New Delhi: The G20 summit chaired by India has been appreciated across the world. It is a matter of pride that the Summit concluded with a Joint Declaration reinforcing our concept of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” – One Earth, One Family, One Future. The G20 also underlined India’s growing global influence as it successfully played the role of consensus builder. After the G20 summit, the Parliament of India is getting ready to host another important gathering, i.e. the P20 or G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit, on October 13 and 14 in New Delhi. The P20 brings together the Presidents or presiding officers of the parliaments of the G20 and the invited countries.
Parliament is the supreme legislative body of every nation, through which the public represents the aspirations and expectations of the people in the House of Representatives and makes laws and policies. India is an ancient civilization with a rich cultural heritage. Democracy has been an ingrained concept in India for centuries. Our ancient texts also find mention of participatory institutions like Sabha and Samiti, which existed as public representative institutions in the Vedic era. Democracy, diversity and demography have been our strengths in our 75 years of journey since independence. With the power of democracy we have created harmony among all sections of the society and ensured social and economic development for all. People-centred, inclusive development is at the heart of our democratic journey. Even in our Parliament, public representatives form collective opinion on issues after extensive discussion. This helps us find collective solutions to challenges.
Therefore, at the P20 summit also, the Parliament of India will endeavor to develop a common vision to address important contemporary issues facing the world and humanity. The importance of organizing the P20 Conclave in India increases because consensus on global issues is linked to the common future of humanity. The focus of the P20 summit will be on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the climate crisis, women-led development and a shared future for humanity. In this, topics related to Lifestyle for Environment i.e. Mission LiFE, India’s contribution in managing the climate crisis will also be discussed.
Sustainable Development Goals: SDGs have certainly given impetus to the efforts to realize the concept of holistic human development in the world. As we approach 2030, it becomes even more important to assess the achievements made under this initiative and accelerate efforts to realize them. There are many of the SDGs that have universal impact. There is a need to discuss these issues in parliaments and create a consensus to eliminate all contradictions. There is a need to develop policy consensus while maintaining the sovereignty of nations.
Towards a Green Future: Facing the challenges of a large population and maintaining the aspiration of becoming a developed nation, India has tried to adapt its development process to the needs of a green future. Today India is in a leadership role in the field of alternative energy. Policy initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance and the Global Biofuels Alliance supported by India have received wide global support. Issues related to environment have been continuously discussed in our Parliament also. Through this dialogue, a consensus has been reached on policy formulation for renewable energy beyond political differences in the country.
Development from women empowerment to women leadership: In the ancient culture of India, women have been considered the embodiment of power and devotion. Women have proved their capability and strength in every field, be it the field of science and technology, defence, space science or sports. Our Constitution has empowered women by giving them equal rights in all fields including the right to vote. As our journey to democracy progressed, policy decisions were taken to provide political and economic empowerment to women and give them leadership opportunities. Initially, laws were made for reservation for women in Gram Panchayat and municipal level elections. Taking this forward, laws have been made for reservation for them in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. A consensus has been reached on this law among every political party in the entire country. We will share our positive experiences on this topic at the P20 conference and strive to make women-led development a global movement.
Transforming people’s lives through public digital platforms: India has been at the forefront of digital transformation, leveraging technology to improve the lives of its citizens. Initiatives like Aadhaar, the world’s largest biometric identification system, have streamlined access to government services. Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has become one of the biggest financial inclusion tools that has brought digital banking to the masses. The Digital India program aims to provide digital access to all citizens and is revolutionizing governance at the grassroots level. The adoption of digital technology in various sectors like education, agriculture and finance has changed the lives of millions of Indians. At the P20 Summit, we will share this historic achievement with the parliaments of the world so that India’s success in digital transformation becomes a model for the entire world.
The Parliament of India has played a major role in shaping the destiny of the world’s largest democracy. Our Parliament has always made public welfare laws after extensive discussion, keeping in mind the interests of the public. Despite being a multi-party system, we have reached consensus on issues. Thus our Parliament has presented a model of meaningful discussion and dialogue before the world. I am confident that just as the G20 Summit achieved consensus on global challenges, the P20 Summit will also underline the essential role of parliaments in addressing contemporary challenges and usher in a new era of cooperation between parliaments on global issues. Will do.
Om Birla is the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Views expressed are personal.
