Shillong: The speaker of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, Thomas A Sangma, participated in the 16th Canadian Parliamentary Seminar held in Ottawa, Canada, from May 25 to 29. The seminar was themed 'Parliaments in the 21st Century: Innovation and Adaptation for Democracy'.
The event, organized by the Parliament of Canada, aimed to facilitate discussions among parliamentary leaders and officials on the evolving nature of democratic governance and pressing legislative issues. An official statement noted that a diverse range of topics were explored during the seminar. These included an in-depth look at the Canadian parliamentary system, the role of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), enhancing youth participation in democratic processes, women's leadership in politics, building robust parliamentary infrastructure, accountability frameworks for parliamentarians, managing traditional and social media, the implementation of electronic voting systems, and the dynamics of hybrid proceedings in the House of Commons.
A significant portion of the seminar was also dedicated to discussing the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in parliamentary proceedings, with an emphasis on innovation, ethics, and accountability. The Meghalaya Legislative Assembly stated that the participation of its Speaker in this global parliamentary seminar would provide him with substantial learning regarding new parliamentary practices and innovations. This knowledge is expected to aid in fortifying democratic governance and legislative proceedings in Meghalaya.
Bihar Speaker's Study Tour in Meghalaya
Meanwhile, Speaker of the Bihar Legislative Assembly, Prem Kumar, was in Meghalaya on an official study tour as part of a parliamentary exchange and learning visit. The visit aimed at studying legislative functioning and parliamentary activities in the state. Kumar arrived in Shillong on Tuesday, May 26, and was scheduled to remain in Meghalaya until May 29.
During his stay, he undertook a study of parliamentary activities in Shillong and Sohra (Cherrapunji), while also visiting places of historical and cultural importance. A Meghalaya Assembly statement highlighted that the visit is expected to further strengthen inter-legislative cooperation and encourage the exchange of best practices in parliamentary governance between states.
These developments underscore the ongoing efforts by Indian state legislatures to engage with international parliamentary practices and foster inter-state collaboration. The participation of Speaker Thomas Sangma in the Canadian seminar and the study tour by Speaker Prem Kumar reflect a commitment to enhancing democratic processes and legislative effectiveness.
