India’s New Parliament

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• Old parliament building
• What will happen to the old parliament building now?
• New Parliament building
• Background
• What was the need for a new Parliament building?
• What are the Main features of the new Parliament building?

 

Why in news?

• In the 75th year of Independence, PM Modi inaugurated the new Parliament building, and installed the ‘Sengol’ near Lok Sabha Speaker’s chair.

  

Old parliament building

• Shift of capital from Calcutta to Delhi
  • At the coronation of George V as Emperor of India on December 12, 1911, the monarch decided to transfer the seat of the Government of India from Calcutta to the ancient Capital of Delhi.
• Selection of architect and scope of their work
  • In 1913, Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker signed on to be the architects for the Imperial City at New Delhi.
    • Initially, they were asked to design President’s House and North and South Block only.
  • In 1919, the British Parliament passed the Government of India Act which provided for a bicameral legislature for India.
  • A new building was needed to accommodate the new houses of the Legislative Council.
• Construction of Parliament
  • The parliament building’s construction took six years – from 1921 to 1927.
  • In the 1919 plan for the construction of the Parliament, it was decided to have a council house, comprising:
    • a Legislative Assembly Chamber (which later became the Lok Sabha),
    • a Council of States Chamber (which is now the Rajya Sabha) and
    • the Chamber of Princes (later became Library Hall).
• Architecture
  • In 1919, Lutyens and Baker settled on a circular shape for the Parliament.
  • They felt it would be reminiscent of the Colosseum, the Roman historical monument.
    • It is popularly believed that the circular shape of the Chausath Yogini temple at Mitawli village in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena provided inspiration for the Council House design.
    • However, there is no historical evidence to back this up.
  • A few Indian elements, such as jaalis (a latticed carving depicting objects like flowers and other patterns) and chhatris (a domed roof atop a pavilion-like structure) were added.
• Goal of the architecture
  • The goal of the architecture was to project the strength of British imperialism and rule over India.
  • Hence, both the architects agreed to highlight the superiority of European classicism, upon which Indian traditions had to be based.
• Material used
  • The circular building has 144 cream sandstone pillars, each measuring 27 feet.
• Foundation and inauguration
  • The foundation for the existing Parliament was laid by the Duke of Connaught on February 12, 1921.
  • It was inaugurated in January 18, 1927, by then Governor General of India Lord Irwin.
    • Sir Bhupendra Nath Mitra, a member of the Governor-General’s Executive Council and in charge of the Department of Industries and Labour, invited Viceroy to inaugurate the building.

 

What will happen to the old parliament building now?

• The building will not be demolished and will be converted into a ‘Museum of Democracy’ after the new Parliament House becomes operational.

 

New Parliament building

Background

• In 2019, the central government announced the redevelopment project to give a new identity to the ‘power corridor’ of India.
  • This project is known as Central Vista redevelopment project.
• The plan includes:
  • the construction of a new parliament,
  • prime minister and vice-president’s residences along with 10 building blocks that will accommodate all government ministries and departments.
• Piloted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the plan aims to change the face of the Lutyens’ Delhi.
  • Lutyens’ Delhi shows off India’s iconic buildings such as South and North blocks of Central Secretariat, Parliament House, and Rashtrapati Bhavan.

 

What was the need for a new Parliament building?

• Current building is 93-years-old
  • As per the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the current building is 93-years-old and poses structural safety concerns.
• Narrow seating space for MPs
  • The present building was never designed to accommodate a bicameral legislature for a full-fledged democracy.
  • The number of Lok Sabha seats is likely to increase significantly from the current 545 after 2026, when the freeze on the total number of seats lifts.
  • The Central Hall has seating capacity only for 440 persons.
  • When the Joint Sessions are held, the problem of limited seats amplifies.
• Distressed infrastructure:
  • The addition of services like water supply and sewer lines, firefighting equipment, CCTV cameras, etc., have led to seepage of water at several places.
  • Fire safety is a major concern at the building.
• Obsolete communication structures:
  • Communications infrastructure and technology is antiquated in the existing Parliament, and the acoustics of all the halls need improvement.
• Safety concerns:
  • The current Parliament building was built when Delhi was in Seismic Zone-II; currently it is in Seismic Zone-IV. This raises structural safety concerns.

 

What are the Main features of the new Parliament building?

• Built-up area of about 65,000 sq m, triangular in shape, and incorporates architectural styles from around India;
• Lok Sabha hall with a capacity of up to 888 seats, and Rajya Sabha hall with a capacity of upto 384 seats;
  • The Lok Sabha may accommodate up to 1,272 seats for joint sessions of Parliament.
• The Lok Sabha hall is based on the peacock theme, India’s national bird. The Rajya Sabha is based on the lotus theme, India’s national flower.
• A “Platinum-rated Green Building”, the new Sansad Bhavan will embody India’s commitment towards environmental sustainability.
• The new Parliament is divyang friendly where people with disabilities will be able to move around freely.

 

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Q1) What is Platinum-rated Green Building?

A Platinum-rated Green Building refers to a building that has achieved the highest level of certification under a green building rating system, such as the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. LEED is one of the most widely recognized and respected green building certification programs globally.

 

Q2) Who was Lord Irwin?

His full name was Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, but he was commonly known as Lord Irwin. He held the position of Viceroy and Governor General of India from 1926 to 1931.

 

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Source: India’s new Parliament, and why it is needed | Indian Express | The Hindu