THE 86TH ALL INDIA PRESIDING OFFICERS CONFERENCE (AIPOC) TO BEGIN AT LUCKNOW ON 19TH JANUARY

1. At a Glance

AIPOC is the apex deliberative forum of Presiding Officers (Speakers/Chairmen) of Parliament and State/UT Legislatures in India [S1][S2].
86th edition hosted at Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, Lucknow, 19–21 January 2026; theme centres on technology, capacity building of legislators, and legislative accountability [S1].
Relevant for GS-II (Parliament & State Legislatures, federalism) and currently topical due to push for digital, paperless, AI-enabled legislatures (NeVA).

86th AIPOC convened at UP Vidhan Sabha, Lucknow on 19 Jan 2026, inaugurated by Governor Anandiben Patel; Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla delivered the inaugural address and will deliver the valedictory on 21 Jan 2026 alongside CM Yogi Adityanath [S1].
Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh called for Parliament–State Legislature synergy on AI adoption at the conference [S3].

First Conference: Shimla, 1921, presided over by Sir Frederick Whyte, first President of the Central Legislative Assembly — AIPOC is the oldest such forum, having completed a century in 2021 [S2].
82nd AIPOC (2021, Shimla) marked the centenary, addressed by PM Modi [S2].
84th AIPOC: Mumbai, January 2024; 85th AIPOC: Patna, 20–21 January 2025, themed on 75 years of the Constitution [S4].
85th AIPOC adopted five resolutions: tributes to founding fathers/mothers; commitment to constitutional values; barrier-free orderly debates; year-long Constitution@75 campaigns; adoption of modern digital tech including AI [S4].

Convener/Secretariat: Lok Sabha Secretariat; chaired by Speaker of Lok Sabha (currently Om Birla) [S1].
Host (86th): Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, Lucknow; Dates: 19–21 Jan 2026 [S1].
Inaugural Address: Governor UP Smt. Anandiben Patel; Valedictory: CM Yogi Adityanath + Lok Sabha Speaker [S1].
Themes (86th): (i) Leveraging technology for transparent, efficient, citizen-centric legislative processes; (ii) Capacity building of legislators; (iii) Accountability of legislature towards the public [S1].
Constitutional anchor: Articles 93 (Speaker Lok Sabha), 178 (Speaker State Assembly), 89 (Chairman RS), 182 (Chairman Legislative Council).
Participants: Presiding Officers of both Houses of Parliament + Vidhan Sabhas/Parishads of States & UTs.

Constitutional/Governance: Strengthens horizontal cooperative federalism among legislatures; non-statutory, advisory forum — resolutions are persuasive, not binding.
Scientific/Technological: Push for NeVA (National e-Vidhan Application) under MoPA — paperless Houses; 86th explicitly targets AI adoption in legislative drafting/research [S1][S3].
Ethical/Accountability: Tackles disruptions, decorum, anti-defection issues; 85th resolution on "barrier-free orderly debates" reflects concern over declining legislative productivity [S4].
Administrative: Capacity building of MLAs/MPs via PRIDE (Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies) under Lok Sabha Secretariat.
Historical: 1921 Shimla origin pre-dates the Constitution; institution survived transition from Government of India Act 1919/1935 to the Republic.

Jan 2025 — 85th AIPOC, Patna: five resolutions, theme of Constitution@75 [S4].
19 Jan 2026 — 86th AIPOC, Lucknow inaugurated by Governor Anandiben Patel; Speaker Om Birla addressed inaugural session [S1].
20 Jan 2026 — Dy Chairman RS Harivansh's address on AI synergy between Parliament and State Legislatures [S3].
21 Jan 2026 (scheduled) — Valedictory by Lok Sabha Speaker with CM Yogi Adityanath [S1].

AIPOC's first edition was held in Shimla in 1921 [S2].
The inaugural 1921 conference was presided over by Sir Frederick Whyte, first President of Central Legislative Assembly [S2].
AIPOC completed its centenary in 2021 at the 82nd edition in Shimla, addressed by PM Modi [S2].
AIPOC is convened by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, chaired by the Lok Sabha Speaker [S1].
84th AIPOC – Mumbai (Jan 2024); 85th – Patna (Jan 2025); 86th – Lucknow (Jan 2026) [S1][S4].
86th AIPOC venue: UP Vidhan Sabha, inaugurated by Governor Anandiben Patel [S1].
85th AIPOC adopted five resolutions, including one on adoption of AI and modern digital technology [S4].
Theme of 85th AIPOC: "75th Anniversary of the Constitution: Contribution of Parliament and State Legislative Bodies" [S4].
86th AIPOC discusses capacity building of legislators and accountability of legislature [S1].
Speakers of Lok Sabha and State Assemblies derive office from Articles 93 and 178 respectively (static linkage).

GS-II: "Parliament and State Legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these."
Possible stems: 1. "Discuss the role of the All India Presiding Officers Conference in strengthening Indian parliamentary democracy. To what extent can its resolutions address declining legislative productivity?" 2. "Examine how digital technology and AI can make Indian legislatures more transparent and citizen-centric, in light of recent AIPOC deliberations." 3. "Cooperative federalism is incomplete without inter-legislature dialogue. Comment with reference to AIPOC."

NeVA (National e-Vidhan Application) — digitisation of legislatures, ties directly to 86th AIPOC tech theme.
Anti-Defection Law (10th Schedule) — recurring AIPOC concern on Speaker's discretion.
PRIDE & BPST — capacity-building arms for legislators.
Inter-State Council (Art. 263) — comparable federal coordination forum.
Conference of Chief Justices / Chief Ministers — parallel apex forums.
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) India Region — international analogue.
Office of Speaker — Articles 93, 178; powers & impartiality debate.
Productivity of Parliament & State Assemblies (PRS Legislative Research data).

Wrong host city for 85th: Patna (Bihar), not Mumbai — Mumbai hosted the 84th (2024) [S4].
AIPOC is convened by Lok Sabha Secretariat, not Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
First conference year is 1921, not post-Independence; pre-dates the Constitution.
AIPOC is non-statutory and non-constitutional; resolutions are not legally binding.
Confusing AIPOC with Conference of Speakers of Commonwealth Parliaments or Inter-State Council — different mandates.

[S1] The 86th All India Presiding Officers Conference (AIPOC) to begin at Lucknow on 19th January — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=2215948&reg=3&lang=2 — (tier: 1)
[S2] PM to address the inaugural session of 82nd AIPOC on 17 November (centenary context, 1921 Shimla origin) — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1772111 — (tier: 1)
[S3] Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Shri Harivansh calls for synergy between Parliament and State Legislatures for efficient adoption of AI at 86th AIPOC — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2216450&reg=3&lang=2 — (tier: 1)
[S4] 85th AIPOC adopts five resolutions… — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2094919 — (tier: 1)