- SFG FRC 2027 | Program starts from 19th Dec. 2026 | Admissions open for Entrance Test Click Here to know more →
- Prelims Test Series (PTS) for Prelims 2027 starts 11th Oct. 2026 Click Here to know more →
- [Pre-order] Ethics Redbook 3rd Edition: Delivery starts from 10th October onwards Click Here to Read More →
- 21 Sept. | GS Advance Program (GSAP) for UPSC 2027 Mains starts from 11th Oct. Click Here to Read More →
Source: This post is based on the article “It’s what MPs do: List of unparliamentary words is not such a big deal. Quality of law-making is the real House test” published in The Times of India on 15th Jul 22.
Syllabus: GS2 – Parliament
Relevance: Parliamentary debates and related issues
News: A list of ‘unparliamentary’ words and phrases, published by the Lok Sabha secretariat, saw opposition leaders accusing the government of trying to gag them.
Why the accusations hold no ground?
Publishing such words has been happening since 1950s.
The list is not a diktat, it’s based on rulings by presiding officers in parliamentary and assembly proceedings in India and Commonwealth countries.
And none of the words is banned.
Presiding officers will expunge remarks they deem unacceptable.
Also, there are easy workarounds for many words listed as unparliamentary.
Way forward
Parliamentary secretariats should not entirely take a mechanical approach.
– House discussions must also reflect the liveliness of the politics in a democracy.
MPs can also help by reminding themselves that the five minutes of news television coverage they get for using unparliamentary words do nothing for their legislative career.
Ultimately, a Parliament is judged by the quality of its debate and its law-making.
What’s needed in greater measure is extensive deliberations in smaller parliamentary committees and deeper House debates on complex issues.
