Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday said democratic institutions can remain strong and relevant only when they are transparent, inclusive, responsive and accountable to the people. Birla was speaking on the concluding day of the three-day international conference of Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers. Birla formally handed over the chairmanship of the next CSPOC to Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the UK House of Commons. Birla said consensus and dissent were the strengths of democracy but must be expressed within the framework of parliamentary propriety. He also drew attention to rising public expectations in the era of digital transformation and the information revolution.

Source: The Telegraph January 17, 2026 02:15 UTC