The government has extended the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament by a day amid speculations that it is planning to present a “white paper” on the economy. While the government has refused to specify the agenda, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to use the extra day to present a ‘white paper’ highlighting the country’s “poor economic condition” when the Congress-led UPA left power and how the Narendra Modi government, as per its claims, has turned it around.

What is a white paper?

A white paper at its essence is a bid to break down a complex issue into simple terms and to present the issuing body’s intent on the matter. Apart from governments, a white paper is often used by businesses and other agencies to showcase their products and promote them.

One of the earliest instances of a government presenting a white paper is of 1922, when then British Prime Minister Winston Churchill introduced one to detail his government’s policy on Palestine following the riots that broke out in the Jaffa region.

How often do governments table white papers?

The Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha contain no specific guidelines on the issue or tabling of white papers. There are also no guidelines to govern how often a government is required to present a white paper. Similarly, there are no specific guidelines on the subject on which white papers are meant to be issued. The government can choose to issue or table white papers on any subject it deems fit, at any given point of time during its tenure.

Can the Opposition demand a white paper?

The Opposition is well within its right to demand a white paper from the government on issues which it needs clarity on, as it has done often in the recent past. On Tuesday as well, Opposition MPs in the Rajya Sabha demanded that the government table a white paper on recovery of black money, an issue on which it has been very aggressive. “The Panama and Pandora Papers revealed the names of thousands of rich Indians who had parked black money in different tax havens. I demand a white paper from the government on this issue. No more empty promises, let the people know,” Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Md Nadimul Haque said during his address on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address.

In April last year, following former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satyapal Malik’s claims regarding the Pulwama attack, the Congress had demanded a white paper on the incident. In May, it demanded one on the government’s decision to withdraw Rs 2,000 currency notes as well as on the 2016 demonetisation move.

The following month, the Congress sought white papers on the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) – the unofficial boundary between India and China – following reports of frequent skirmishes between the troops of the two countries. “As a responsible Opposition, we demand that a white paper be issued on the truth of the developments that have happened on the LAC in the last three years,” Congress MP Manish Tewari said.

There have also been demands on white papers related to centrally sponsored schemes, agriculture, implementation of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, the 2013 Uttarakhand floods and the health of the banking sector, at various times during the NDA government’s 10-year tenure.

Has the Modi government issued white papers?

Despite the frequent demands from the Opposition, the NDA government under Modi has tabled only two white papers so far – on the Railways in August 2014 which detailed its dynamic revenue earning model, freight and fare rationalisation, and capacity augmentation.

Do state Assemblies also see white papers?

White papers can be demanded and tabled in state Assemblies too. Most recently, the A Revanth Reddy-led Telangana government issued a white paper on the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government’s finances and claimed that the state’s debt had increased from Rs 72,600 crore to over Rs 6 lakh crore.

In July last year, the Opposition BJP in Chhattisgarh demanded a white paper on the state government’s paddy procurement from farmers.

In November 2023, the BJP demanded a white paper on the state’s finances from the Congress-led Karnataka government.

In Maharashtra, there was a demand for a white paper on castes falling under the OBC category, while in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress demanded one on the investments the state was getting.