Narendra Modi inaugurated the New Parliament Building on May 28, 2023, at seven in the morning. The ritual began with prayers from many religions. The historical scepter, the Sengol, was then placed close to the seat of the Lok Sabha speaker by Prime Minister Modi after entering the New Parliament building.
Since 1927, the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha have met at the existing Indian Parliament building, which took more than six years to complete. The New Parliament Building will uphold the dream of a New and Independent India while the Old Parliament Building demonstrates the strength of the Indian democratic system. This gigantic building, which spans a staggering 65,000 square meters, will be a great architectural wonder of India.
The Union Government’s Central Vista project includes the new parliament building. In September 2019, the Central Vista Master Plan was created. The Central Vista development or redevelopment plan is a six-year, multi-initiative infrastructure development project.
Strong geometry, unequaled symmetry, and well-planned pathways with nodes, axis, focal points, and termination were all considered while the Central Vista development project was being designed.
Principles to Follow When Building a New Parliament Building
The following guidelines are used to build the New Parliament Building:
restoring Central Vista’s natural symmetry and structure
Increasing the administration’s productivity and effectiveness
Enhanced effectiveness of the legislative branch
Preservation of Cultural and Historical Sites
Providing executive offices with safe facilities
Ensure environmental sustainability and broaden Central Vista’s axis
providing the Vice President and Prime Minister with safe facilities
the encouragement of transit-oriented development
Characteristics & Features of the New Parliament Building
The parliament has formed a committee to offer a replacement for the current building due to the outdated and inadequate infrastructure in the Parliament Building. The most recent infrastructure and safety precautions cannot be guaranteed at the current location because the building is over 93 years old.
The Indian government established the Central Vista project and began building a new parliament building to alleviate the infrastructure issues. The Central Vista plan also includes the building of the Vice-President of India’s new mansion, the renovation of Kartavya Path, and the Prime Minister’s new residence and office.
In October 2020, the New Parliament Building’s groundbreaking ceremony took place. In December 2020, the foundation stone was set.
The development plan for Central Vista was designed by Bimal Patel. He has years of expertise and is a skilled architect. The New Parliament Building, which is triangular in design, is situated next to the old one.
The expected lifetime of the new parliament building is 150 years. New Parliament, an earthquake-resistant structure, will feature architectural styles from all around India. It would showcase Indian popular architectural styles’ sculpture and culture.
Since there will be more lawmakers in the coming years, the new structure will guarantee that both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha have enough room to sit. The number of MPs is anticipated to increase once the delimitation freeze is removed in 2026.
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The new parliament building will include 384 seats in the Rajya Sabha and 888 in the Lok Sabha. The Lok Sabha will have 1272 seats available in the New Parliament Building in the event of a combined session. Offices for committees and ministries will be located on four levels in the remaining sections of the new parliament building.
The New Parliament Building was built for what purpose?
The former “Council of House,” now known as the Parliament House, was built in 1927. There are currently 552 members of the parliament as a result of several constitutional modifications. But with a higher representation needed in the upcoming years, a bigger location will be required. Additionally, the expanding population will necessitate increased parliamentary representation.
The current parliament building is also under a lot of stress. There is an urgent need for a larger area furnished with modern conveniences and amenities. Additionally, a thorough investigation has shown that the current structure requires an infrastructure upgrade. The proper operation of India’s legislative system will be ensured by the new parliament building, which will be a strong, durable, and earthquake-resistant structure.
