Kerala has emerged as one of the country's most active legislatures, according to the Annual Review of State Laws 2025 published by PRS Legislative Research. The report, which assessed the functioning of 27 state legislatures and three Union Territories, highlighted Kerala's strong record in legislative sittings, law-making and committee scrutiny.
While state legislatures across India met for an average of only 24 days in 2025, the Kerala Assembly convened for 38 days, well above the national average. Over the 2021-2025 period, Kerala recorded the highest average number of sitting days at 41 annually, ahead of Odisha with 39 and Karnataka with 37.
Former Speaker A N Shamseer said Kerala has consistently maintained high standards in legislative functioning, including the number of sittings, quality of debates and law-making. However, he noted that the Assembly should ideally meet for 50 to 60 days each year, adding that initially planned sessions are often shortened through consensus between the ruling and opposition parties.
He also expressed concern that some bills passed by the Assembly remain pending with the Governor, describing such delays as detrimental to the democratic process.
The report also recognised Kerala's robust committee system. Across the country, only around five per cent of bills introduced in 2025 were referred to legislative committees for detailed examination. In contrast, Kerala referred 25 bills to subject committees, allowing for greater scrutiny before legislation was enacted.
Kerala's approach to budget discussions also received appreciation. Unlike many states, where budget debates are relatively brief, the Assembly first sends departmental allocations to subject committees for examination before undertaking detailed discussions on expenditure, ensuring more comprehensive financial oversight.
