Syllabus: Parliament and State legislatures — structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.
Context
- The 2025 Winter Session began amid protests on electoral roll revision and a shortened calendar.
- Both Houses faced immediate disruptions, continuing a persistent pattern of stalled functioning.
Parliament: Role and Constitutional Basis
- Parliament is India’s supreme legislative body, comprising the President, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha (Article 79).
- It performs lawmaking, budget approval, executive oversight, and representation of public concerns.
- Key provisions: Articles 79–122 on composition, powers, privileges, and procedures.
- Article 80 defines Rajya Sabha, Article 81 defines Lok Sabha, while Article 107 requires agreement of both Houses to pass Bills.
- Article 118 permits each House to frame rules of procedure, and Articles 120–121 govern language and debate limits.
Trends Showing Decline in Parliamentary Functioning
- Reduced sittings: Early Lok Sabhas met for 120–130 days; recent Houses sit only 55–70 days yearly.
- The 17th Lok Sabha became the shortest full-term House since 1952.
- Frequent disruptions through slogan-shouting, entering the Well, and repeated adjournments.
- Bills passed without meaningful debate, often within days of introduction.
- Many Bills were approved with less than an hour of discussion, and budget sections passed without scrutiny.
- Committee scrutiny declining, with referral rates falling from 60–70% earlier to below 30% recently.
- Question Hour curtailed due to adjournments, reducing executive accountability.
Reasons for Disruptions
- Majoritarian legislative style, with limited consultations and perception of executive dominance.
- Opposition’s strategy of agitation within the House when denied time for issues.
- Breakdown of informal conventions, earlier used for negotiation and floor coordination.
- Rising polarisation and personalised attacks reducing trust.
- Media spectacle incentivising theatrics.
- Weak rule enforcement, with presiding officers avoiding penalties without consensus.
Key Implications
- Weaker legislative scrutiny, risking errors and rights-related issues.
- Reduced executive accountability due to lost Question Hour.
- Marginalisation of smaller parties during continuous disorder.
- Erosion of public trust as Parliament appears combative rather than deliberative.
- Inability of MPs to raise constituency issues effectively.
- A cycle of tit-for-tat disruption, normalising obstruction.
Way Forward
- Adopt an all-party code of conduct with predictable penalties.
- Ensure fixed Opposition time-slots, similar to UK Opposition Days.
- Introduce mandatory minimum sittings of 100–120 days annually.
- Make committee scrutiny compulsory for complex and rights-sensitive Bills.
- Strengthen pre-legislative consultation and floor coordination to reduce mistrust.