[Answered] Allowing MPs to take initiative is one of the features of parliamentary democracies. Discuss the issues faced by MPs in India in initiating reforms on their own and suggest some measures for their empowerment.

India has managed to maintain and strengthen its democratic traditions. However, the Indian Parliament, which is expected to reflect and give shape to the aspirations of a billion people, has been under some strain in recent years. The normalization of disruption and the steamrolling of legislation in the monsoon session are warning signs that parliamentary functioning needs an urgent overhaul.

Issues:

• Beyond Parliament, for most MPs in India, the ability to drive change in their constituencies is limited.
• MPs rarely get access to any legislation prior to it being tabled. They simply look to press the button highlighted by the whip. Moreover, only 12% of the government’s legal proposals have been sent to committees for scrutiny in the current Lok Sabha.
• The average MP in India represents over 25 lakh citizens — larger than the population of many countries like Bhutan. With this, they are unlikely to have significant speaking time, alone space to influence debates or take initiative.
• MPs are not able to get written answers from the government on various issues as Question Hour being barely operational, ministers neither had to orally answer questions nor face pointed follow-ups on the work done by them.
• The reduced number of sitting days, results in a number of challenges for them in managing expectations and raising issues.

Measures:

• Parliament can change its rules to give MPs more teeth in questioning the government and empower its committees to become critical stakeholders in the law-making process.
• The Department Related Standing Committees (DRSCs) should be reviewed periodically, with all bills referred to them because such committees would have the power to elicit public views and reports of such committees would ideally be read and debated in Parliament.
• Govt should set up mechanisms to enable private member bills also, to gain a hearing and even to be put to vote.
• More debating time: Deliberation on legislation is a design feature of parliamentary democracy as it improves the quality of legislation while enabling consensus.
• Adequate Funding: To revive deliberation, the government should raise funding for parliamentary research.

Our Parliament must reflect the changing aspirations and ambitions of the new India. Parliamentary democracy should ensure government accountability and allow MPs to take initiative as this will increase the stake that MPs have in the effective functioning of the institution, and disincentivize them from disrupting it.