Parliamentary Decline in India - Shrinking Deliberation and Ri...

Parliamentary Decline in India - Shrinking Deliberation and Rising Executive Dominance

Dec. 1, 2025

Why in News?

The Winter Session of Parliament begins amid a potential deadlock over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
There are persistent concerns about legislative dysfunction, erosion of parliamentary deliberation, and the growing imbalance between the executive and the legislature.
This highlights a structural decline in productivity and oversight functions of Parliament across several Lok Sabhas.

What’s in Today’s Article?

Declining Health of Parliament:

Routine disruptions and falling productivity: According to the PRS Legislative Research’s monsoon session data (between July 21 and August 21) -
- The Lok Sabha (LS) functioned just 29% of its scheduled time and the Rajya Sabha (RS) for 34%.
- Question Hour, the institution's core mechanisms of accountability, were also badly hit (LS completing only 23% while the RS managed only 6% of its scheduled Question Hour time).
Bills passed with minimal debate:
- Regulation of Online Gaming Bill: Cleared in one day, with 6 minutes (LS) and 23 minutes (RS) of discussion.
- Merchant Shipping Bill 2024: 20 minutes (LS), 10 minutes (RS).
- Operation Sindoor: 50% of LS time spent on it alone.

Institutional Concerns Raised:

Warnings from constitutional experts:
- P.D. T. Achary: Declining deliberation undermines the “very purpose of Parliament”. Passage of Bills without debate is a “mockery of legislative business” under Article 107. He advocates dialogue between the PM and Leader of Opposition.
Views from MPs:
- Manish Tewari (Congress): Parliament became a rubber-stamp Standing Committees becoming redundant. Presiding officers’ neutrality diminishing.
- Syed Naseer Husain (Congress): The government holds primary responsibility for enabling debate. Opposition protests when discussions are denied.
Government’s position: Opposition blamed for disruptions, driven by “failed leaders”.

What the Numbers Indicate?

Short-term variability:
- Exceptionally high productivity in Budget Sessions 2023 and 2024 (111% LS, 112% RS).
- Sharp drop again in Winter Session 2024 (52% LS, 39% RS).
Long-term structural decline - 17th Lok Sabha (2019–2024):
- The Lok Sabha functioned for 88% of its scheduled time and the Rajya Sabha 73%.
- However, this came with the fewest sittings of any full-term Lok Sabha since 1952 due to Covid-19 (met only 33 days in 2020).
- 11 of its 15 sessions were adjourned early, and it became the first Lok Sabha without a Deputy Speaker (absent even in the 18th LS).
Historical decline in sittings:
- 1952–1970: 121 days/year (1st LS - 135 days/year)
- Since 2000: 68 days/year
- 17th Lok Sabha: 55 days/year
Committee scrutiny weakened: Bills referred to committees - Over 60% in the 14th and 15th LS, around 20% in the 16th and 17th LS.
Cross-government trend:
- Decline is not limited to one party or era.
- Example: 15th Lok Sabha (UPA-2) performed poorly (61% LS; 66% RS). The 13th and 14th Lok Sabha performed significantly better (91% and 87%).

Deeper Causes of Institutional Erosion:

Anti-Defection Law:
- From stability to suppression: Intended to curb defections, the law now erodes independence of MPs. MPs function as subjects of party whip, not representatives of people.
- It affects power of the purse (the foundational principle that no tax can be levied), impeachment of a president or a judge (when members are expected to act as jurors, weighing evidence with impartiality), and legislative autonomy.
Executive dominance over legislature: Parliament becoming an approval body rather than a deliberative body. Opposition’s notices, adjournment motions often dismissed; question hour and zero hour frequently disrupted; committees weakened, reducing expert scrutiny.
Erosion of constitutional offices’ neutrality: Presiding officers perceived as partisan. Constitutional conventions not upheld resulting in institutional imbalance.

Comparative Perspective - Westminster Model vs India:

Historical roots:
- Oxford Parliament of 1258: Established executive accountability to the legislature.
- UK and Commonwealth nations:
  - PM’s Questions ensure that the head of government is held to account on a direct, weekly and public basis.
  - Strong committee oversight.
  - Mandatory testimony by executive officials.
India’s divergence:
- Reversal of the Westminster model’s spirit.
- Decline in oversight, lack of routine accountability from executives.

Challenges and Way Forward:

Breakdown in government–Opposition communication: Dialogue mechanisms between PM, LoP, and House leaders.
Declining sittings and productivity: Mandatory minimum sittings (e.g., 120 days/year) to prevent rushed legislation without debate.
Weakening of Standing Committees: Make committee referral mandatory for all major Bills. Enhance transparency and expert consultation.
Absence of Deputy Speaker (Constitutional requirement under Article 93): Strengthen conventions on Deputy Speaker election.
Dominance of party whip due to anti-defection law: Limit whips to confidence motions and money bills. Restore legislative independence and conscience vote.
Partisanship of presiding officers: Clear norms for impartial conduct of Speaker and Chairperson.
Marginalisation of Question Hour and Zero Hour: Ensure full Question Hour and functioning of Zero Hour.
Institutional imbalance favouring the executive: Institutionalise Prime Minister’s Question Hour (weekly). Require executive testimony before committees.

Conclusion:

The decline of parliamentary functioning in India is not a partisan or episodic problem but a structural erosion decades in the making. This has hollowed out the legislature’s constitutional role as the grand inquest of the nation.
Reforms are essential to revive the institutional spirit envisioned by the Constitution, without which, India risks reducing Parliament to a symbolic edifice—standing tall, but silent in its duty to hold power accountable to the people.