Why in news?

• In the 75th year of Independence, PM Modi inaugurated the new Parliament building, and installed the ‘Sengol’ near Lok Sabha Speaker’s chair.

What’s in today’s article?

• Old parliament building
• New Parliament building

Old parliament building

• Shift of capital from Calcutta to Delhi
  • At the coronation of George V as Emperor of India on December 12, 1911, the monarch decided to transfer the seat of the Government of India from Calcutta to the ancient Capital of Delhi.
• Selection of architect and scope of their work
  • In 1913, Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker signed on to be the architects for the Imperial City at New Delhi.
    • Initially, they were asked to design President’s House and North and South Block only.
  • In 1919, the British Parliament passed the Government of India Act which provided for a bicameral legislature for India.
  • A new building was needed to accommodate the new houses of the Legislative Council.
• Construction of Parliament
  • The parliament building’s construction took six years – from 1921 to 1927.
  • In the 1919 plan for the construction of the Parliament, it was decided to have a council house, comprising:
    • Legislative Assembly Chamber (which later became the Lok Sabha),
    • Council of States Chamber (which is now the Rajya Sabha) and
    • Chamber of Princes (later became Library Hall).
• Architecture
• In 1919, Lutyens and Baker settled on a circular shape for the Parliament.
• They felt it would be reminiscent of the Colosseum, the Roman historical monument.
  • It is popularly believed that the circular shape of the Chausath Yogini temple at Mitawli village in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena provided inspiration for the Council House design.
  • However, there is no historical evidence to back this up.
• A few Indian elements, such as jaalis (a latticed carving depicting objects like flowers and other patterns) and chhatris (a domed roof atop a pavilion-like structure) were added.
• Goal of the architecture
  • The goal of the architecture was to project the strength of British imperialism and rule over India.
  • Hence, both the architects agreed to highlight the superiority of European classicism, upon which Indian traditions had to be based.
• Material used
• The circular building has 144 cream sandstone pillars, each measuring 27 feet.
• Foundation and inauguration
  • The foundation for the existing Parliament was laid by the Duke of Connaught on February 12, 1921.
  • It was inaugurated in January 18, 1927, by then Governor General of India Lord Irwin.
    • Sir Bhupendra Nath Mitra, a member of the Governor-General’s Executive Council and in charge of the Department of Industries and Labour, invited Viceroy to inaugurate the building.

What will happen to the old parliament building now?

• The building will not be demolished and will be converted into a ‘Museum of Democracy’ after the new Parliament House becomes operational.

New Parliament building

• In 2019, the central government announced the redevelopment project to give a new identity to the ‘power corridor’ of India.
  • This project is known as Central Vista redevelopment project.
• The plan includes:
  • the construction of a new parliament,
  • Prime minister and vice-president’s residences along with 10 building blocks that will accommodate all government ministries and departments.
• Piloted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the plan aims to change the face of the Lutyens’ Delhi.
  • Lutyens’ Delhi shows off India’s iconic buildings such as South and North blocks of Central Secretariat, Parliament House, and Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Need for new Parliament building

• Current building is 96-years-old
  • As per the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the current building is 96-years-old and poses structural safety concerns.
• Narrow seating space for MPs
  • The present building was never designed to accommodate a bicameral legislature for a full-fledged democracy.
  • The number of Lok Sabha seats is likely to increase significantly from the current 545 after 2026, when the freeze on the total number of seats lifts.
  • The Central Hall has seating capacity only for 440 persons.
  • When the Joint Sessions are held, the problem of limited seats amplifies.
• Distressed infrastructure:
  • The addition of services like water supply and sewer lines, fire fighting equipment, CCTV cameras, etc., have led to seepage of water at several places.
  • Fire safety is a major concern at the building.
• Obsolete communication structures:
  • Communications infrastructure and technology is antiquated in the existing Parliament, and the acoustics of all the halls need improvement.
• Safety concerns:
  • The current Parliament building was built when Delhi was in Seismic Zone-II; currently it is in Seismic Zone-IV. This raises structural safety concerns.

Main features of the new building

• Built-up area of about 65,000 sq m, triangular in shape, and incorporates architectural styles from around India;
• Lok Sabha hall with a capacity of up to 888 seats, and Rajya Sabha hall with a capacity of upto 384 seats;
  • The Lok Sabha may accommodate up to 1,272 seats for joint sessions of Parliament.
• The Lok Sabha hall is based on the peacock theme, India’s national bird. The Rajya Sabha is based on the lotus theme, India’s national flower.
• A “Platinum-rated Green Building”, the new Sansad Bhavan will embody India’s commitment towards environmental sustainability.
• The new Parliament is divyang friendly where people with disabilities will be able to move around freely.