new Delhi: The Modi government has allowed only six short-duration discussions on matters of national importance under Rule 193 of the Lok Sabha in the last three-and-a-half years – as against 33 such debates allowed during its previous term (2014-2019). – noted an analysis by the nonprofit PRS Legislative Research.
Earlier, the Manmohan Singh government had allowed 55 such discussions in its first term from 2004 to 2009 and 41 in its second (2009–2014). During 1999–2004, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government permitted 59 short duration discussions under the rule.
Rule 193 permits discussion without a formal motion being placed before the House. Hence there can be no voting after discussion under this rule.
In the recently concluded Winter Session of Parliament (December 7 to 23), three debates were held in the lower house, two of which were on the promotion of sports in India and the problem of drug abuse (under rule 193) .
PRS analysis State: “The number of short-duration discussions (under Rule 193) initiated in Parliament has declined in the last few Lok Sabhas… from 59 such discussions in the 13th Lok Sabha (Vajpayee era), to 55, 41 (Manmohan Singh’s tenure from 2004 to 2009 and 2009-2014) and 33 in the last three Lok Sabhas (2014-19) and six more in three and a half years of the current Lok Sabha (17th).
Pointing out the low level of debate in Parliament, opposition leaders have alleged that the Center is avoiding discussions on issues facing the country such as price rise and unemployment, and is using both houses only to pass bills. Is.
One such leader told ThePrint, “Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there has been a trend of declining debates.”
Hibi Eden, Congress Lok Sabha MP from Kerala, told ThePrint: “The government did not have a proper agenda in this winter session, which was cut short for this reason.” This session of Parliament was adjourned four days earlier, sitting for only 13 days.
Many pointed to the government’s reluctance to discuss the India-China border row following military clashes between the two in Arunachal Pradesh earlier this month, despite demands from opposition parties for the same.
TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien Tweeted: “Every single notice given by the opposition to discuss an urgent national issue (under Rule 267) in the Rajya Sabha has been rejected outright in the last six years.”
Rule 267 of Rajya Sabha allows adjournment of the day’s business to discuss any important issue suggested by a member.
In this winter session, the Rajya Sabha discussed the topic of global warming, but both the houses did not discuss the border dispute despite a walkout by the opposition parties.
Following Defense Minister Rajnath Singh’s December 13 statement in Parliament on the skirmish between Indian and Chinese troops, the opposition sought more clarification on the subject, but Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Singh dismissed the questions, who said it was a It was a sensitive issue.
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‘Democracy is weakening’
The last time the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for discussion under Rule 267 was in 2016, when the matter of demonetisation was taken up.
Speaking to ThePrint, John Brittas, another opposition leader of the CPI(M), said: “The government has put Rule 267 on the backburner because it wants to send a message that all is well and unemployment, inflation are on the backburner. There is no thing and limit conflict.
“The government is not interested in debating matters in Parliament as it would expose their shortcomings. It will go against the narrative they want to create,” Brittas said.
Rajya Sabha Publications, Rajya Sabha at work, It states that Shankar Dayal Sharma, as Speaker of the Upper House, allowed four discussions under Rule 267 between 1990 and 1992, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat invoked the rule three times a year in 2004, and since 2013 As of 2016, Hamid Ansari had permitted four discussions under the rule.
Professor Jagdeep Chhokar, Founding Member and Trustee of The Association of Democratic Reforms said: “This has become the new normal as the government seeks to avoid parliamentary scrutiny of bills. Even the number of sittings (of the House), which used to be 100 days earlier, has come down to 60 now. Bills are passed in a single session without scrutiny, quality of law making suffers and democracy is weakening by the day.
less scrutiny of bills
PRS Legislative Research analysis highlights another fact – fewer bills are being sent to committees for scrutiny.
In the current Lok Sabha, only 23 per cent of the bills introduced were sent to committees for scrutiny, which is lower than in the previous three Lok Sabhas, it said, adding that in the 14th Lok Sabha 60 per cent of the bills were sent. A Standing Committee, 71 per cent in the 15th Lok Sabha and 27 per cent in the 16th Lok Sabha.
It further states that out of 130 Bills passed in the 17th Lok Sabha, 94 were introduced and passed in a single session of Parliament.
According to the analysis, the number of days for which Parliament sits has also decreased over the past decades, while the number of bills passed without scrutiny has increased.
“For the last eight consecutive sessions, Parliament has been adjourned prematurely. In this Lok Sabha, 36 planned sitting days have been wasted due to premature adjournments,” the analysis notes.
Congress MP Eden said: “It has become a trend to reduce the number of (parliamentary) sittings. The Center is avoiding the debate so that people are not aware of the important issues.
(Editing by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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