Uttarakhand Assembly Sittings Fall to 45 Days Over Five-Year Term, Below Prescribed Minimum
Assembly records show the current Uttarakhand legislature has sat for just 45 days since 2022, averaging nine days a year — well below the 60-day annual minimum prescribed under House rules.
Current Summary
Uttarakhand's Legislative Assembly has met for fewer days with each successive term, according to official records and a separate analysis by the Dehradun-based SDC Foundation using PRS Legislative Research data. The fifth Assembly, whose final session concluded on Wednesday, sat for only 45 days since beginning in 2022 — eight days in 2022, ten days each in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and seven days in 2026 — averaging nine days a year. This is down from 83 days (16.6 days/year average) in the first Assembly (2002-07), 105 days in the 2007-12 term, and declining averages of 14.4 days/year in 2012-17 and 12.2 days/year in 2017-22. The current term's sittings included budget, monsoon and supplementary budget sessions, plus a special 2024 session on the Uniform Civil Code. The SDC Foundation's factsheet noted Uttarakhand's House sat for 10 days in 2024 against an average of 20 days across assessed state legislatures, with Odisha recording more. The figures fall well below the 60 sitting days a year prescribed under Assembly rules, raising concerns about legislators' ability to scrutinise legislation, debate constituency issues and hold the government accountable.
What We Know
- The current Assembly term (since 2022) has sat for a total of 45 days, averaging nine days a year.
- This is below the 60 sitting days a year prescribed under Assembly rules.
- Sittings have declined across successive terms: 83 days (2002-07), 105 days (2007-12), then falling averages through 2012-17, 2017-22 and the current term.
- A separate SDC Foundation analysis found Uttarakhand's House sat 10 days in 2024, versus an average of 20 days across assessed state legislatures.
What Is Still Unclear
- Whether the state government or Assembly Secretariat has responded to the findings.
- Any plans to increase sitting days in future sessions.
What Changed
- 29 Oct, 05:30 pmSignal detected: Uttarakhand Assembly Sittings Fall to 45 Days Over Five-Year Term, Below Prescribed Minimum
Background
The fifth Uttarakhand Assembly's final session concluded this week, prompting a review of sitting-day trends across the state's five Assemblies since 2002.