Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh on Sunday, 26 July cautioned newly-elected members of the Upper House against cyber-attacks and unauthorised access to their official digital devices, asserting that login credentials are assets of the House and that every member bears personal responsibility for their security.

Key Developments at 'Prarambh' Workshop

The warning came during the valedictory address at 'Prarambh', a two-day orientation workshop organised for newly elected and nominated Rajya Sabha members in New Delhi. Harivansh noted that technology experts had already briefed participants on digital security in Parliament and on emerging technologies in governance — underscoring how central cybersecurity has become to legislative functioning.

He stressed that Parliament can lead the nation through the technological revolution only when members themselves are well-versed in technology. Large-scale digitisation, he said, has made the House increasingly paperless and efficient, with all members now issued official digital devices.

What Harivansh Said on Digital Security

Harivansh described login credentials as 'assets of the House' — a pointed framing that elevates individual password hygiene to an institutional obligation. He underlined that protecting these devices from cyber-attacks and unauthorised access is not a personal matter but a collective responsibility of the membership.

This comes amid a broader national conversation around cybersecurity in public institutions, with government ministries and Parliament's own Secretariat ramping up digital infrastructure in recent years. Notably, Parliament has been progressively digitising its records, committee proceedings, and member communications — making the security of those endpoints increasingly critical.

Learning Beyond the Orientation Programme

Beyond digital security, Harivansh encouraged new members to treat the orientation as the beginning of a continuous learning journey rather than a one-time induction. He urged them to study past parliamentary procedures, revisit landmark debates, and watch recordings of distinguished parliamentarians including Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Arun Jaitley, and Chandrashekhar.

He also recommended that members observe parliamentary traditions in other countries to broaden their legislative perspective. The two-day programme, he said, had been meticulously designed across distinct sessions to familiarise members with the rules, procedures, conventions, and traditions of the House.

Structure and Impact of 'Prarambh'

Presentations by senior members and officials explained parliamentary practices through factual and real-life examples. Harivansh noted that participants had undoubtedly benefited from the experiential format, which covered the Rules of Procedure and the functioning of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat in detail.

As Parliament's digital footprint expands, the emphasis on cybersecurity awareness at the very first orientation for new members signals a shift in how the institution views digital literacy — not as a supplementary skill, but as a core parliamentary competency.