Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan in the Parliament House Complex, New Delhi, emphasising the vital role of Speakers in sustaining parliamentary democracy. Addressing delegates from across the Commonwealth, the Prime Minister described the Speaker’s role as unique in a parliamentary system, where responsibility lies in listening impartially, maintaining patience and ensuring that every member has the opportunity to be heard, even amid disruption and noise. Welcoming participants, Shri Modi underlined the historical importance of Samvidhan Sadan, noting that the Constituent Assembly met in the same Central Hall during the final years of British rule to draft India’s Constitution. For 75 years after Independence, the building functioned as India’s Parliament and has now been dedicated to democracy under its new name. The Prime Minister said the gathering was especially significant as India recently marked 75 years of constitutional governance. This is the fourth time India is hosting the CSPOC, whose central theme this year is Effective Delivery of Parliamentary Democracy. Recalling doubts expressed at the time of Independence regarding whether democracy could survive in a country as diverse as India, Shri Modi said India turned diversity into its greatest democratic strength. He added that India has also disproved concerns that democratic governance would hinder development, stating that democratic institutions have provided stability, speed and scale to national progress. Highlighting India’s achievements, the Prime Minister noted that the country is currently the fastest-growing major economy, hosts the world’s largest digital payments ecosystem through UPI, is the largest vaccine producer, the second-largest steel producer, the third-largest start-up ecosystem, the third-largest aviation market, the fourth-largest railway network, the third-largest metro network, the largest milk producer and the second-largest rice producer. Shri Modi stressed that democracy in India is centred on last-mile delivery, ensuring that welfare schemes reach every citizen without discrimination. He stated that nearly 250 million people have been lifted out of poverty in recent years, asserting that democratic governance in India translates into tangible outcomes. Referring to India’s democratic scale, he said the 2024 general elections were the largest democratic exercise in human history, with nearly 980 million registered voters, more than 8,000 candidates and over 700 political parties. The elections also saw record participation by women. He highlighted that India now has about 1.5 million elected women representatives in rural and local governance, accounting for nearly 50 per cent of grassroots leadership. The Prime Minister described India’s democracy as deeply rooted in ancient traditions of debate and collective decision-making, citing references to assemblies in the Vedas, practices in the Buddhist Sangha and historical village governance systems documented in inscriptions from Tamil Nadu. Shri Modi noted that India accounts for nearly half of the Commonwealth’s population and reaffirmed India’s commitment to contributing responsibly towards global Sustainable Development Goals across health, climate action, innovation and economic growth. He said India continues to share its governance and technology experiences with partner nations, particularly across the Global South. Highlighting parliamentary outreach, the Prime Minister said India has introduced study tours, training programmes and internships to familiarise citizens with parliamentary processes. He also announced the use of AI-based tools to translate debates and proceedings into regional languages in real time, making Parliament more accessible to younger generations. Among those present at the inauguration were Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Inter-Parliamentary Union President Dr Tulia Ackson and Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Chairperson Dr Christopher Kalila.