Rajya Sabha To Go Green

The Rajya Sabha is all set to go digital to minimize the massive wastage of paper in the House.

Vice President and Chairman Hamid Ansari of the Rajya Sabha wants Parliament to set an example to reduce the usage of a limited natural resource, in an era when modern technology is accessible to everyone. According to reports, the 795 parliamentarians and 800 journalists accredited to the Press Information Bureau receive tones of paper during Parliament sessions. Keeping this in mind, the chairman Hamid Ansari set up a nine-member committee headed by Rajya Sabha Secretary N C Joshi to undertake a comprehensive and scientific study to evolve a suitable mechanism to ensure that the usage of paper is minimized. The committee has been asked to give its report before Parliament’s monsoon session commences in July.

Some of the ideas suggested are, Parliamentarians will receive documents in hard copy only if they request for it and special incentives will be provided to MPs who opt for the digital format. The use of open source software to save the money spent on Microsoft and other copyright software. Already part-operationalised and running smoothly, the project will be useful for those interested in understanding the functioning of the Indian democracy.

Posted in: SPECIAL NEWS