Mains Insights
-
The Accountability vs. Stability Debate:
- Core Dilemma: The choice for the parliamentary system was a conscious decision by the Constituent Assembly to prioritize daily and continuous executive accountability over the stability offered by a fixed-term presidential executive.
- Historical Context: In post-colonial India, with a diverse and stratified society, a responsible and representative government was deemed more crucial than a potentially rigid and autocratic one. The experience of the 1990s (coalition instability) versus the post-2014 period (strong single-party majority) highlights this inherent tension.
- Contemporary Relevance: The debate resurfaces periodically. The National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (NCRWC, 2002) examined this issue but ultimately did not recommend a switch, suggesting reforms within the existing system instead.
-
The Decline of Parliament and the Rise of Executive Dominance:
- Cause-Effect Analysis: A strong majority in the Lok Sabha, coupled with the stringent provisions of the Anti-Defection Law (Tenth Schedule), has often led to the executive dominating the legislature. This reduces Parliament to a rubber-stamping body rather than a forum for deliberation and scrutiny.
- Symptoms of Decline: This trend is visible in the decreasing number of sitting days, frequent disruptions, bypassing of parliamentary committees for passing crucial bills, and the increasing use of ordinances.
- Historiographical View: Scholars like Granville Austin (The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation, 1966) celebrated the deliberative nature of the Assembly, but contemporary political commentators like Shashi Tharoor have lamented the decline in the quality of parliamentary debate and its effectiveness as an oversight body.
-
Effectiveness of Accountability Mechanisms in Practice:
- Ritualism vs. Efficacy: While instruments like Question Hour and Zero Hour exist, their effectiveness is often questioned. Disruptions frequently lead to the washout of Question Hour. Zero Hour can become chaotic without structured outcomes.
- The Role of Committees: Parliamentary Committees are often cited as the most effective mechanism for detailed, non-partisan scrutiny away from the public glare. However, there is a growing trend of governments referring fewer bills to them, undermining their purpose.
- Beyond Parliament: In the face of perceived parliamentary decline, accountability is increasingly enforced by external actors like the judiciary (through judicial review), a vigilant media, civil society organizations, and the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005.
-
Challenges of Coalition Politics and Policy Paralysis:
- Cause: In a coalition government, the Prime Minister must balance the interests and ideologies of multiple partner parties. This can lead to compromises on policy, delays in decision-making, and instability if a partner withdraws support.
- Effect: The fear of governmental collapse or antagonizing allies can lead to “policy paralysis,” where the government avoids taking tough but necessary economic or administrative decisions. The link between political instability and administrative inertia is a key challenge for the parliamentary system in a fragmented polity.