[Answered] In your opinion, what do you think are the causes behind increasing Parliamentary disruptions? What instruments are available to prevent such disruptions?

In a deliberative democracy, Parliament works as a special purpose vehicle for the legislative scrutiny of bills, grievance redressal and debate on policies and related governance issues. Parliamentary debates are the cornerstone of a truly vibrant democracy. It’s through such tools that a democracy ensures Parliamentary scrutiny of executive’s decisions.

Causes behind increasing Parliamentary disruptions:

• Unable to speak in the House: In such a situation, members are often tempted to make a popular intervention than a substantive one, like humour, poetry, etc.
• Scrutiny of the bills: The percentage of members attending the meetings of relevant standing committees —their duration, quality of deliberations and also the outcomes — makes one doubt the sincerity behind their demands. All this amounts to noise.
• Depleting interest of readers: The space allocated for parliamentary proceedings in both, print and electronic media is shrinking fast. Not adequate coverage of Question Hour or Zero Hour. Debates on bills are also subject to brief and sketchy reporting.
• To get the media limelight: These disruptors continue to get reported as against those who make a reasonably good speech, supported by statistics, examples or case studies.

Available instruments to prevent such disruptions:

• One way of dealing with the issue is to reform and strengthen the system in such a way that the designs of those who are out to disrupt fail.
• In-camera proceedings: Presiding officers can emulate the courts of law and should conduct in-camera proceedings in their chambers, at least the Zero Hour and Question Hour.
• Shadow Cabinet model:like in the UK. It is for the political parties to ensure responsible behaviour of their members, whether in the opposition or the ruling party.
• Acode of conduct for members to minimise disruptions, especially relating to suspension for entering and protesting in the well of the House.
• A concept of no work, no paycould be adopted for members. But this would affect only members who depend on their salary.

As the Parliament of independent India enters the eighth decade of its history and prepares to enter a new, more well-equipped and modern Parliament House, it is the right time to think about how we can add value to our deliberative democracy.