PARLIAMENT LIBRARY AND REFERENCE, RESEARCH, DOCUMENTATION AND INFORMATION SERVICE (LARRDIS)
Introduction
To keep members of Parliament well-informed of the day-to-day developments in India and abroad, Parliament Library and Reference, Research, Documentation and Information Service (LARRDIS), maintains an up-to-date and well-equipped Library backed by prompt and efficient research and reference services. The LARRDIS provides research and reference material on legislative measures, as well as on a variety of other subjects coming up before the two Houses—Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, so as to enable members to participate effectively in the debates of their respective Houses.
Library Service
The Parliament Library is now housed in the new Parliament Library Building— Sansadiya Gyanpeeth, which was inaugurated, on 7 May 2002, by the then President of India Shri K.R. Narayanan. The new Library building located in the Parliament House Complex, is a modular, ideal, intelligent, utilitarian and centrally air-conditioned building. It is fully computerized and has optic fibre based Local Area Network (LAN) with high speed Wide Area Network (WAN) connectivity to provide linkage with other State Legislatures, Foreign Parliaments and other international organisations. Apart from the Library, Reference, Research and Computer Divisions, the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training (BPST) and the Parliamentary Museum and Archives (PMA) are also located in this building. The building has very spacious Reading Room for members equipped with modern facilities and Lecture Halls. A full-fledged Conservation Laboratory/workshop for restoring old and rare documents, a Bindery Unit, an Archival Room with temperature below freezing point round the clock to preserve audio/video materials, computer tapes, microfilm rolls, etc., a Media Centre equipped with the latest telecommunication facilities, an Audio-Visual Unit, Microfilm Reader Room, an Auditorium with a sitting capacity of around 1,100 persons, a small auditorium with facilities for multi-media presentations, a Library Committee Room and Conference Room are some of the facilities provided in the new Parliament Library Building. The Members’ Reference cum Circulation Counter has been set up at the Ground Floor of the Building. Books, periodicals and newspapers, reports of Central, State and Foreign Governments, Debates of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Bills, Acts, Reports of Parliamentary Committees Statements laid on the Tables of the two Houses, Law reports, publications of the United Nations and its allied agencies, publications from foreign countries and various other publications of reference value are available for reference and use of the members at this counter. Reference books on a wide range of subjects, arranged according to the Dewey Decimal System of classification are stacked in the first floor.A monthly Parliament Library Bulletin is brought out to keep members informed of the latest additions of books and reports in the Parliament Library. Issue of books and other publications to members is regulated by the Library Rules which have been framed on the recommendations of the Library Committee. The Library Committee is constituted every year by the Speaker of Lok Sabha to advise him on matters concerning the Library. The Committee consists of six members from Lok Sabha including the Deputy Speaker and three members from Rajya Sabha, who are nominated by the Presiding Officers of the respective Houses. The Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha is the ex-officio Chairman of the Committee. A Sub-committee of the Library Committee consisting of 3 members from Lok Sabha and 2 members from Rajya Sabha who are members of the Library Committee is constituted by the Chairman to select new books for addition in the Parliament Library.
The Library management functions like acquisition, processing and issue and return of books have been computerised by using the software package LIBSYS. Members can have access to the bibliographical details through the PCs at the Members’ Reference Counter/ Books Circulation Counter or in the Members’ Reading Room.
Members’ Reference Service
The Members’ Reference Service organises the dissemination of factual, objective and latest information to the members of Parliament within the time stipulated by them. The facilities provided by the Members’ Reference Service fall broadly under the following categories:
(i) Supply of on-the-spot information to members from published documents;
(ii) Collection and dissemination of latest information, factual data, statistics, etc. in response to members’ written reference requisitions;
(iii) Preparation of reference notes on important topics;
(iv) Preparation of bibliographies on important Bills;
(v) Preparation of Background Notes, Information Bulletins, Fact Sheets and Information Folders on topical issues for use of the members;
(vi) Maintenance of Study Boxes on topical issues in anticipation of the information needs of the members;
and
(vii) Updating and printing of various regular publications from time to time.
The scope of material to be collected in response to members’ reference requisitions is normally limited to subjects connected with the immediate business before the two Houses of Parliament. Members are required to hand over the written requisitions at the Members’ Assistance Desks located inside the Members’ Reading Room in Parliament Library Building, indicating clearly and precisely the specific points on which information is desired by them. They also have the option to convey their requirements over the telephone or direct to the officers in the Reference Wing.
The information required by members is culled out from authentic sources, arranged and edited in the form of notes or tables, as the case may be, and passed on to the members concerned.
The popularity and usefulness of Members’ Reference Service can be gauged from the marked increase in the number of reference requisitions received and handled during the past few years. As against 150 references handled in 1950; 425 references in 1960, 700 in 1970, 3627 in 1980, 5167 in 1990, 6508 in 2000 and 5061 during 2003 were received and attended to both during session as well as inter-session periods.
The Members’ Reference Service caters to the information needs of members both in English and Hindi as per their choice.
One officer is available at each of the Members’ Information Desks, to attend to the information requirements of members on-the-spot and to assist them in filling up the reference requisitions. In order to assist members in the study of literature relevant to Bills or other topics of discussion before the House, Study Boxes are also maintained in the Library during session period and members are apprised of the same through Bulletins. All books, reports and other documents relevant to a Bill or any other topic coming up before the Houses are collected and placed together in these Study Boxes so as to make the same available to members at one place. The literature placed in the Study Boxes is not issued out during the period of the discussion on the relevant Bill or topic, but is made available for study and consultation in the Library only.
The following publications of reference value are compiled, updated and revised from time to time:
(1) President’s Rule in the States and Union Territories;
(2) Council of Ministers since 1947;
(3) Parliament of India: A Souvenir (it is brought out at the end of the term of each Lok Sabha);
(4) Presidential Ordinances since 1950;
(5) India : Some Facts.
Computer Centre
A Computer-based information system named PARLIS (Parliament Library Information System) was set up in December 1985 for the purpose of introducing automation in the Parliament Library. In keeping with the need for further computerization of various services of Lok Sabha Secretariat, action was initiated in December 1991 to automate the various activities of the Secretariat, viz. Verbatim Reporting of Parliamentary Debates, Questions, Committees, Members’ Services, Pay & Accounts, Administration, Recruitment, Reception Office, Security Services and LARRDIS. Almost all the activities of the Secretariat have since been automated. Three Computer Centres—one each in Parliament House, Parliament Library Building (PLB) and Parliament House Annexe (PHA)—have been set up to provide necessary hardware and software support to various Branches of the Secretariat. A ‘Committee of Officers of Lok Sabha Secretariat on Computerisation’ reviews the computer hardware requirements of various Branches/Offices of the Secretariat. A large number of index-based database of information generated within the Parliament was initially developed by the PARLIS to make available non-partisan, objective and reliable information and authoritative data on a continuous and regular basis to the parliamentarians. However, full text of Answers to Parliamentary Questions received from Govt. of India and verbatim Reporting of the proceedings of the House were also placed on the Parliament of India homepage. The data currently available for on-line retrieval relate to:—
• Parliamentary Questions (Full texts of Questions and Answers since February 2000; indexes from 1985 to
2000 are also available)
• Parliamentary Proceedings other than Questions (Full text of Floor Version since the Winter Session of 1993; Indexes from 1985 to 1993 are also available)
• Government and Private Members’ Bills from 1985 onwards (only indexes);
• Directions, Decisions and Observations from the Chair, from 1952 onwards;
• President’s Rule in the States and Union Territories, from 1951.
• Members of Council of Ministers from 1947 onwards;
• Obituary References made in the Houses since Provisional Parliament.
• Library Management Functions such as Acquisition, Processing and Issue and Return of books have also been computerized using the software package named "LIBSYS". A web-based Library catalogue can also be accessed through Internet.
• Documentation Service (from 1989 onwards): (Important articles published in books, reports, periodicals and newspapers are indexed and annotated and can be accessed through Internet).
Information available on Internet/Parliament of India Homepage
The Indian Parliament Home Page was inaugurated by the President of India on 15 March, 1996. The information available on the PARLIS database has been converted into a Web enabled environment. The major components of the parliamentary information, now available on the Internet are:—
I. Business of the House (Lok Sabha)* • List of Business, • Bulletin Part-I, • Bulletin Part-II, • Synopsis of Debates, • Daily Debates, • Wit and Humour, poetry and couplets, • Questions/Answers (February 2000 onwards), • Debates (Proceedings) (July 1991 onwards)• Resume of Work, • Legislative Business.
II. Members of Parliament (Lok Sabha)* • Bio-data of members of the present House, • Information about members of previous Lok Sabha, • Members’ homepages which contains information about Members’ Biodata, with addresses and telephone Nos., • Parliamentary Questions asked by him/her, • His/her participation in the proceedings of the House, • Funds sanctioned for expenditure, • Incurred by him/her under various schemes such as MPLADS, etc., • Statistical Information about members, • E-Mail addresses of members of present Lok Sabha, • Addresses & telephone Nos. and date of birth of members of present Lok Sabha, • Hand book for Members, • Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS).
III. Information about Parliamentary Committees and their Reports*
IV. Parliament Library Catalogue.
V. General Information • Introduction to Parliament, • Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, • Directions by the Speaker, • Decisions from the Chair, • Parliamentary Documentation, • Lok Sabha Secretariat—Organization. The floor version of the text of Debates in bilingual form is available through the Parliament of India web-page. Members can retrieve the information regarding their participation as well as discussions held in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on any subject of their interest. Arrangements have also been made to web-cast, the live audio proceedings of both the Houses of the Parliament, Constituent Assembly Debates, text of the Constitution of India, Information about the functioning of the Parliament and the Lok Sabha Secretariat, facilities provided to the members, important speeches of President of India and texts of Union Budgets are also available on net. The Homepage also contains the profile of the Speaker, Lok Sabha, his political and personal achievements, important speeches and photogallery, etc. The links to the websites of Government of India and to other Parliaments have also been provided at the home page. World wide access to this site can be had at the Internet address : http://parliamentofindia.nic.in
Computer facilities for members of Parliament
Keeping in view the information requirements of the parliamentarians and to automate their offices, a Laptop or a Desk top computer with a printer and a scanner has been provided to them at their residences/work places. A hand held computer has also been provided to them. Members of Parliament have also been provided Internet and E-mail connectivity through NICNET so as to provide access to the Parliament database, other Government database, database of foreign Legislatures and the vast sources of other information available on the Internet. Arrangements have also been made to provide Computer training to Members of Parliament and their Personal Assistants.
Speaker’s Homepage
Speaker’s Homepage, titled "The Office of the Lok Sabha Speaker" was released by the Speaker, Lok Sabha on 25 January 2002. The Homepage contains the profile of the Speaker, Lok Sabha, his political and personal achievements, important rulings/decisions, important speeches. Information pertaining to the development of his constituency, tours undertaken/proposed and photo gallery. Profiles of all the former Speakers are also available in this section. A link to the Speaker’s Homepage has also been provided in the Parliament of India Homepage.
Video Conferencing : The Video Conferencing facility has been provided at the offices and residences of Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Secretary-General, Lok Sabha, and the Offices of Additional Secretaries and Joint Secretaries and also the Computer Centre, Parliament Library Building.
Touch Screen Information Kiosks : Twelve Touch Screen Information Kiosks have been installed at the various vantage points in PH and PHA.
Digital Library: A Digital Library has been set up in the Computer Centre to cater to the needs of members of Parliament and Officers and Staff of Lok Sabha Secretariat. A member is entitled to borrow two DVDs/CDs at a time for his own reference and use.
Microfilming Service
Micrographics is an indispensable part of information technology for better management of Library and Information Services. In order to ensure optimum utilization of the space in the Parliament Library and for better preservation and future use of valuable collections of the Library, a Microfilming Unit was set up in 1987 as one of the important Branches of LARRDIS with the acquisition of latest available models of microfilming equipments and ancillaries. The Unit is now fully functional and provides facilities for Computer-Assisted Retrieval (CAR) of information from the microfilmed documents. At present, microfilms are prepared with the help of three RV–3 and one MRD-2 Cameras having provision for 16 mm and 35 mm/16 mm width of rolls, respectively. The RV-3 Camera has the capacity to take nearly 2400 exposures from standard 16mm rolls. For operation of these Cameras, eight dark cabins have specially been designed where processing of microfilming is undertaken. All documents are microfilmed on 16 mm rolls, except those of abnormal size, like Papers Laid on the Table of the House, which are being microfilmed on 35 mm film rolls. The Unit also has one Processor and one Duplicator for making additional copies of the microfilm rolls. The original microfilm rolls as well as duplicate rolls which are used with the help of Microfilm Reader-cum-Printer are kept in the unit. The microfilms of the documents are easily accessible to members of Parliament and to all those interested therein. During the period from 1988 to January 2004, as many as 1,316 microfilm rolls have been prepared and 26,33,131 exposures of various documents taken by the Microfilming unit.
The following publications have been microfilmed by the Unit so far, for reference by the members:
1. Indian Legislative Council Debates : 1858 to 1920
2. Central Legislative Assembly Debates : 3.2.1921 to 12.4.1947
3. Constituent Assembly Debates (Legislative): 17.11.1947 to 24.12.1949
4. Constituent Assembly Debates(Draft making) : 9.12.1946 to 24.1.1950
5. Constituent Assembly Debates [(Draft making) (Hindi)]: 9.12.1946 to 24.1.1950
6. Parliamentary Debates (Provisional Parliament and House of the People): 28.1.1950 to 13.5.1954
7. Lok Sabha Debates : 14.5.1954 to 20.12.2002
8. Lok Sabha Debates (Hindi) : 15.1.1985 to 26.8.1991
9. Council of States Debates : 3.2.1921 to 19.5.1954
10. Rajya Sabha Debates : 23.8.1954 to 18.3.2002
11. Rajya Sabha Debates (Hindi) : 15.2.1956 to 5.5.1993
12. Indexes of above mentioned Debates
13. Journal of Parliamentary Information : April 1955 to March 1999
14. Reports of Indian Parliamentary Group : 1950 to 1998
15. Reports of Parliamentary Committees:
(i) Public Accounts Committee : 1st Lok Sabha to 10th Lok Sabha
(ii) Estimates Committee : 1st Lok Sabha to 10th Lok Sabha
(iii) Public Undertakings Committee : 3rd Lok Sabha to 10th Lok Sabha
(iv) Committee on Welfare : 4th Lok Sabha to of SCs and STs 10th Lok Sabha
(v) Committee on Subordinate Legislation: 1st Lok Sabha to 10th Lok Sabha
(vi) Committee on Government Assurances : 1st Lok Sabha to 10th Lok Sabha
(vii) Committee on Petitions : 1st Lok Sabha to 10th Lok Sabha
(viii) Railway Convention Committee : 1943 to 1985
(ix) Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of MPs: 1954 to 1989
(x) Committee on Papers Laid on the Table: 5th Lok Sabha to 10th Lok Sabha (started from 5th Lok Sabha)
16. Presiding Officers Conference (Agenda, Proceedings, Resolutions, Minutes) : 1921-1992
17. Papers Laid on the Table of the House (Lok Sabha): LT No. 1/80 to 8640/84
18. Reports of Departmentally Related Standing Committees
(i) Committee on Petroleum & Chemicals: 10th Lok Sabha to 12th Lok Sabha (1st to 8th report).
19. Constitution of India (calligraphed copy) (English and Hindi)
20. O&M’s Records :
(i) Instructional Orders : No. 1 to 1193
(ii) Annual Administrative Reports : 1960 to 1998
21. Library Records :
(a) Accession Register (purchase) of Acquisition Section, LARRDIS : Upto Acc. No. 1,36,410
(b) Accession Register (copyright) Upto Acc. of Acquisition Section, LARRDIS: No. 52,080
(c) Bills :
(i) Official Bills introduced in Legislative Assembly: 1921 to 1949
(ii) Government Bills introduced in House of People/Lok Sabha: 1953 to 1992
(iii) Government Bills introduced in Council of States/Rajya Sabha: 1953 to 1993
22. Rare Books : R1 to R1256
23. Decisions from the Chair : 1921 to March 1996
24. Observations from the Chair : 1949 to March 1996
25. Directions by the Speaker : 1st to 4th Edition
26. Parliament of India (Souvenir) : 1st to 10th Lok Sabha
27. Private Papers of G.V. Mavalankar :
28. Private Papers of N.G. Ranga :
29. Private Papers of Jwala Prasad Jyotishi :
30. Who’s Who Lok Sabha (English) : 1950-1999
31. Who’s Who Lok Sabha (Hindi) : 1967-1999
32. Who’s Who Rajya Sabha (English) : 1952-2000
33. Rajya Sabha Members Biographical Sketches: 1952-2000
34. Historical Documents
(i) Indian Round Table Conference Proceedings (1930-1932)
(ii) Constituent Assembly of India Constitutional Precedents 1947
(iii) Indian Statutory Commission Memoranda (1930)
(iv) Sardar Patel’s Correspondence
(v) Indian Historical Records Commission—Proceedings
(vi) Partition Proceedings—2 volumes
(vii) Indian Record Series—Fort William—India House Correspondence
Reprography Service
The Reprography Service set up in 1975 caters to the urgent official needs of Members of Parliament, Officers and Branches of Lok Sabha Secretariat and media persons accredited to Lok Sabha Press Gallery for photocopying important Press Clippings, information contained in answers to Parliamentary questions and debates, articles in periodicals, newspapers and extracts from books and other documents.
The Service also provides facilities for Xeroxing and typing of personal correspondence/documents of members of Parliament against nominal payment. MPs and former MPs can get their documents photocopied on payment of Re. 1.00 per copy and English and Hindi typing work is done at the rate of Rs. 6 per page for single space and Rs. 5 for double space. Additional copies of the typed documents are charged @Rs. 1/- per page, from the service located in Room No. 45-A in Parliament House. The Reprography service located in G-037, Parliament Library Building also provides Xerox facilities on nominal payment basis.
Documentation Service
Documentation Service, set up in 1975 is mainly responsible for locating, collecting, classifying and indexing all the useful literature and articles in various documents, including Newspapers, Books, Reports, Periodicals, Parliamentary Debates etc. that may be of interest to the members of Parliament. All the titles are suitably annotated and arranged under a specially devised subject-wise classification scheme. This information is provided in a fortnightly publication called PARLIAMENTARY DOCUMENTATION which is placed on Internet since June 1998 and can be retrieved under different parameters like year, subject and country/state, author, document apart from specific issues/period. The whole process of Parliamentary Documentation has been made online since June 2003, to facilitate the instant availability of and up-to-date information to the members of Parliament, officers and other users. The Printing of Parliamentary Documentation has been ceased w.e.f. November 2003. Since then a few computer generated copies are placed in the library for reference by Hon’ble members and other users. For the years 1975-1998, bound volumes of Parliamentary Documentation (earlier known as Documentation Fortnightly) are available for consultation in Parliament Library.
Press Clipping Service
The Press Clipping Service set up in 1956 caters to the information requirements of the members of Parliament on topical issues. It collects all important, relevant and up-to-date news items, editorial comments and articles on developments in the legislative, political, economic, socio-cultural, scientific and technological fields. At present, the clippings are taken from 18 English and 9 Hindi newspapers published in various parts of the country. (Besides, Press Clipping Services in various regional languages are being planned in order to enrich the press clipping collection). The Press clippings are maintained chronologically in subject folders and stacked in proper sequence according to the Dewey Decimal Classification scheme. These folders are not issued out and are consulted in the reading rooms of Parliament Library . Ordinarily, Press clippings are retained for two years. However, important clippings of lasting value and interest and those having a bearing on constitutional, parliamentary and legal subjects are, retained permanently after scrutiny. In line with the on-going process of computerisation of various activities of Parliament Library, the Press Clipping Service has started feeding into the computer all important selected English Press Clippings using the imaging technology system. The computerised Press clippings can be retrieved through classification number and subject keywords from the Computer terminals installed in the Press Clipping Section, Members’ Reference Service, Library Counter of Parliament Library Building, concerned senior officers of LARRDIS and Question Branch in Parliament House Annexe.
The scope of computerized Press Clipping Service is being widened for prompt information dissemination.
Research and Information Service
The Service endeavours to keep members informed on a continuing basis about the current national and international issues in various fields by regular publication (in English and Hindi) of Books, Brochures, Background Notes, Information Bulletins, Fact Sheets, Monographs, Current Information Digests, etc. Two Monograph Series known as the Eminent Parliamentarians Monograph Series and the Distinguished Parliamentarians Felicitation Monograph Series are also brought out to commemorate the services rendered by the eminent parliamentarians of the past and to felicitate the distinguished parliamentarians of today. Profiles of leaders whose statues and portraits are unveiled in the Parliament Complex are also prepared by the service.
The Service also brings out the following periodicals:
Periodicals in English
1. The Journal of Parliamentary Information (Quarterly);
2. Digest of Central Acts (Quarterly);
3. Digest of Legislative and Constitutional Cases (Quarterly);
4. IPG Newsletter (Quarterly).
5. CPA Asia Region News Letter (Quarterly)
Periodicals in Hindi (brought out by the Raj Bhasha Prabhag)
1. Sansadiya Patrika (Quarterly);
2. Kendriya Adhiniyam Sar (Quarterly).
Copies of all these periodicals and other publications brought out from time to time are supplied to members who specifically ask for them. Copies are also made available in the Library for other interested members.
The Service also prepares draft speeches/points for Speeches, Briefs, Research Notes, Resolutions, Explanatory Memoranda, etc. for Indian Parliamentary Delegations participating in various international Parliamentary Conferences held under the auspices of the Inter- Parliamentary Union, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians, etc. from time to time. Country Notes are also prepared for the use of members of Parliamentary Delegations going abroad on goodwill visits. Background Papers on subjects of parliamentary interest are prepared for the use of members participating in the Seminars and Symposia organised from time to time by the Indian Parliamentary Group (IPG) and the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training (BPST). In short, the Research and Information Service provides the desired information on the subjects/aspects which warrant intensive and extensive research.
Some Important Telephone Numbers
Office Residence
Additional Secretary (J) 23034506 24677696
23034217
23012840
Joint Secretary (N) (Telefax) 23010632 23092092
23034438
23034979
Joint Secretary (SK) 23034337 26456726
(Telefax) 23018129
23035094
Joint Secretary (NK) 23034738 23356922
(Telefax) 23019582
23035069
Joint Secretary (L) 23030630 24675564
23034681
23034865
Director (PL) 23034287 26873811
23794253
Director (BPST) 23034588 26165698
(Telefax) 23015293
Director (R&S) 23034736 26106199
Director (R&R) 23034489 24103894
Director (SG) 23034590 24699176
Joint Director (PPR) 23034004 25099521
Administration and 23034772
Preservation Section
Press & Public Wing
Relations
23035019
23034690
23035022
23034622
(Telefax) 23034662
A.V. Unit 23034591
23034586
Library
Circulation
Counter, PLB
23035063
23034656
23017450
Member’s Reading
Room, PLB
23034658
23034660
23017151
Computer Centre 23034561
23035029
23034347
Computer Query Booth 23034308
23035505
Microfilming Unit 23034125
23035027
Press Clipping Section 23034849
23034774
23035050
Reprography Section 23034764
Members’
Reference
Service
23034652
23017517
Journal Section 23034740
Parliamentary Museum
and
Archives
23034131
23034017
23034226
* Similar information pertaining to Rajya Sabha is also available on the Parliament of India Homepage.