Cash-for-query case: Changes in digital sansad access protocols following Mahua Moitra controversy
Cash-for-query case: The controversy surrounding TMC lawmaker Mahua Moitra sharing her login credentials with businessman Darshan Hiranandani to post Parliament questions has resulted in revised protocols for accessing the Digital Sansad portal.
Previously, personal assistants (PAs) of lawmakers had access to a tab named “E-Notice” to file legislative documents directly on the portal. Now, they can only save notices as drafts; lawmakers are required to submit or file them from their accounts.
A report by The Times of India initially highlighted the changes in the protocol. The revised access restricts PAs from posting notices, now requiring an OTP sent directly to lawmakers' mobile numbers for filing purposes. Additionally, the “Messages” tab, previously synced with PAs’ Sansad Portal accounts, displaying documents received from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats, has been removed, eliminating the need for a separate OTP.
While PAs retain access to OTPs, the system now relies on MPs' mobile numbers and registered email addresses for verification. MPs can authorize staff access to Sansad email through Kavach, ensuring the staff's access to the Digital Sansad account. However, the efficacy of this new system in preventing OTP sharing, as occurred in Moitra's case, remains uncertain. The Lok Sabha's bulletin emphasised the confidentiality of question replies and the need for MPs to maintain it until the Question Hour's conclusion.
Despite these measures, there's ambiguity regarding the prevention of MPs sharing OTPs or providing phone numbers that staff members can use, highlighting potential security loopholes.
- With inputs from agencies
