Winter Is Behind

Context:

• The editorial reviews the Winter Session of Parliament, highlighting its legislative output, disruptions, missed opportunities for democratic debate, and concerns over the shrinking space for parliamentary scrutiny.
• While several Bills were passed, the session was marked by limited deliberation, frequent adjournments, and constrained opposition participation.

Key Highlights:

Legislative Business of the Session

• Introduction of 18 Bills and passage of 8 Bills.
• Notable legislations passed:
  • Telecommunications Bill
  • Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak (Civil Aviation Bill)
  • Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill
• Repeal and amendment of obsolete colonial-era laws.
• Focus on rationalisation and consolidation rather than expansive reforms.

Language and Inclusivity in Law-making

• Shift towards introducing Bills in Hindi, with English translations made available later.
• Raises concerns regarding:
  • Accessibility for non-Hindi-speaking Members of Parliament.
  • Spirit of linguistic federalism under the Constitution.

Key Bills with Wider Socio-economic Impact

• Telecommunications Bill:
  • Potential implications for surveillance, civil liberties, and press freedom.
• Insurance Amendment Bill:
  • Allows higher FDI in insurance, impacting the sector’s structure.
• Post Office Bill:
  • Raises issues related to state control and citizen privacy.
• Railway Safety Bill:
  • Passed with limited debate despite safety implications.

Parliamentary Functioning Concerns

• Low number of sitting hours and reduced Question Hour usage.
• Opposition disruptions met with adjournments instead of debate.
• Important issues like electoral reforms, health crisis, and unemployment not adequately discussed.
• Rajya Sabha saw comparatively better participation than Lok Sabha.

Democratic and Institutional Issues

• Over-reliance on executive-driven legislation.
• Weakening of Parliament’s role as a deliberative and accountability forum.
• Missed opportunity for consensus-building and constructive engagement.

Positive Developments

• All-party resolution commemorating Mahatma Gandhi’s Satyagraha.
• Acknowledgement of the need for structured government–opposition coordination through informal consultations.

Relevant Prelims Points:

• Issue: Declining quality of parliamentary deliberation.
• Causes:
  • Executive dominance
  • Frequent disruptions
  • Limited sitting days
• Government Initiatives:
  • Legislative consolidation
  • Repeal of obsolete laws
• Benefits:
  • Streamlining statute books
• Challenges:
  • Reduced scrutiny
  • Language barriers
• Impact:
  • Weakening of representative democracy

Relevant Mains Points:

• Facts & Provisions:
  • Parliament as per Articles 79–122 of the Constitution.
  • Importance of Question Hour, Zero Hour, and Committees.
• Keywords & Concepts:
  • Parliamentary sovereignty
  • Executive accountability
  • Deliberative democracy
• Way Forward:
  • Increase number of sittings.
  • Restore primacy of Question Hour.
  • Strengthen Parliamentary Committees.
  • Ensure linguistic inclusivity in legislative drafting.
  • Encourage consensus-based law-making.

UPSC Relevance

• GS II: Parliament, governance, accountability mechanisms.
• GS IV: Democratic ethics, transparency, institutional integrity.
• GS I: Political processes and democratic institutions.