[Answered] A strong and constructive Opposition is essential for a healthy democracy. However, frequent disruptions in parliamentary proceedings have weakened meaningful debates in India. Discuss the challenges in ensuring constructive engagement between the Government and the Opposition and suggest measures to improve parliamentary functioning.

A healthy democracy relies on constructive engagement between the Government and the Opposition. However, in India, the increasing polarization in parliamentary debates, frequent disruptions, and the dominance of rhetoric over substantive discussions have weakened the quality of legislative deliberations.

Challenges

• Prioritization of Rhetoric Over Policy Discourse: A lack of substantive policy discussions limits meaningful engagement between the Government and the Opposition.
• Lack of Bipartisan Consensus on Key National Issues: Critical topics like foreign policy and technological advancements, which require broad-based national consensus, are often treated as partisan matters.
• Frequent Disruptions and Diminishing Parliamentary Debate: Political hostility leads to disruptions rather than debates, reducing the effectiveness of parliamentary discussions.
• Adversarial Politics and Accountability Deficit: The government’s legislative agenda and its reluctance to engage meaningfully with the Opposition indicate a lack of willingness to be accountable.
• Erosion of Consensus-Building Mechanisms: Parliamentary proceedings should facilitate dialogue and policy refinement, but increasing partisanship has eroded these mechanisms. There is minimal effort to create pre-legislative consultations or bipartisan discussions on crucial policies.

Measures to Improve Parliamentary Functioning

• Restoring Focus on Policy Over Political Rhetoric: Parliamentary debates should prioritize governance challenges rather than historical blame games or electioneering.
• Institutionalizing Structured Government-Opposition Dialogue: Regular structured interactions between the ruling party and the Opposition can help preempt conflicts and foster issue-based discussions. Mechanisms like bipartisan parliamentary committees should be strengthened to ensure policy debates remain productive.
• Ensuring Greater Parliamentary Accountability: The Prime Minister and key ministers should regularly engage in discussions on pressing national concerns, providing clarity on government actions. Reviving platforms like the Question Hour and structured policy debates can ensure accountability.
• Promoting Bipartisanship on National and Technological Issues: Foreign policy, AI development, and economic transformation should be treated as bipartisan issues requiring long-term consensus rather than political divisions.
• Strengthening Parliamentary Norms and Ethics: Parliamentary disruptions should be minimized through stronger norms and ethical guidelines for debates. The role of the Speaker and parliamentary committees in maintaining decorum and ensuring fair participation must be enhanced.

Conclusion

Constructive engagement between the Government and the Opposition is essential for effective governance. The government, as the primary governing entity, bears the responsibility to lead consensus-building efforts, ensuring that parliamentary debates focus on addressing India’s challenges rather than reinforcing political divides.