Individual parliamentarians’ role as national lawmakers is on the decline, which in turn, has adversely impacted the quality of debates and their outcomes.

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Democracy is based on the principle of representation. The role of an elected representative is to represent the needs and grievances of the people of their constituency in particular and the nation in general.

However, in recent times, this role has been affected and is consistently declining for various reasons

  • Anti-defection Law which puts restrictions on the right of free speech of the legislators wherein they are expected to mandatorily follow party directions.
  • Strengthening the office of Whip led to a decline in the role of individual representatives.
  • The overall decline in the quality of representatives due to the Criminalization of politics and the increase in money power.
  • The decline in parliamentary sitting which has reduced from 120 days/year to 65-70 days/year
  • The unhindered rise in competitive electoral politics also led to the politicization of every issue thereby affecting objective deliberations

The decline in the quality of functioning has certainly impacted the outcome of parliamentary democracy in various ways:

  • Passage of bills and budgets without due diligence and debate. For example, the time spent on discussing the Budget has reduced from an average of 123 hours in the 1950s to 39 hours in the last decade.
  • Lack of accountability of the government. In the 16th Lok Sabha, question hour has functioned in Lok Sabha for 77% of the scheduled time, while in Rajya Sabha it has functioned for 47%. Time lost indicates a lost opportunity to hold the government accountable for its actions
  • The number and quality of private member’s bill has also drastically declined
  • It has resulted in High costs to the public exchequer in the form of wasting taxpayer money
  • It has led to delays in policymaking, leading to the rise of unconstitutional bodies to fill the legislative gap
  • There is declining faith in the Democratic process
  • It has resulted in increased Judicial Intervention
  • The tendency of increased recourse to guillotine motion to pass the bills without discussing important provisions Passage of bills without referring to parliamentary standing committees

Measures to improve the quality of the role played by elected representatives

  • Parliament (Enhancement of Productivity) Bill, 2017 should be taken up which seeks to fix the minimum number of days at 100 days for Rajya Sabha. This was recommended by the national commission for review of the working of the constitution too.
  • Rules can be altered to provide a greater role for opposition in deciding the agenda of the house
  • Stricter Rules of Procedure and conduct of business to deal with the unruly behavior
  • Reviewing the Anti-Defection Law and confining it to major issues like no-confidence motions and budget as recommended by the Dinesh Goswami committee.
  • Involvement of opposition in deciding the agenda of the house and greater time for them in discussions on the floor of the house.
  • Electoral reforms to reduce the entry of people with criminal backgrounds into politics

Conclusion

Hence, there is a need to implement the above constructive suggestions, to increase the role of Parliamentarians and make the Government more accountable

Summary

Above we discuss the declining role of elected representatives in democracy due to various factors such as the Anti-defection Law, strengthening of the office of Whip, criminalization of politics, decrease in parliamentary sittings, and politicization of every issue. This decline has led to a lack of accountability of the government, delays in policymaking, and a decline in the public’s faith in the democratic process. The article suggests measures such as the Parliament (Enhancement of Productivity) Bill, greater involvement of opposition in deciding the agenda of the house, stricter rules of procedure, and conduct of business, and electoral reforms to reduce the entry of people with criminal backgrounds into politics to improve the quality of the role played by elected representatives and make the government more accountable.

MCQ

Which of the following is not a reason for the declining role of elected representatives in democracy?

a) Anti-defection law
b) Strengthening the office of Whip
c) Increase in parliamentary sittings
d) Criminalization of politics
Answer: c) Increase in parliamentary sittings

What is the impact of the decline in the role of elected representatives on policymaking?

a) Passage of bills and budgets with due diligence and debate
b) Decrease in the number and quality of private member’s bill
c) Increased accountability of the government
d) Reduction in the cost to the public exchequer
Answer: b) Decrease in the number and quality of private member’s bill

What is the purpose of the Parliament (Enhancement of Productivity) Bill, 2017?

a) To decrease the number of parliamentary sittings
b) To fix the minimum number of days at 100 days for Rajya Sabha
c) To increase the power of the ruling party in deciding the agenda of the house
d) To limit the involvement of opposition in discussions on the floor of the house
Answer: b) To fix the minimum number of days at 100 days for the Rajya Sabha

What is the recommended approach to dealing with the Anti-defection Law?

a) Strengthening it to limit the role of individual representatives
b) Reviewing it and confining it to major issues like no-confidence motions and budget
c) Removing it entirely to promote free speech among legislators
d) Allowing individual representatives to act independently of party directions
Answer: b) Reviewing it and confining it to major issues like no-confidence motions and budget

What is the suggested way to reduce the entry of people with criminal backgrounds into politics?

a) Stricter rules of procedure and conduct of business
b) Reviewing the Anti-defection Law
c) Involving opposition in deciding the agenda of the house
d) Electoral reforms
Answer: d) Electoral reforms

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