{"id":75779,"date":"2025-12-01T11:11:15","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T05:41:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=75779"},"modified":"2025-12-01T11:34:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T06:04:17","slug":"parliamentary-decline-in-india-shrinking-deliberation-and-rising-executive-dominance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/parliamentary-decline-in-india-shrinking-deliberation-and-rising-executive-dominance\/","title":{"rendered":"Parliamentary Decline in India &#8211; Shrinking Deliberation and Rising Executive Dominance"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Parliamentary Decline in India Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Winter Session<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of Parliament begins amid a potential deadlock over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are persistent concerns about <\/span><b>legislative dysfunction<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, erosion of parliamentary deliberation, and the growing imbalance between the executive and the legislature.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This highlights a <\/span><b>structural decline <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in productivity and oversight functions of Parliament across several Lok Sabhas.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Declining Health of Parliament<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Routine disruptions and falling productivity:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> According to the PRS Legislative Research\u2019s monsoon session data (between July 21 and August 21) &#8211;\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Lok Sabha (LS) functioned just 29% of its scheduled time and the Rajya Sabha (RS) for 34%.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Question Hour<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the institution&#8217;s core mechanisms of accountability, were also badly hit (LS completing only 23% while the RS managed only 6% of its scheduled Question Hour time).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Bills passed with minimal debate:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Regulation of Online Gaming Bill<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Cleared in one day, with 6 minutes (LS) and 23 minutes (RS) of discussion.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Merchant Shipping Bill 2024<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: 20 minutes (LS), 10 minutes (RS).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Operation Sindoor<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: 50% of LS time spent on it alone.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Institutional Concerns Raised<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Warnings from constitutional experts:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>P. D. T. Achary<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Declining deliberation undermines the \u201cvery purpose of Parliament\u201d. Passage of Bills without debate is a \u201cmockery of legislative business\u201d under <\/span><b>Article 107<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. He advocates dialogue between the PM and Leader of Opposition.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Views from MPs:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Manish Tewari (Congress): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parliament became a <\/span><b>rubber-stamp<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> legislature. Standing Committees becoming redundant. Presiding officers\u2019 neutrality diminishing.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Syed Naseer Husain (Congress): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government holds primary responsibility for enabling debate. Opposition protests when discussions are denied.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Government\u2019s position:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Opposition blamed for disruptions, driven by \u201cfailed leaders\u201d.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>What the Number Indicate<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Short-term variability:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exceptionally<\/span><b> high productivity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Budget Sessions 2023 and 2024 (111% LS, 112% RS).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sharp drop again in Winter Session 2024 (52% LS, 39% RS).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Long-term structural decline &#8211; 17th Lok Sabha (2019\u20132024):<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Lok Sabha functioned for 88% of its scheduled time and the Rajya Sabha 73%.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, this came with the fewest sittings of any full-term Lok Sabha since 1952 due to Covid-19 (met only 33 days in 2020).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">11 of its 15 sessions were adjourned early, and it became the first Lok Sabha without a <\/span><b>Deputy Speaker <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(absent even in the 18th LS).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Historical decline in sittings:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1952\u20131970: 121 days\/year (1st LS &#8211; 135 days\/year)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since 2000: 68 days\/year<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">17th Lok Sabha: 55 days\/year<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Committee scrutiny weakened: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bills referred to committees &#8211; Over 60% in the 14th and 15th LS, around 20% in the 16th and 17th LS.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Cross-government trend:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Decline is not limited to one party or era.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Example<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: 15th Lok Sabha (UPA-2) performed poorly (61% LS; 66% RS). The 13th and 14th Lok Sabha performed significantly better (91% and 87%).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Deeper Causes of Institutional Erosion<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Anti-Defection Law:<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>From stability to suppression: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Intended to curb defections, the law now erodes independence of MPs. MPs function as subjects of party whip, not representatives of people.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It <\/span><b>affects <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">power of the purse (the foundational principle that no tax can be levied), impeachment of a president or a judge (when members are expected to act as jurors, weighing evidence with impartiality), and <\/span><b>legislative autonomy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Executive dominance over legislature:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Parliament becoming an <\/span><b>approval body<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> rather than a deliberative body. Opposition\u2019s notices, adjournment motions often dismissed; question hour and zero hour frequently disrupted; committees weakened, reducing expert scrutiny.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Erosion of constitutional offices\u2019 neutrality: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Presiding officers perceived as partisan. Constitutional conventions not upheld resulting in institutional imbalance.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Comparative Perspective &#8211; Westminster Model vs India<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Historical roots:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Oxford Parliament of 1258<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Established executive accountability to the legislature.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>UK and Commonwealth nations:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PM\u2019s Questions ensure that the head of government is held to account on a direct, weekly and public basis.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strong committee oversight.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mandatory testimony by executive officials.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>India\u2019s divergence:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reversal of the Westminster model\u2019s spirit.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Decline in oversight, lack of routine accountability from executives.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Challenges and Way Forward<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Breakdown in government\u2013Opposition communication<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Dialogue mechanisms between PM, LoP, and House leaders.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Declining sittings and productivity:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Mandatory minimum sittings (e.g., 120 days\/year) to prevent rushed legislation without debate.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Weakening of Standing Committees<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Make committee referral mandatory for all major Bills. Enhance transparency and expert consultation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Absence of Deputy Speaker (Constitutional requirement under Article 93)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Strengthen conventions on Deputy Speaker election.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Dominance of party whip due to anti-defection law<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Limit whips to confidence motions and money bills. Restore legislative independence and conscience vote.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Partisanship of presiding officers<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Clear norms for impartial conduct of Speaker and Chairperson.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Marginalisation of Question Hour and Zero Hour<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Ensure full Question Hour and functioning of Zero Hour.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Institutional imbalance favouring the executive<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:\u00a0 Institutionalise Prime Minister\u2019s Question Hour (weekly). Require executive testimony before committees.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The decline of parliamentary functioning in India is not a partisan or episodic problem but a <\/span><b>structural erosion<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> decades in the making. This has hollowed out the legislature\u2019s constitutional role as the grand inquest of the nation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reforms are essential to revive the <\/span><b>institutional spirit<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> envisioned by the Constitution, without which, India risks reducing Parliament to <\/span><b>a symbolic edifice<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014standing tall, but silent in its duty to hold power accountable to the people.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Source: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/political-pulse\/as-winter-session-begins-why-routine-gridlocks-may-be-eroding-parliaments-institutional-health-10395161\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><b>IE<\/b><\/a><b>\u00a0| <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/opinion\/columns\/as-parliament-reconvenes-lets-ask-why-legislature-is-in-retreat-10394940\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><b>IE<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Winter Session of Parliament begins amid a potential deadlock over the SIR of electoral rolls highlighting persistent concerns about parliamentary decline in India.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":75805,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[60,3967,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-75779","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-mains-articles","9":"tag-parliamentary-decline-in-india","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75779","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75779"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75779\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/75805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75779"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75779"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75779"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}