Key Takeaways (AI Overview Summary):
- The 18th Lok Sabha held seven sessions from 24 June 2024 to the extended Budget Session concluding on 18 April 2026.
- Maharashtra leads overall parliamentary participation in questions and debates, followed consistently by Kerala and Rajasthan in debate initiation.
- Female MPs comprise 14% of the House (75 members) but excel beyond male counterparts in average debate participation, highlighting the transformative potential of legislative reservations.
- First-time MPs make up 281 members of the House and have demonstrated remarkable engagement in parliamentary debates despite being new entrants.
By PRIME POINT SRINIVASAN & PRIYADHARSHNI RAHUL
Published in PreSense Edition 232 (June 2026)
The 18th Lok Sabha commenced its business on 24th June 2024, and its extended Budget Session concluded on 18th April 2026. Seven sessions were held during this period, encompassing extensive legislative deliberations. PreSense has conducted a rigorous data-driven analysis to review the performance of Members of Parliament across different States, genders, and parliamentary terms.
The New Parliament Building of India, host to the 18th Lok Sabha sessions
Data Courtesy: PRS Legislative Research
1. Performance of MPs State-wise
Consistently, Maharashtra has been topping the list for raising Questions and for the total tally of initiated debates, private members' bills, and Questions. In the 18th Lok Sabha, they continue to lead across these categories. Interestingly, in the 2026 Sansad Ratna Awards, Maharashtra bagged 5 individual awards out of 12.
Kerala and Rajasthan have consistently led in the Initiated Debates category for several years. In the 18th Lok Sabha, they maintain their leadership among all States in this segment.
Average participation of MPs in debates and questions broken down by State (Data calculated per member)
| State | Average Debates Initiated | Average Questions | Average Total Tally |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maharashtra | 21 | 156 | 182 |
| Rajasthan | 25 | 138 | 170 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 23 | 144 | 169 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 16 | 148 | 169 |
| Delhi | 15 | 149 | 168 |
| Kerala | 27 | 123 | 156 |
| Jharkhand | 20 | 126 | 152 |
| National Average | 16 | 103 | 123 |
2. Performance of MPs Gender-wise
Although women members represent around 15 to 18 percent across all Lok Sabhas, their performance needs to be commended. While there are only 75 women MPs (14 percent) in the 18th Lok Sabha, their performance excels the joint average of male members. Data indicates that their average participation in Debates is higher than that of male members.
In spite of various socio-political challenges, female members have focused remarkably on their parliamentary duties. PreSense remains confident that when 33 percent reservation is fully implemented in the legislature, Parliament will become even more active, participative, and representative.
Gender-wise performance comparison showing debate initiation and question tallies
| Gender | Number of MPs | Average Debates Initiated | Average Questions | Average Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 75 | 18 | 100 | 122 |
| Male | 469 | 16 | 103 | 123 |
| National Average | 544 | 16 | 103 | 123 |
3. Performance of MPs Term-wise
There are two MPs serving their eighth term in the House. One of them serves as a Union Minister and is excluded from analytical statistics. The resulting data reflects the lone independent Eighth-Term Member from Kerala.
Generally, Second-Term and Third-Term Members perform substantially better than the national average. Nearly 191 members fall into this experienced segment. Armed with past legislative experience, they can be further motivated to drive policy debates effectively.
A significant 281 MPs are First-Term parliamentarians. Despite being new entrants to New Delhi, they have demonstrated commendable performance, particularly in initiating debates. Structured orientation and institutional training can further enhance their legislative impact.
MP performance categorized by parliamentary seniority and terms served
| Members' Term | Number of MPs | Average Debates Initiated | Average Questions | Average Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eighth Term | 2 | 21 | 136 | 180 |
| Third Term | 76 | 14 | 122 | 142 |
| Second Term | 115 | 17 | 118 | 138 |
| Fifth Term | 20 | 21 | 97 | 126 |
| Fourth Term | 34 | 17 | 97 | 122 |
| First Term | 281 | 17 | 95 | 114 |
| Seventh Term | 6 | 17 | 69 | 87 |
| Sixth Term | 10 | 10 | 62 | 82 |
| National Average | 544 | 16 | 103 | 123 |
In our next edition, PreSense will review the performance of all Departmentally Related Parliamentary Standing Committees.
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