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Gandhinagar: In a significant step towards greater transparency, the Gujarat Assembly has taken its first leap into the digital world by making video recordings of its proceedings publicly available on its official YouTube channel.
This decision was spearheaded by Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary, who responded to a rising number of requests from members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) eager to see the inner workings of the House more accessible to the public.
The initiative kicked off with the recently concluded Monsoon Session, a crucial gathering that saw intense debates and discussions. For the first time, the entire three-day proceedings of this session are being uploaded online, with only those parts ordered to be removed from the record excluded. As of now, the videos from the first day have already been uploaded, with the remaining sessions soon to follow.
This move by the Speaker reflects a growing trend among legislative bodies to embrace digital platforms, aiming to bring parliamentary proceedings closer to the people. However, the decision to continue this practice beyond the Monsoon Session will hinge on the public's response—specifically, the number of views these videos attract.
The Opposition has been vocal in its demand for live-streaming Assembly sessions, arguing that real-time access is crucial for democratic transparency. While this latest development doesn’t fully meet those demands, it marks a step forward in the Assembly's efforts to engage with the public.
The Assembly's YouTube channel, which was launched in March 2023, could potentially evolve into a key platform for citizens to stay informed about the legislative process.
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As the views on these videos are closely monitored, it remains to be seen whether this experiment will lead to more comprehensive digital coverage of Gujarat’s legislative proceedings in the future.
