The Parliament House of India

While a lot has been written and read about the Parliament of India (yes, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha), the place where the parliamentarians sit has relatively been confined to the background.

Where does the Parliament of India convene?

• The Parliament of India convenes in the Sansad Bhavan which is located on the Sansad Marg, New Delhi.
• The Sansad Bhavan (also known as the Parliament House) is home to the sitting places and offices of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha of India.
• The Sansad Bhavan is a circular building which is outwardly similar to the Ashoka Chakra.
• At the center of the building (where the spoke lies) is the Central Chamber of the Parliament.
• On the sides of the building are the semicircular halls which were once constructed to host the sessions of the Chamber of Princes, the State Council and the Central Legislative Assembly in the time of the British Raj.
• Now, these semicircular halls host the Library, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha respectively.
• The entire building is surrounded by large gardens and the perimeter of the building is fenced off by red sandstone railings.
• The Sansad Bhavan was attacked once (in December 2001) by Pakistan-backed armed terrorists who breached all security barriers and reached the courtyard of the Parliament. However, the quick response by the security forces averted most of the crisis and a tragedy of epic proportions was averted.

Why is it in the news?

The Speaker of the Lok Sabha has urged the Prime Minister of India to include either the expansion or the modernization of Parliament Building in the PM’s resolution for ”New India”.

As per the Speaker of India, it is the aspirations of all Indians that the world’s largest democracy should have a magnificent and attractive Parliament building.