Functioning of the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly

Assembly met for fewer days this term

Note: * denotes term less than five-years.  
**denotes term more than five-years.

Note: This includes the interim session as it compares yearly data

• The 15^th Kerala Legislative Assembly met for 204 days between 2021 and 2026.  However, the annual sittings varied widely.  The Assembly met for 50 days in 2021, and 41 days in 2022, but only 29 days in 2023. Typically, the Assembly met for three sessions every year – a budget session between January and March, followed by one between July and September, and one in October or November.  In 2023, the last sitting was in September.  The Assembly then reconvened the following year.

• The Rules of Procedure prescribe that a sitting should last for five hours (3.5 hours on Fridays), unless otherwise directed by the Speaker.  In Kerala, the average sitting lasted for six hours.  About 25% of sittings lasted longer than eight hours.

84% of the Bills were referred to Committees, but reports were presented quickly

Note: This excludes Finance and Appropriation Bills.

• During the term of the 15^th Assembly, 129 Bills were introduced and passed (excluding Finance and Appropriation Bills).     In the previous Assembly term (2016-21), 80 Bills were passed.  

• After introduction, Bills may be referred to Committees for detailed scrutiny.  84% of the Bills were referred to a Committee during this term (2021-26).  In 38% of such cases, the Committee’s report on the Bill was presented on the day after it was referred, and in another 10% cases, within two days.  Some Finance Bills were also referred to Committees.  During the previous term, 99% of the Bills were referred to a Committee.

• Four Bills were referred to Select Committees, which took more than a month to present their reports.  These are the Kerala Cooperative Societies (Third Amendment) Bill, 2022, the Kerala Cattle Feed, Poultry Feed and Mineral Salt Mixtures (Regulation of Production and Sale) Bill, 2022, the Kerala Public Health Bill, 2021, and the Kerala Public Records Bill, 2023.  Select Committees are constituted for a specific purpose, such as examining Bills.

• 47% of the Bills were passed within a week of introduction, including the Kerala Lok Ayukta (Amendment) Bill, 2022, the Right to Public Services Bill, 2025, and the Public Enterprises Bill, 2025.  These aim to strengthen anti-corruption framework, ensure timely public service delivery, and improve oversight of state public enterprises, respectively.

• For Bills to become law, they require the Governor’s assent.  While most Bills received assent within a month of being passed, 30% took more than a month.  As of April 5, 2026, some Bills are awaiting assent, including amendments to the University Laws which propose shifting the power to appoint Vice-Chancellors from the Governor to the state government.

• In 2023, the Kerala government filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Governor’s delay in providing assent to Bills passed by the Legislature.  The petition was withdrawn in 2025, following a ruling in a similar petition by Tamil Nadu.

Number of Ordinances issued dropped significantly after 2021

Note: *Elections were held in 2016 and 2021.  The asterisk indicates the post-election period of the year.

• During the 15^th Assembly (2021-26), 118 Ordinances were issued.  These are temporary laws issued by the government while the Assembly is not in session. They lapse six weeks from the beginning of the subsequent session, unless approved by the legislature.

• The total number of Ordinances issued annually has declined significantly since 2021.  In that year, 144 Ordinances were issued, the highest in the last ten years (including some issued during the previous Assembly term).

• About 80% of these Ordinances were issued in the first six months of the Assembly’s term.

• In some cases, the same Ordinance was re-issued multiple times.  For instance, the Kerala Public Health Ordinance, 2021 was re-issued four times before being introduced in the Assembly as a Bill.  Thereafter, while the Bill was being examined by a Select Committee, Ordinances were again promulgated to keep the provisions of the Bill alive.

Budgets discussed for 14 days on average

Note: The interim budgets of 2021-22 and 2026-27 have been excluded.

• The general discussion on the Budget was held for three days every year.  Department-wise expenditure was discussed for an average of 10 days every year.  In several years, the general discussion was held during the budget session, and the department-wise discussion was held in the following session.

• These discussions enable the Assembly to scrutinise the proposed expenditure of different departments and hold the government accountable for public spending.

• In Kerala, Subject Committees also examined the budget of Departments and presented reports on them.

Fewer Calling Attention Motions taken up annually, most related to Transport/ Public Works

Note: Data for the 15^th Assembly available only till March 2025.

• Of the 285 calling attention motions taken up during this Assembly term, 15% related to transport and infrastructure development.  These motions allow members to seek response from the Ministers on issues of public importance.  The motions related to education largely focus on school and higher education governance, student welfare, and institutional reforms.  Other important calling attention motions were about public health challenges such as controlling avian flu and antibiotic abuse, and upgradation of medical facilities.

Five out of 16 admitted adjournment motions discussed

• When an adjournment motion is taken up, the normal business of the house is interrupted and an urgent matter is discussed.

• Out of the 16 adjournment motions admitted during this Assembly term, five were discussed.     Issues discussed include the solar case controversy, vandalism of the CPI(M)’s headquarters, the fishermen’s opposition to Vizhinjam port, and concerns over the Kerala SilverLine Semi High-Speed Rail Project.

Note: Data for 15^th Assembly available only till March 2025.

More than 600 reports presented by various Committees during this term

• The Assembly has four Financial Committees, which examine budget estimates, audit reports on the use of public funds, the functioning of Public Sector Undertakings, and the accounts of local bodies. These Committees presented 304 reports.

• The Assembly also has 14 Subject Committees that examine the functioning of specific government departments. These Committees presented an average of 17 reports each during this term, including reports on issues such as eco-tourism, safety of blood banks, and the presence of harmful chemicals in food products.

• In addition, the Assembly has seven Committees that examine the condition of vulnerable sections, such as backward classes, transgender persons, and senior citizens. These Committees presented 92 reports.

Less time spent on Private Members’ Business

• As per the Rules of Procedure, the last two hours of Friday sittings are reserved for Private Members’ Business.  Private Members’ Business allows MLAs who are not ministers to introduce Bills and raise issues for discussion in the Assembly.

• During this term, notices to introduce 110 Private Members’ Bills were moved, almost twice the number in the 14^th Assembly (61 notices).  These Notices were moved by 41 MLAs.  One member moved 40 out of 110 notices (36%).

On average, an MLA asked 848 questions

Note: This data excludes ten MLAs with a term less than four years.

• During the 15^th Assembly MLAs asked 848 questions on average, excluding MLAs who were Ministers. 

• As per the Rules of Procedure, 30 starred questions (which receive oral answers) are taken up every day.  While there is no set limit on the number of unstarred questions (which receive a written response), the Assembly has taken up about 400 unstarred questions in a day.  In addition, similar questions from different MLAs maybe clubbed.

• About 83% of questions were credited to a single MLA, while the remaining were credited to multiple MLAs.  Two questions were credited to five or more MLAs.

Sources: Daily Bulletins, Resume of Work, Lists of Questions, Rules of Procedure, Kerala Legislative Assembly (http://www.niyamasabha.org/); Kerala Gazette; W.P.(C) 1264/2023, Supreme Court of India.