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250 Words15 Marks
Q.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.
UPSC Mains 2019•Polity
Model Answer
View this Question In PYQ RealmSyllabus Point
- Parliament and State Legislatures—Structure, Functioning, Conduct of Business, Powers & Privileges and Issues Arising out of these.
Approach
- Introduction (Definition) (30-40 words): Introduce the role of individual MPs as lawmakers and highlight the statistical decline in their active legislative contributions.
- Body (Explanation) (80-90 words):
- Discuss the factors leading to the declining role of individual MPs (Anti-Defection Law, absenteeism, party dominance).
- Analyze the impact of this decline on the quality of parliamentary debates.
- Propose a way forward to empower individual legislators.
- Conclusion (20 words): Conclude by emphasizing that robust individual participation is essential for a healthy deliberative democracy.
Introduction
In a representative democracy, individual Members of Parliament (MPs) are the primary link between citizens and national law-making. However, their role has significantly declined. For instance, between 2014 and 2018, out of approximately 900 Private Member Bills introduced, less than 2% were even taken up for discussion.
Body
Factors Contributing to the Decline of Individual Parliamentarians
- Anti-Defection Law and the Whip System: The Tenth Schedule (enacted in 1985) penalizes voting against party lines. This rigid party discipline forces MPs to follow the party whip blindly, suppressing independent viewpoints and conscience-based voting.
- Absenteeism: Rising absenteeism indicates a growing indifference among politicians toward complex legislative debates, with many prioritizing constituency politics over active law-making.
- Dominance of the Ruling Majority: Strong majorities allow the executive to push bills through Parliament with minimal deliberation, reducing the legislative process to a mere formality.
- Frequent Disruptions and Logjams: Political polarization, walkouts, and protests often lead to sessions being adjourned, leaving little time for meaningful debate on bills.
- Politicization of the Speaker's Office: A perceived lack of neutrality in the Speaker's office has led to frequent trust deficits, causing disruptions instead of structured debates.
- Sensationalism and Media Gallery Play: The live telecast of proceedings has sometimes incentivized grandstanding and sensationalism over substantive legislative analysis.
Impact on the Quality of Debates and Outcomes
- Poor Legislative Quality: Laws are often passed without thorough scrutiny, leading to ambiguities and subsequent legal challenges in courts.
- Neglect of Diverse Issues: Important regional and niche issues raised through Private Member Bills are routinely ignored due to lack of parliamentary time.
Way Forward
- Reforming the Anti-Defection Law: The law should be restricted only to critical votes like No-Confidence Motions, allowing MPs free votes on general legislation (similar to the UK Parliament).
- Enhancing Institutional Support: Providing MPs with dedicated research staff and policy experts would improve their capacity to draft and analyze bills.
- Judicious Time Management: Parliament must allocate dedicated, uninterrupted hours for Private Member Bills and ensure higher attendance.
Conclusion
A true parliamentary system thrives on debate and deliberation. Empowering individual MPs to speak and vote freely is vital to restoring the legislative depth and credibility of India's Parliament.
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