By - Moa Jamir
In a representative democracy, it goes without saying that holding regular sessions of Parliament or State Legislatures is vital for effective debate and legislation, governance, public accountability, and addressing issues of urgent public concern, among others.
Against this backdrop, the recently released Annual Review of State Laws 2024 by PRS Legislative Research offers a sobering reflection on the functioning of state legislatures across India, particularly in Nagaland.
According to the report, the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA), the first line of governance for most citizens, convened merely six times in 2024, the lowest among the 31 States and Union Territories (UTs) analysed, except for five sessions in the UT of Jammu & Kashmir, which held elections only in late 2024.
The total duration the Assembly was in session was just around 30 hours - way below the national average of 20 days and 100 hours — making Nagaland one of the least active state legislatures in the country. In contrast, state Assemblies met for an average of 20 days, with Odisha recording the highest at 42 days, followed by Kerala (38), and West Bengal (36).
The 14th NLA began on a promising note, meeting for 10 days in its inaugural year, 2023. However, this momentum waned significantly in 2024. The issue, however, predates the current Assembly. Between 2017 and 2024, the NLA averaged just eight sitting days per year- the lowest among all States and UTs assessed, as per the report.
A core function of any legislature is to debate and pass laws, scrutinise government spending, and hold the executive accountable. However, with such infrequent sessions, the NLA spent only two days discussing the state budget in 2024 — a sharp contrast to the 18 days in Kerala and 16 in Odisha.
Needless to say, such brevity ensures that key components of the budget are passed without adequate scrutiny or debate, thereby diminishing the legislature’s role as a forum for public interest and weakening the checks and balances that are fundamental to a functioning democracy.
Another striking feature in the report is the pace at which Bills are passed. Like many other states, Nagaland passed Bills within 2 to 5 days, raising concern on the depth of legislative deliberation. While efficiency is important, the critical examination and public consultation of Bills, amendments, or ordinances are equally imperative. In the absence of a formal opposition, however, these processes risk being reduced to mere formalities. Nearly 90% of Bills in Nagaland took one to three months to receive the Governor’s assent.
There were, however, some positive developments. The state passed eight Bills in 2024, including a significant law aimed at curbing defections in Urban Local Bodies, which followed an earlier ordinance.
It is worth noting that while the Constitution mandates State Legislatures to meet at least once every six months. Nagaland technically fulfils this requirement; however, the spirit of the provision is undermined by the perfunctory nature of its sessions.
The report thus brings into focus critical questions about the vibrancy and effectiveness of legislative functioning in Nagaland. It also prompts reflection on whether this situation is a byproduct of the opposition-less government that has been in place for some time — effectively reducing the Assembly to a nominal forum with little room for deliberation, dissent, or meaningful governance.
In 2025, the Sixth Session of the NLA in March lasted five days almost matching the total sittings of the previous year. Hopefully, the Assembly will step up to fulfill its constitutional duties hereafter and function not merely as a rubber stamp for the executive, but as a dynamic space for debate, representation, and oversight. For a state like Nagaland with a complex socio-political landscape, anything less risks reducing democratic practice to mere tokenism.
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