Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday said India has emerged as the world’s fastest-growing major economy and that the world is looking towards India for direction, stability and inspiration.
Speaking at the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) in New Delhi, Birla said, India’s leadership is offering decisive solutions to globalchallenges.
AI and Democratic Resilience
He drew attention to the rapid technological transformations reshaping societies and governance, and observed that artificial intelligence (AI) and social media have enhanced the efficiency and effectiveness of democratic institutions.
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However, he cautioned that their misuse has also given rise to serious concerns such as misinformation, cybercrime and social polarisation.
Blueprint for Reform
Birla observed that through the collective efforts of the Parliamentand the government, India has repealed several obsolete and unnecessary laws, enacted new welfare-oriented legislations and framed policies aligned with the aspirations of the people, noting that these initiatives have accelerated India’s progress towards the goal of becoming a developed and self-reliant nation.
The speaker asserted that it is a collective responsibility of legislatures to engage seriously with these challenges and evolve appropriate solutions. He underscored the growing importance of ethical AI and credible, transparent and accountable social media frameworks in safeguarding democratic values.
Expressing confidence, he noted that the conference would facilitate in-depth deliberations on these critical global issues and lead to concrete policy-oriented outcomes, enabling legislatures to harness technology in an ideal and responsible manner.
He noted that legislative institutions are being progressively made paperless and integrated through a unified digital platform, setting new benchmarks in transparency, efficiency and accessibility.
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Reflecting on India’s parliamentary journey of over seven decades, the speaker underlined that India has consistently strengthened its democratic institutions through people-centric policies, welfare-oriented legislation and an impartial and robust electoral system. These efforts, he noted, have ensured inclusive participation of citizens in the democratic process and have deepened public faith in democracy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 28th CSPOC in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan. |
