Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday called for detailed Legislative Impact Assessment, bringing out the social, economic, environmental and institutional impacts of legislative proposals, for informed law-making.
Addressing 151 officials, who recently joined the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, Mr. Naidu said while inter-ministerial consultations were held before the Cabinet considered and approved legislative proposals, the scope for undertaking an assessment and indicating the impact of such proposals was currently limited.
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Mr. Naidu said: “Informed legislation will help in realising the stated objects of various laws and this requires a detailed impact assessment of legislation at the stages of both pre-legislation and post-legislation. An account of pre-legislative impact assessment could be included either in the Bill or as an Annexure to the Bill.”
He said the social impact assessment could indicate the social changes that would flow from the implementation of a particular law, while the economic impact assessment could throw light on the extent to which a legislation could address the existing inequity. Environmental impact assessment of each proposed law was required in the context of the serious nature of climate change concerns.
“It is also necessary to assess the additional demands that will be placed on the existing executive and judicial institutions by the implementation of new laws,” said Mr. Naidu.
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Referring to the Legislative Impact Assessment being undertaken by some OECD countries, the Vice-President said: “As the largest and vibrant democracy of the world, it is time that we take a serious look at such impact assessment for ensuring more informed legislation.”
Among the new recruits are 44 engineering graduates, 50 post-graduates, 46 graduates, five law degree holders and two doctorates. Rajya Sabha Secretary General Desh Deepak Verma said 55 of the new staff were women.