Introduction
Parliament is the institutional anchor of India's representative democracy under Article 79 of the Constitution. However, structural shifts and procedural decay have significantly undermined its deliberative health. The 17th Lok Sabha recorded only 274 sittings—the lowest-ever for a full five-year term—highlighting the growing decline in legislative engagement and institutional accountability.
Indicators and Causes of Parliamentary Decline
- Bypassing Legislative Scrutiny: According to PRS Legislative Research, only 16% of bills in the 17th Lok Sabha were referred to Parliamentary Standing Committees for detailed examination, marking a steep fall from 71% in the 15th Lok Sabha. Furthermore, over 35% of bills were passed with under an hour of debate, severely eroding institutional checks and balances over executive action.
- Disruption as an Opposition Tactic: Routine disruptions, continuous sloganeering, and tactical adjournments have increasingly replaced substantive debate. Frequent stalling of the Question Hour dismantles a primary mechanism of executive accountability, accompanied by unprecedented mass suspensions of over 200 Members of Parliament in the 17th Lok Sabha.
- Erosion of Individual Agency via Anti-Defection: The Tenth Schedule (Anti-Defection Law) mandates strict compliance with party whips on all legislative matters. This stifles intra-party dissent and independence, effectively reducing legislators to voting blocs unable to articulate distinct constituency-level concerns.
- Institutional Partisanship and Dilution of Norms: The prolonged vacancy in the office of the Deputy Speaker throughout the 17th Lok Sabha undermined the spirit of Article 93 and bipartisan traditions. Additionally, the frequent recourse to the 'guillotine' to pass budgetary demands without adequate discussion deprives public finances of parliamentary oversight.
Conclusion
A weakened legislature risks degenerating into an executive-driven body and inviting unnecessary judicial overreach. Restoring parliamentary vitality requires institutionalising a statutory minimum of 100 sitting days annually as recommended by the NCRWC, making committee referrals compulsory for substantial legislation, and limiting the anti-defection whip strictly to confidence and money motions.