If a plan put out by the Lok Sabha secretariat is carried out, members of Parliament won’t have to rely on English or Hindi translations in Parliament and would be able to hear proceedings in the new Parliament building in their own languages.

The proposal, made by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, will facilitate MPs’ use of Indian languages in Parliament in addition to promoting them.

The Lok Sabha secretariat invited employees to test the idea in two regional languages, Kannada and Telugu, in a circular titled “Realtime two-way interpretation facility (simultaneous interpretation) in all 22 languages in Schedule 8 of the Constitution of India” that was published on June 28.

“The Lok Sabha Speaker’s plan will bring a major shift in the way regional languages are used in Parliament,” a senior Lok Sabha official said. Under the current procedure, any member who wishes to address the House in a language other than Hindi or English is urged to notify the Presiding Officer in advance in order to assist the secretariat in setting up an interpreter in advance.

“Under the new approach, interpreters will translate all significant proceedings—such as budget announcements, bill debates, or discussions of the President’s speech—into 22 other languages in real time. All MPs in the chamber, as well as guests and journalists in the gallery, will have access to this service, according to a different official. Both officials declined to give their names.

“Some state residents, particularly those from South India, prefer to converse in their own tongue. They are not illiterate in Hindi or English; rather, speaking in their own dialect allows them to communicate more effectively with their constituency at home. P Sreedharan, a former secretary general of the Lok Sabha, suggested that it might be especially helpful because the Lok Sabha gives MPs video clips of the speeches.

However, the former Lok Sabha top bureaucrat also emphasises that “finding a suitable interpreter is usually difficult.” I can recall going through seven auditions to get a job as an interpretation back in my day.

43 policemen have been chosen for the interpreters pool, according to a third senior official, and they have moved to the estate management section ‘to test interpretation facilities’ in the new facility.

The new Parliament building will include a cutting-edge information and technology system, and MPs will receive a personal tablet at their desk to explore significant data or documents for quick reference. Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the facility on May 28 despite a boycott by numerous Opposition parties.

The new building is also preparing a big space across two floors for the Prime Minister’s Office, a separate office for the Special Protection Group and space for all the core ministers.

Only a small number of crucial legislative departments, including the Table Office, Legislation branch, Notice office, and parliamentary reporters branch, will immediately relocate to the new structure, according to officials. The majority of the current personnel will continue to work from its current offices, which are located on the upper floors of the old building, library building and legislative annexe.