New Delhi, 15 January (H.S.): Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla asserted on Thursday that modern technology and artificial intelligence hold transformative potential to render democratic institutions more inclusive, efficacious, and citizen-accountable, urging parliaments to embrace these capabilities while steadfastly safeguarding core democratic tenets amid evolving exigencies.

In an op-ed published in a leading English daily ahead of the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC)—chaired by Birla at Samvidhan Sadan's Central Hall—Birla delineated technology's symbiotic interplay with democracy, envisioning New Delhi as a crucible for collective consensus on digital parliamentary evolution.

Historic Conclave Amid Winter Haze

Birla evoked the poignant imagery of Samvidhan Sadan—enshrouded in winter fog—hosting Commonwealth parliamentary custodians, underscoring the profound responsibility of welcoming fellow Speakers to India's fourth CSPOC iteration since 1969's Canadian genesis under Lucien Lamoureux, which institutionalised impartial, executive-independent legislatures via Ottawa's permanent secretariat.

He affirmed India's perennial pillar status, with this January 2026 conclave ensuring parliamentary adaptability to citizen aspirations through algorithmic augmentation complementing rulebooks.

Samvidhan Sadan: Cradle of Constitutional Ethos

Elevating the venue beyond architecture, Birla portrayed Samvidhan Sadan as democracy's sanctified womb where India's Constitution gestated, its spirit unalterable despite technological ingress—core values of sovereignty, representation, and debate remaining sacrosanct. He cautioned that antiquated tools cannot navigate futuristic terrains, positioning India's global tech ascendancy as a shared Commonwealth opportunity to confront digital democracy's metamorphosis.

From Digitisation to Empowerment

Transcending mere digitisation, Birla heralded India's digital empowerment paradigm: Lok Sabha deploys advanced AI bridging citizens and representatives, exemplified by Parliament Bhashini enabling real-time multilingual translation and transcription, ensuring mother-tongue parliamentary discourse instantaneously reaches constituents and peers, fortifying inclusivity in polyglot polities.

AI further streamlines legislative research, lawmaking, and budget scrutiny, amplifying efficiency and citizen welfare velocity. Embracing Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, India proffers digital public infrastructure as global commons—eschewing proprietary silos for universal public good.

Digital Dilemmas Demand Vigilance

Acknowledging technology's double-edged sword, Birla noted social media's democratisation of parliamentary proximity alongside perils like online harassment and deepfakes, extending decorum's defence to cyberspace. This exposition synchronises with Prime Minister Modi's concurrent CSPOC address extolling last-mile democratic delivery—from UPI primacy to 25 crore poverty escapes—amid Army Day valour tributes, Pongal harvest invocations, Himachal inferno lamentations, ED's Bengal DGP purge plea, Bangladesh cricket mutiny, Jana Nayagan judicial deferral, and Startup India decennial prelude, weaving Thursday's tapestry of innovation-infused institutional resilience.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar