India Hosts Largest Gathering of Commonwealth Speakers

The 28th Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers Conference (CSPOC), hosted by India, will see the highest participation ever. Topics include AI in Parliament and social media's impact on governance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the event, and a post-conference tour to Jaipur is planned.

In a landmark event, the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) will be hosted by India from January 14 to 16. With 42 countries confirming attendance, it marks the largest participation in the history of CSPOC. Discussions will center around key issues such as shared parliamentary values, democratic governance, and institutional cooperation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the conference on January 15 at the Central Hall of Parliament House Complex. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, the Chairperson of the Conference, highlighted that all coordination has been facilitated through a specially developed app, eliminating the need for paper.

Diverse topics including 'AI in Parliament: Balancing Innovation, Oversight and Adaptation' alongside 'Social Media and Its Impact on Parliamentarians' will be explored. The conference will also feature a Special Plenary Session on the role of Speakers in maintaining strong democratic institutions, with Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the UK House of Commons, taking over as the new Chair. A post-conference tour to Jaipur will conclude the event.

(With inputs from agencies.)