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Individual Parliamentarian’s role as the national law maker is on a decline, which in turn, has adversely impacted the quality of debates and their outcome. Discuss.

Parliament is the temple of Democracy where elected representatives arrive at decisions regarding governance after debates & deliberations. It is considered as the highest platform for holding the executive accountable for their actions. However, in the recent decade, the role of Individual parliamentarian is in decline, attributed to various factors like: 1. Criminalization of politics: ADR reports that 43% of the MPs in the 2014 Lok Sabha faced criminal charges, as compared with 30% in 2009 and 24% in 2004. 2. Anti-defection law : The rigidity of party discipline has tied down party members to follow the dictates of party bosses once elected to the Legislature. 3. Absenteeism : Nearly 40% of the parliamentarians who are members of eight department-related standing committees did not attend even a single meeting on demand for grants for various ministries in 2019-2020. 4. Shifting to Ordinance Route : There has also been a shift to law-making by ordinance, which completely by...

Rajya Sabha has been transformed from a ‘useless stepney tyre’ to the most useful supporting organ in the past few decades. Highlight the factors as well as the areas in which this transformation could be visible.

Dr S. Radhakrishnan in the constituent assembly termed Rajya Sabha as legislative and deliberative house which keeps a check on hasty legislation and enriches debates. However, this second house has been termed as Secondary house and considered as clog in the wheel of progress, which is not correct looking into transformation in its working. Factors for transformation Rajya Sabha: ● Increase in specialists : This has given better insights into new bills taken up in the house. E.g.: Kapil Sibal (Law), Jairam Ramesh (Environment). ● Majority for opposition : This had allowed the opposition to unite and demand for detailed discussion before accepting new bills. ● Different features of Rajya Sabha : Unlike the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha is not subject to dissolution but one-third of its members retire after every second year. This ensures continuity and also brings about a fusion of new and old in the House which is customarily described as a House of Elders. This type of arrangement is de...

‘Once a Speaker, always a Speaker!’ Do you think this practice should be adopted to impart objectivity to the office of the Speaker of Lok Sabha? What could be its implications for the robust functioning of parliamentary business in India?

Speaker represents the full authority of the house and is solely responsible for parliamentary proceedings. This itself represents the neutrality /independence of the Speaker to impart objectivity in Lok Sabha. The reasons for following the Practice of Once a Speaker, always a Speaker. In recent times the office of speaker is criticised because: 1. Labelling the ordinary bills as money bills (e.g.: Aadhar Act). 2. The Speaker has been accused of not permitting the session of Lok Sabha to be conducted virtually. 3. The absoluteness of the Speaker’s decisions in the Defection case is an incentive for potential abuse. 4. In 16th Lok Sabha, Speaker invoked the Rules 193 to suspend members of the Main Opposition party for five days, however when the ruling party prevented any transaction of business in the second half of the session, Speaker merely adjourned the house on a daily basis. 5. Increased disruptions : Frequent disruptions reduce the time required for important discussions an...

To what extent, in your view, the parliament is able to ensure accountability of the executive in India?

Article 75 of the constitution calls for the Council of Ministers to be collectively responsible to the House of the People (Lok Sabha). This ensures that the executive is responsible to the Parliament for its policies and acts through different instruments like Question hour, Zero Hour, No Confidence Motion etc. Effectiveness of these instruments: ● Parliament has the unlimited power to call for information, to discuss, to scrutinize and to put the seal of approval on the proposals made by the Executive. Defence Minister has been questioned in Parliament to answer during Chinese aggression in Galwan valley. ● The Executive (i.e., the political Executive the Council of Ministers) remains responsible and the administration accountable to Parliament. It is the function of Parliament to exercise political and financial control over the Executive and to ensure parliamentary surveillance of administration. ● Significant occasions of accountability are also provided by the discussions on the...

26 July 2022: IMPORTANT News for CSE

Current Affairs Important Newspaper Highlights for UPSC Civil Services Examination. 26 July 2022 The HINDU 🟠FRONT PAGE : Droupadi Murmu is President of India (Page 1) 🟢FRONT PAGE : Myanmar executes political prisoners (Page 1) 🟠 STATE: Ravi Varma’s kin seek Bharat Ratna for him (Page 5) 🟢EDITORIAL: A global order caught up in a swirl of chaos (Page 6) 🟠 EDITORIAL : Reform bail law, but make the right diagnosis first (Page 6) 🟢OPED : Backsliding on climate action (Page 7) 🟠TEXT & CONTEXT : The private sector boost in India’s space industry (Page 8) 🟢TEXT & CONTEXT : The latest guidelines on arrests and bail orders (Page 8) 🟠NEWS : SC Collegium recommends 35 names for judges in six HCs (Page 10) 🟢 BUSINESS : EAC member backs RBI’s use of forex reserves to sta...

Explain the constitutional provisions under which Legislative Councils are established. Review the working and current status of Legislative Councils with suitable illustrations.

India has a bicameral system of legislature. Just as Parliament has two Houses, the states can also have a Legislative Council in addition to the Legislative Assembly through Article 169 of the Constitution. Article 169 (Creation and Abolition): • The Parliament can abolish a Legislative Council (where it already exists) or create it (where it does not exist) by a simple majority, that is, a majority of the members of each House present and voting, if the legislative assembly of the concerned state, by a special majority, passes a resolution to that effect. • Currently 6 states have legislative councils. Review of its working: • Check against Hasty Legislation: It scrutinises the bill passed by legislative assembly. • Prevent autocracy: It puts a check on autocratic tendencies of the lower chambers. • Accommodation of Talent: The legislative councils accommodate learned and experienced personalities not only through the nominated quota but also through the quota reserved for teachers a...

Do Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees keep the administration on its toes and inspire reverence for parliamentary control? Evaluate the working of such committees with suitable examples.

Parliamentary Committee means a committee which is appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker and which works under the direction of the Speaker and presents its report to the House or to the Speaker and the Secretariat for which is provided by the Lok Sabha Secretariat. Inspiring Reverence: • Acting as Mini Parliament : Emphasis on long-term plans, policies guiding the working of the Executive, these Committees are providing necessary direction, guidance and inputs for broad policy formulations and in achievement of the long-term national perspective by the Executive. • Instruments of Detailed scrutiny : E.g.: Committee on Health and Family welfare studies surrogacy Regulation Bill. • Strengthening the Laws : Consumer Protection act has been amended in 2019 after the Committee signalled for change. • Inter-Ministerial Coordination : Closed door meeting where members are not bound by Populist Demands. • Members are not bound by whips. Issues : • Decline in...