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  • Dec 10, 2022
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Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has a wish list for Parliament’s Winter Session: Prime Minister should listen to the Opposition

Mains GS Paper II: Parliament-Structure, organization, functioning and conduct of business etc.

Parliament:

  • The most significant representation of Indian democracy is the parliament.
  • To call the House and MPs to attend to legislative and other work, utilise the following procedures:
    • debates, discussions, committee exemptions, and other mechanisms
  • Through their elected representatives, the people can participate in decision-making and keep the government accountable thanks to the parliament.

Parliamentary Committee:

  • A Parliamentary Committee is a body of MPs that is chosen, appointed, or proposed by the Speaker or Chair of the House.
  • The Speaker serves as the committee’s chairman, and it reports its findings to him or to the House.
  • The idea of a parliamentary committee originally appeared in the British Parliament.
  • They base their legal position on Articles 105 and 118.
  • The privileges of MPs are covered by Article 105.
  • Article 118 gives the Parliament the authority to create regulations governing its operations.

Two types of Parliamentary Committees:

  • Standing Committees
  • Ad Hoc Committees

The Standing Committees:

  • They are permanent (constituted every year or periodically) and work on a continuous basis.
  • Example: Financial Committees, Departmental Standing Committees, Committees to Enquire etc

Ad Hoc Committees:

  • They are transient and vanish once the duty they were given is finished.
  • The primary Ad hoc Committees are the Select and Joint Committees on Bills.

Current Parliamentary issues:

  • There are currently a lot fewer bills that are sent to committees.
  • About 27% of bills in this government’s first term (2014–19) were referred to committees.
  • Less than 10% of the bills introduced in the 17th Lok Sabha have been referred to committees (compared to 71 percent in the 15th Lok Sabha).
  • less opportunities for opposition speakers to address the public.

Current economic problems in the country:

  • The World Bank (in October 2022) estimated: India will grow at 5(six point five)percent in the current fiscal year (FY 22-23)
    • which is a downward revision by one percentage point since June.
  • Inflation soaring above the 6 percent target
  • Interest rates are rising
  • Macroeconomic policies are becoming restrictive
  • Rupee is plunging to all-time lows against the US dollar.
  • According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE): India’s unemployment rate was at 3(eight point three)percent in August 2022.

Other issues:

  • ED, CBI or Election Commission: They are facing ideological subversion and destruction.
  • According to the most recent UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report, India’s human rights situation has significantly deteriorated since 2017.
  • Adivasi and Dalit communities, which have historically been marginalised, are not given fair justice or protection.
  • India ranks last among 180 nations on the Environment Performance Index (EPI).
  • emissions of greenhouse gases are quickly rising as the air quality is deteriorating.
    • The 10 most polluted cities in the world are all located in India, according to the 2021 World Air Quality Report.

Way Forward

  • Discuss the current challenges: It is high time for Parliament to discuss the advancing challenge and for the government to open the floor for the same.
  • UPR mechanism:According to the Indian government, being the largest democracy in the world, “India firmly supports the UPR as a crucial tool.”
    • The highest standards of human rights are upheld by India..
  • Amrit Mahotsav: It cannot be celebrated by disrespecting Parliament, curtailing the independence of institutions, suffocating free expression, restricting the space to the political leaders,
  • Allow committees to be formed: The majority of these committees are controlled by the government, and the majority vote is always used to reach a resolution, so governments and the opposition party shouldn’t be frightened of them.
  • Fostering the trust of parliamentarians: The utility and relevance of the committee system are of utmost importance to both the ruling party and the opposition parties.

 

QUESTION FOR MAINS

  1. To what extent, in your view, the Parliament is able to ensure accountability of the executive in India?(UPSC 2021) (200 WORDS, 10 MARKS)