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  • Functioning of the 17th Bihar Legislative Assembly
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Functioning of the 17th Bihar Legislative Assembly

Elections to the 18th Bihar Legislative Assembly will be held on November 6 and 11, 2025.  This note examines the functioning of the Bihar Assembly between November 2020 and July 2025, the duration of the 17th Assembly.

Assembly met for an average of 29 days a year; for three hours on average

Note: * denotes less than five year terms.  The 13th Assembly was dissolved before it held any sitting.

Note: BS is budget session; WS is winter session; MS is monsoon session; FS is first session
  • Between 2020 and 2025, Assembly met for a total of 146 days, which is the lowest of all its five-year terms.  It met for an average of 29 days a year.
  • On the days the House met, it functioned for an average of three hours.  In 2024, Assemblies across all states had met for an average of five hours on sitting days.

All Bills passed on the day of introduction; none referred to Committees

Note: No Assembly session was held in 2005.  This excludes Appropriation Bills.
  • The 17th Assembly passed 78 Bills.  All these Bills were passed on the same day as of their introduction.  None of the Bills were referred to Committees for further deliberation.
  • Of the Bills passed during this Assembly, majority related to education, finance and taxation, and administration.  Some of these Bills include: (i) the Bihar Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024, (ii) the Bihar Control of Crimes Bill, 2024, and (iii) the Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration, Safety and Welfare) Bill, 2025.  In 2023, Assembly also passed two Bills to increase reservation in government jobs and educational institutions.  These were struck down by the Patna High Court in June 2024.

Note: Finance includes finance and taxation

Seven Ordinances issued, lower than previous Assemblies

  • Seven Ordinances were promulgated between 2021 and 2025.  Ordinances are temporary laws brought in while the Assembly is not in session.  They lapse in six weeks from the beginning of the subsequent session, unless being replaced by an Act.  All Ordinances issued during this term were replaced by Acts. 
  • The number of Ordinances issued in Bihar has gone down over the years.  For example, a total of 144 Ordinances were issued between 1990 and 1994.

Budget was discussed for ten days on average
  • Other than the general discussion on the annual budget, legislatures also discuss expenditures of major Ministries.  In the five years, the Assembly discussed these Ministry expenditures for an average of nine days.

Sources: Daily Bulletins, Resume of Work, Statistical Statements on Sitting Days and Bills, Bihar Legislative Assembly (https://vidhansabha.bihar.gov.in/index.html).

 

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