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Gujarat Assembly, India's Only State Legislature Without Live Telecast, Cites UK House of Commons Privileges Under Article 194

PolityHIGH
Target:UPSC GS-IIMPSCSSC GATeachingPrelims HighMains HighStatic GK Link
27 Mar 2026
~2 min
Source: Indian Express
Key Data:30 state AssembliesPIL filed in 2020Article 194Section 8 of RTI Act
Bodies:Gujarat High CourtGujarat Legislative Assembly Secretariat
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What This Article Covers

1.Gujarat Legislative Assembly is the only one of 30 state Assemblies in India that does not livestream its proceedings.

2.The Assembly Secretariat opposes a PIL for mandatory live telecast, citing privileges of the UK House of Commons under Article 194 of the Constitution and exemptions under Section 8 of the RTI Act, 2005.

3.The case tests the intersection of citizens' right to information (Article 19(1)(a) & 21) with legislative privilege and the discretionary powers of state legislatures.

The Big Picture
Prelims · HighMains · High

Gujarat remains India's sole state legislature not livestreaming its proceedings, a six-year-old PIL challenging this cites RTI Act and constitutional rights. The Assembly Secretariat defends its stance citing privileges of the UK House of Commons under Article 194 and Section 8 of the RTI Act, setting up a critical judicial test for legislative transparency versus privilege.

Exam Lens

Quick Exam Facts From News

State Assemblies in India30
PIL Filed in Gujarat HC2020 (Pending for 6 years)
Constitutional Article CitedArticle 194
RTI Act Section CitedSection 8
National eVidhan ApplicationAdopted by Gujarat in Sep 2023

1-Minute Revision

  • ›State Assemblies in India: 30
  • ›PIL Filed in Gujarat HC: 2020 (Pending for 6 years)
  • ›Target this Data: Gujarat is the only one of 30 state Assemblies without live telecast.
  • ›Target this Nodal Body: Gujarat Legislative Assembly Secretariat / Gujarat High Court.
  • ›Target this Legal Point: Article 194 (Legislative Privileges) & Section 8 of RTI Act, 2005 (Exemption).

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Practice exam-style questions, track your score, and strengthen your recall.

Q1Static LinkageEasy

Under which article of the Constitution do State Legislatures derive powers and privileges equivalent to the UK House of Commons, as cited in the Gujarat Assembly case?

Q2Statement-basedHard

Consider the following statements regarding the news on Gujarat Assembly proceedings:

1. The Gujarat Assembly is the only state legislature in India that does not allow any form of public dissemination of its proceedings.

2. The Assembly Secretariat has argued that Section 8 of the RTI Act allows exemption from disclosure if it breaches legislative privilege.

3. The National eVidhan Application (NeVA) is used by the Gujarat Assembly to host documents but not for live video streaming.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Q3Data-centricMedium

According to the article, for how many years has the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking live telecast of Gujarat Assembly proceedings been pending in the Gujarat High Court as of March 2026?

Q4Application/ImpactMedium

What is the primary legal argument used by the Gujarat Assembly Secretariat to oppose the mandatory live telecast of its proceedings?

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