Day 11 – Q 2.Many bills are passed without debates and deliberations by the Parliament. Is it a good sign for a mature democracy?
2. Many bills are passed without debates and deliberations by the Parliament. Is it a good sign for a mature democracy? Examine.
कई बिल संसद द्वारा बहस और विचार-विमर्श के बिना पारित किए जाते हैं। क्या यह परिपक्व लोकतंत्र के लिए एक अच्छा संकेत है? जांच करें।
Synopsis:
Parliament is called the temple of democracy and a microcosm of India. Holding of Parliamentary debates in a regular manner is vital for the representative democracy. The Constitution provides for the legislature to make laws, the government to implement laws, and the courts to interpret and enforce these laws. While the judiciary is independent from the other two branches, the government is formed with the support of a majority of members in the legislature.
Therefore, the government is collectively responsible to Parliament for its actions. This implies that Parliament can hold the government accountable for its decisions, and scrutinise its functioning. This may be done using various methods including, during debates on Bills or issues on the floor of Parliament, by posing questions to ministers during Question Hour, and in parliamentary committees.
Need for debate and deliberations by the parliament:
- Parliament is a place where the voice of common man can be heard by the respective MPs. Parliament plays a very key role in formulation the Acts which are needed for the welfare of the country.
- The bills can be formed into acts only by the process of discussions and debates.
- These debates and discussions provide pros and cons of the bill and it results into a very balanced acts.
- But from last few years the trend of parliament debates had declined mainly by disrupting the business of the houses, by opposition parties.
- According to the PRS study it was parliament use to meet 130 days on an average and it has come down to average of 70 days in recent times, which is a great concern for the vibrant democracy.
- The main agenda of disruptions are to counter the govt regarding their functioning and side-tracking them with other less important issues.
The continuous disruption not only drains the country but also delays the legislative activity. Maintenance of discipline and decorum is the pre requisite of the smooth functioning of the democracy. In the recent times whatever happening in the parliament is unfortunate and parliamentarians needs to understand the demand of the people, and bills need to be discussed and debated for the refinement of the powers and laws, and they need to show the maturity in handling situations and people are watching them.
Conclusion:
To improve government accountability in Parliament, the opposition in some countries such as the UK, Canada, and Australia forms a shadow cabinet. Under such a system, opposition MPs track a certain portfolio, scrutinise its performance and suggest alternate programs. This allows for detailed tracking and scrutiny of ministries, and assists MPs in making constructive suggestions. Some of these countries also provide for days when the opposition parties decide the agenda for Parliament, as a largest democracy of world India needs to show the world its maturity in the political arena as well.
Best Answer: P29
