86th All India Presiding Officers’ Conference (AIPOC) : 2026

Why in News? 

The 86th All India Presiding Officers’ Conference (AIPOC) was inaugurated in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh in January 2026.

Key Points :

• Event Venue:The Conference (AIPOC) commenced at the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha in Lucknow.
• Inauguration:The conference was inaugurated by the Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Anandiben Patel.
• Addressed by:Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla.
• Themes:Strengthening legislative functioning, fairness, accountability and use of technology.

• Host state significance: This is the fourth time that Uttar Pradesh is hosting AIPOC (earlier held in 1961, 1985, and 2015).

Key Outcomes & “The Lucknow Resolutions”:

The 2026 conference concluded with the adoption of six transformative resolutions designed to modernize the legislative ecosystem:

1. National Legislative Index (NLI): This is perhaps the most significant outcome. The NLI will be a benchmarking tool to rank State Legislatures based on objective metrics like the quality of debates, number of bills passed, and committee performance.
2. Minimum 30 Sittings Per Year: Deeply concerned by the “shrinking time” of state assembly sessions, the AIPOC resolved that every State Legislature should aim for at least 30 working days annually to ensure better oversight of public funds.
3. Viksit Bharat @2047 Commitment: A formal pledge to align legislative reforms with the national goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047.
4. Creation of a ‘Data Lake’: Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Shri Harivansh, proposed a centralized “Data Lake” to store all legislative debates, budgets, and policy documents from across India to train specialized “Parliamentary AI.”

Deep Dive: The Role of Technology (AI & E-Vidhan):

The focus on technology was not just about “going paperless” but about enhancing the quality of lawmaking:

• Parliamentary AI: Discussions centered on using AI for real-time transcription, simultaneous interpretation into multiple Indian languages, and searching through decades of parliamentary precedents and rulings.
• National Digital Grid: The goal is to integrate all State Legislatures into a single digital grid, allowing a legislator in Kerala to easily access the research or bill-drafting history of a similar law in Uttar Pradesh.
• E-Vidhan System: Moving toward a completely paperless “Green Secretariat” across all states.

 Historical & Institutional Context:

Understanding the AIPOC’s legacy helps frame why the 86th edition in Lucknow was so significant:

• Centenary Legacy: The AIPOC is the apex body of Indian legislatures, having completed 100 years in 2021 (the first conference was held in Shimla in 1921).
• AIPOC vs. Conference of Secretaries: The 86th AIPOC was preceded by the 62nd Conference of Secretaries of Legislative Bodies, which handles the administrative and procedural “engine room” of the houses.
• Host Significance: By hosting for the 4th time, Uttar Pradesh showcased its own recent legislative reforms, such as the digital “E-Vidhan” system already implemented in its Vidhan Sabha.