Parliamentary Forum

Parliamentary Forums provide an informal platform for Members of Parliament (MPs) to engage with key issues of current relevance. These forums help MPs stay informed on important topics, enabling them to contribute more effectively during debates and Parliamentary Committee meetings. Unlike Parliamentary Committees, which focus on specific subjects for detailed analysis and reporting, the Parliamentary Forums do not produce or present formal reports to the House.

Parliamentary Forums and Their Objectives

In the 14th Lok Sabha, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha suggested the creation of a Parliamentary Forum on Water Conservation and Management to help MPs discuss crucial water-related issues and raise them more effectively in the House and Committee meetings. This led to the formation of the first forum in 2005, and subsequently, seven more forums were established.

Currently, there are eight Parliamentary Forums:

1. Parliamentary Forum on Water Conservation and Management
   
2. Parliamentary Forum on Children
   
3. Parliamentary Forum on Youth
   
4. Parliamentary Forum on Population and Public Health
   
5. Parliamentary Forum on Global Warming and Climate Change
   
6. Parliamentary Forum on Disaster Management
   
7. Parliamentary Forum on Artisans and Craftspeople
   
8. Parliamentary Forum on Millennium Development Goals
   

These forums operate independently and do not interfere with the functions of the Departmentally Related Standing Committees or respective Ministries.

Composition of Parliamentary Forums

The Speaker of the Lok Sabha serves as the ex-officio President of all Parliamentary Forums, except for the Parliamentary Forum on Population and Public Health, where the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is the ex-officio President, and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha is the ex-officio Co-President.
In addition to the President, the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha, relevant Ministers, and Chairpersons of corresponding Departmentally Related Standing Committees serve as ex-officio Vice-Presidents.
Each forum is composed of no more than 31 members, with up to 21 members from the Lok Sabha and up to 10 from the Rajya Sabha.

Nomination of Members

Members of the Parliamentary Forums are nominated by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. The members are usually selected from among party leaders or their representatives, or individuals with specialized knowledge or interest in the subject matter. Experts may also be invited to participate as Special Invitees to present their views and papers at forum meetings or seminars.

The Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha acts as the Secretary for these forums, with the Lok Sabha Secretariat providing logistical support.

Term of Office

The term of office for a member of a Parliamentary Forum coincides with their membership in the respective House of Parliament. Members can resign from their posts by submitting a written resignation to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha or the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

Functions of Parliamentary Forums

Each forum has specific objectives and functions, tailored to the issues they address. Some of the key functions of each forum are as follows:

• Parliamentary Forum on Water Conservation and Management
  
  • Identify water conservation and management problems, and make recommendations.
    
  • Engage lawmakers in water resource preservation strategies for their constituencies.
    
  • Organize workshops to raise awareness on water conservation.
    
• Parliamentary Forum on Children
  
  • Raise awareness about children’s issues among MPs.
    
  • Facilitate exchanges of ideas through seminars and workshops.
    
  • Build partnerships with civil society and multilateral agencies like UNICEF to address children’s concerns.
    
• Parliamentary Forum on Youth
  
  • Focus on utilizing youth for national development.
    
  • Encourage grassroots participation in development initiatives.
    
  • Consult experts and academics on policy reforms for youth empowerment.
    
• Parliamentary Forum on Population and Public Health
  
  • Discuss population stabilization strategies and related health issues.
    
  • Raise awareness about population control and health at the grassroots level.
    
  • Engage with international health organizations such as WHO and the UN Population Fund.
    
• Parliamentary Forum on Global Warming and Climate Change
  
  • Identify and address global warming and climate change challenges.
    
  • Recommend strategies for involving legislators in environmental conservation efforts.
    
  • Encourage technological advancements to reduce the impact of climate change.
    
• Parliamentary Forum on Disaster Management
  
  • Identify disaster management challenges and provide recommendations.
    
  • Involve MPs in developing technologies to mitigate disaster effects.
    
  • Organize workshops to inform MPs about disaster causes and responses.
    

Objectives of Parliamentary Forums

The primary objectives of these forums are to:

• Provide a platform for MPs to engage in meaningful discussions with Ministers, experts, and key officials on critical issues, facilitating faster implementation of solutions.
  
• Sensitize MPs about major concerns and provide them with the latest data and insights from experts, enabling them to raise these topics effectively in the House and during Committee meetings.
  

Create a database on important issues, gathering information from relevant Ministries, NGOs, international bodies, and the media. This information is then shared with MPs to help them engage effectively in forum discussions and question experts or officials.