Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla constitutes Parliamentary Friendship Groups with 64 countries

Why in news

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla constituted Parliamentary Friendship Groups with over 60 countries to deepen legislative dialogue and exchanges.

Background

The Speaker formed these groups on February 23, 2026, including countries with suspended members of the Indian Parliament. The groups are co-terminus with the Lok Sabha's term and include chairpersons like Ravi Shankar Prasad and Anurag Thakur.

Facts for Prelims

• BodyParliamentary Friendship Groups are bodies formed within the Lok Sabha to foster international legislative ties.
• FactThe groups were formed with over 60 countries as of February 2026.
• PostThe Lok Sabha Speaker has the authority to constitute these groups.

For Mains

Q. Discuss the role of Parliamentary Friendship Groups in enhancing India's soft power and fostering international legislative cooperation.

Dimensions to cover in your answer

• Diplomatic leverage: Using legislative ties to bypass traditional executive-led diplomatic bottlenecks
• Institutional autonomy: Balancing the Speaker's discretionary powers with the need for non-partisan representation

Keywords: Soft Power · Legislative Diplomacy · Parliamentary Oversight · Bilateral Relations

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