Participation of MPs in the 17th Lok Sabha

The 17^th Lok Sabha held sessions between June 2019 and February 2024.  During this time, Lok Sabha held 274 sittings, lowest among all previous full-term Lok Sabhas.  About 15% of MPs in this Lok Sabha are women.  50% of MPs in this Lok Sabha are below 60 years of age.  This note looks at the participation of Lok Sabha MPs during the 17^th Lok Sabha.  MPs who are ministers, and the Speaker do not ask questions or introduce private member bills.  Ministers represent the government during debates.  On average, about 5%-7% of members of Lok Sabha act as Ministers at any point in time.

Most MPs attended Lok Sabha regularly; a quarter attended over 90% of sittings

• On average, MPs had 79% attendance during the 17^th LS.  This excludes MPs who were ministers for the entire term, and the Speaker, whose attendance is not recorded.  The average attendance for male MPs was 79%, while that for female MPs was 77%.

• Attendance of MPs has ranged between 75% and 80% since the 15^th LS.  In this Lok Sabha, almost 60% of MPs have attendance above 80%.  About 10% of members have less than 60% attendance.  This distribution was roughly similar in the 16^th and 15^th Lok Sabhas.

• In the 17^th LS, highest attendance was seen during the Special Session 2023 (92%), followed by the Budget Session 2019 (88%).  Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, attendance did not fall below 70% in any session, except the Budget Session 2021 (69%).

MPs from Maharashtra asked the most questions; younger MPs asked more questions

Note: Includes only states with more than 10 MPs.  Only the top ten states are shown.

Note: SS- Shiv Sena.  Only includes parties with at least five MPs.  Top ten parties are shown.

• On average, MPs from Maharashtra asked the most questions (370 per MP), followed by Andhra Pradesh (275), and Rajasthan (273).  MPs from the north-eastern states asked 152 questions on average.  

• Of all political parties with five or more MPs in Lok Sabha, members of the NCP asked the most questions.  Among smaller parties, the two MPs from the AIMIM asked a total of 640 questions, and the sole MP from the Revolutionary Socialist Party asked 270 questions.

• MPs who were lower than 60 years of age asked 226 questions on average, while those above 60 years asked 180.  Female MPs asked 199 questions on average, while male MPs asked 203.

• MPs with less parliamentary experience asked more questions.  MPs who have served six or more terms asked about 106 questions on average.

On average, MPs participated in 45 debates

Note: Includes only states with more than 20 MPs.  Only the top ten states are shown.

• MPs across political parties participate in debates on government business such as government bills and budgets.  MPs also initiate and participate in discussions on various issues of public interest.  In addition to speaking on issues or raising them, MPs may associate with debates initiated by others, to indicate their support for the issue raised.  On average, MPs participated in 45 debates during the 17^th Lok Sabha.  Three MPs participated in over 500 debates.

• Female MPs participated in 39 debates on average, and male MPs in 46.

• MPs from Kerala and Rajasthan had the highest participation in debates on average.  This is followed by MPs from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand.

Note: SS- Shiv Sena.  Only includes parties with at least five MPs.  
Top ten parties are shown.

• Members from the BSP participated in the most debates, followed by MPs from the NCP and the INC (among parties with at least five MPs).  Of the smaller parties, MPs from the Revolutionary Socialist Party, the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, and the AIADMK participated in the most debates.

• MPs with higher education participated in more debates.  The average for MPs with graduate degrees is 47 debates, and those with at least a post graduate degree is 59.  MPs with education up to higher secondary participated in 34 debates on average.

Few MPs introduced Private Members Bills

• MPs, who are not ministers, may also introduce legislation, known as Private Members’ Bills (PMBs).  During the 17^th Lok Sabha, 729 PMBs were introduced in Lok Sabha, 1.5 PMBs per MP on average.

• About 73% of MPs did not introduce any PMBs during the 17^th Lok Sabha.

• Male MPs (1.6) introduced more PMBs than female MPs (1.0) on average.

Sources: Bulletins and Debates of the 15^th, 16^th, and 17^th Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha; PRS.