Om Birla Honors Former Lok Sabha Speaker Bali Ram Bhagat
- Event: Birth anniversary tribute at Samvidhan Sadan
- Honoree: Fifth Lok Sabha Speaker Bali Ram Bhagat
- Key milestone: Founded parliamentary training body PRIDE
- Career span: Member across eight parliamentary terms
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla led parliamentary tributes to former Speaker Bali Ram Bhagat at Samvidhan Sadan on Wednesday. Joined by Lok Sabha Secretary-General Utpal Kumar Singh, Birla laid floral offerings at Bhagat's portrait in the Central Hall, honoring his four decades of legislative service and commitment to democratic propriety.
A veteran freedom fighter who entered the Provisional Parliament in 1950, Bhagat went on to represent seven elected Lok Sabhas. Chosen as Speaker of the Fifth Lok Sabha in January 1976, he championed procedural discipline and maintained that the Speaker acts as a neutral servant of the entire House across all party lines.
Bhagat's speakership left a lasting institutional footprint on parliamentary governance. In 1976, he convened the inaugural Conference of Chairmen of Committees on Government Assurances and spearheaded the creation of the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training, which now operates as PRIDE to train legislators and parliamentary officials.
Beyond presiding over the House, Bhagat handled key Union portfolios including External Affairs, Finance, and Defence, later serving as Governor of Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh before his death in 2011. Legislative observers continue to cite his tenure as a foundational benchmark for institutional accountability and training within Indian democracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Bali Ram Bhagat?
Bali Ram Bhagat was a veteran freedom fighter, Union Minister, Governor, and the Speaker of the Fifth Lok Sabha elected in January 1976.
What institutional legacy did Bali Ram Bhagat leave in Parliament?
In 1976, he convened the first Conference of Chairmen of Committees on Government Assurances and established the parliamentary research and training institute now known as PRIDE.
Where was the commemorative tribute held?
The tribute ceremony was held at Bhagat's portrait in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan in New Delhi.
Source
PIB Press Release ID 2320207, Lok Sabha Secretariat · 2026-10-07
Tripti Bansal founded PolicyIndex to bring structure and clarity to regulatory change across India, the UK, and the EU. PolicyIndex converts gazette notifications, draft rules, and policy filings into timely, actionable intelligence for the professionals who must respond to them first. This article was researched and written by the PolicyIndex editorial team under her direction, as part of the platform's ongoing coverage of global regulatory developments.