T.N. Assembly’s annual sitting days declined from 64 in the first term to 32 in the 16th: PRS study

The average annual sitting days of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly reduced by half, from 64 days during the first term (1952-57) to 32 days during the latest 16th term (2021-26), according to an analysis by PRS Legislative Research, an independent research body.

According to the analysis, the 16th Assembly, whose tenure began on May 11, 2021, and is set to conclude on May 10, 2026, met for only 155 days, the lowest for a full-term Assembly since 1952. However, data shared by Speaker M. Appavu during his valedictory speech in the Assembly on February 20 stated the House met for 161 days.

The average annual sitting days saw a constant reduction from 2006. It was 46 in the 13th Assembly (2006-11), 40 in the 14th Assembly (2011-16), and 34 in the 15th Assembly (2016-21), the analysis said.

During the tenure of the 16th Assembly, 201 Bills were introduced, of which 194 were passed, excluding Finance and Appropriation Bills and seven other Bills that were not considered for analysis. Of the Bills passed, 78% were cleared by the House on the day of introduction, while 10% were passed within two to five days. The remaining 12% were passed after more than five days of introduction, the analysis said.

During this tenure, 82% of Bills received assent [from Governor / President] within three months of passage, while nine Bills received assent more than a year after being passed. These include six Bills that were deemed to have received assent following a 2025 judgment of the Supreme Court, the analysis said.

Urban governance, education, and public services emerged as key legislative themes during this tenure, with 13% of the Bills related to education, followed by 12% of Bills on urban and municipal governance and 8% of the Bills pertaining to law and order, the analysis added.