the 86th All India Presiding Officers’ Conference (AIPOC) in Lucknow on January 20, 2026.
He emphasized that while AI can significantly enhance legislative efficiency, its success depends on the quality of knowledge and data on which the system is trained.
Legislatures as Custodians of Institutional Knowledge
Highlighting the intellectual wealth embedded in legislative institutions, Shri Harivansh noted:
“Legislatures are custodians of all official policy documents including debates on legislation, budgets, and proceedings. These documents become part of the House when laid on the table.”
He pointed out that much of this valuable institutional knowledge remains scattered across ministries, and stressed that AI can help build an integrated platform to make such information easily accessible, thereby transforming legislatures into knowledge hubs.
Call for Creation of a National Legislative ‘Data Lake’
The Deputy Chairman proposed the creation of a comprehensive legislative ‘Data Lake’, comprising:
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Parliamentary debates
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Legislative vocabulary and conventions
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Budget discussions
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Rulings and precedents
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Policy documents across States and Parliament
Such a repository, he said, would allow AI systems to be trained in a manner that is uniquely suited to the Indian legislative context, ensuring accuracy, relevance, and institutional sensitivity.
“AI Must Be Trained on Parliamentary Knowledge”
Shri Harivansh underscored that the effectiveness of AI in legislatures does not lie merely in its algorithms, but in the knowledge ecosystem that feeds it.
“What makes AI suitable for parliamentary use is not merely its algorithmic capability. It is the knowledge on which the technology is trained.”
He stressed that parliamentary AI must be trained within Parliament itself, using carefully curated legislative data. While technical skills can be outsourced, he noted that institutional knowledge is deeply contextual and built over decades of constitutional practices, debates, and conventions.
AI Already Enhancing Parliamentary Functioning
The Deputy Chairman highlighted ongoing AI-driven initiatives within Parliament, including:
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AI-enabled transcription of debates
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Simultaneous interpretation services across languages
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Access to House business and administrative documents in the language of choice for Members of Parliament
He also noted that AI can assist in routine administrative tasks such as:
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Scrutiny of admissibility of Questions for Question Hour
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Searching historical precedents and rulings
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Document management and legislative research
Need for Human Oversight and Capacity Building
Advocating a hybrid model, Shri Harivansh emphasized that while AI can assist, human oversight must remain central to decision-making.
He also called for:
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Greater awareness programmes on AI for legislators
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Training and orientation sessions for legislative staff
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Capacity building to ensure responsible and effective use of emerging technologies
Beyond digital tools, the session also featured discussions on strengthening accountability and building legislative capacity.
Background of the Conference
The 86th All India Presiding Officers’ Conference (AIPOC) began on January 19, 2026, in the presence of:
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Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Smt. Anandiben Patel
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Lok Sabha Speaker, Shri Om Birla
The conference serves as a key national platform for dialogue on strengthening democratic institutions and legislative practices.
Conclusion
Shri Harivansh’s address places a strong emphasis on responsible, knowledge-driven adoption of AI in India’s legislatures. By advocating institutional collaboration, curated data ecosystems, and human oversight, the Deputy Chairman outlined a roadmap for making AI a powerful tool for strengthening democracy rather than merely a technological upgrade.
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Source: PIB
