{"id":39048,"date":"2025-03-12T19:31:25","date_gmt":"2025-03-12T14:01:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=39048"},"modified":"2025-03-12T19:31:26","modified_gmt":"2025-03-12T14:01:26","slug":"parliament-and-state-assemblies-disruptions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/12-03-2025\/parliament-and-state-assemblies-disruptions","title":{"rendered":"Disruptions in Parliament and State Assemblies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Polity &amp; Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Recently, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla voiced his concerns over the growing trend of deliberate disruptions in Parliament and State Assemblies, describing them as detrimental to the spirit of democracy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About the Parliamentary &amp; Legislative Disruptions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Parliamentary disruptions have become a <strong>recurring issue in India<\/strong>, raising concerns about <strong>legislative productivity, governance, and democratic accountability.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It has witnessed disruptions since the <strong>early decades of independence<\/strong>, but the frequency and intensity have grown in the <strong>last three decades.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>1970s and 1980s saw occasional disruptions<\/strong> over significant issues such as the <strong>Emergency (1975-77)<\/strong> and economic policies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>However, the 1990s marked a turning point, with coalition politics leading to frequent disruptions and strategic obstructionism.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>State assemblies<\/strong> of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka Legislative have all faced intense disruptions, sometimes leading to physical altercations among members.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Data on Legislative Productivity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Reduced Sitting Days:<\/strong> For instance, the <strong>16th Lok Sabha (2014-2019)<\/strong><strong>had 331 sitting days<\/strong>, the lowest for any full-term Lok Sabha.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>Monsoon Session of Parliament (2021)<\/strong>\u00a0 with the <strong>Lok Sabha functioning for only 21% <\/strong>of its scheduled time and the <strong>Rajya Sabha for 28%.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Decreased Working Hours:<\/strong> The Winter Session of 2024 exemplified this trend:\u200b\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Lok Sabha: <\/strong>Functioned for only 52% of its scheduled time. \u200b<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rajya Sabha:<\/strong> Operated at 39% efficiency. \u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Frequent Disruptions: <\/strong>For example, during the Winter Session of 2024, the <strong>Lok Sabha lost over 65 hours due to interruptions. \u200b<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Impact on Question Hour:<\/strong> In the Winter Session of 2024:\u200b\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Rajya Sabha:<\/strong> Question Hour was non-functional for 15 out of 19 days.\u200b<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lok Sabha:<\/strong> It did not function for more than 10 minutes on 12 out of 20 days. \u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Legislative Backlog:<\/strong> During the Winter Session of 2024, only one bill, the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024, was passed, marking the lowest legislative output in the last six Lok Sabha terms. \u200b<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Causes of Disruptions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Political Strategies and Protest Culture: <\/strong>Sometimes political parties use disruptions strategically to avoid debates on sensitive issues.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Contentious Issues and Lack of Consensus: <\/strong>Key policy matters such as economic reforms, minority rights, and constitutional amendments frequently lead to walkouts and protests.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The lack of dialogue and willingness to reach a consensus exacerbates the problem.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Laws like Farm Bills (2020), Citizenship Amendment Act (2019), and GST rollout (2017) triggered walkouts and protests.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Weak Enforcement of Rules: <\/strong>Rules of procedure in Parliament and State Assemblies provide mechanisms to control disruptions, but enforcement is often weak.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Presiding officers (Speaker, Chairman) have limited power to penalize members who deliberately stall proceedings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Media Attention and Public Perception:<\/strong> Lawmakers sometimes use disruptions as a tactic to gain visibility in the media.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Public sentiment on critical issues often fuels disruptions, as parties attempt to showcase their commitment to popular causes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Decline in Constructive Debate:<\/strong> There is a noticeable decline in structured debates, with disruptions replacing meaningful discussions.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Parliamentary Question Hour and Zero Hour, meant for deliberations, are frequently disrupted.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ethnic &amp; Regional Issues:<\/strong> Issues such as caste-based policies, federal conflicts, and regional demands often lead to disruptions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Suspension of MPs:<\/strong> Several sessions saw mass suspensions of MPs, further intensifying political standoffs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Impact of Disruptions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Legislative Paralysis:<\/strong> Frequent disruptions result in the suspension or delay of crucial bills and policies.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Important budgetary discussions and debates on national security are affected.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Erosion of Public Trust<\/strong>: Citizens lose faith in legislative institutions when lawmakers engage in disorderly conduct.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Voter disillusionment may lead to apathy in democratic participation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Economic and Administrative Costs:<\/strong> Wastage of taxpayers&#8217; money due to unproductive parliamentary sessions.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Administrative delays in implementing key laws and policies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Reforms to Minimize Disruptions in Parliament &amp; State Assemblies<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Stricter Enforcement of Rules:<\/strong> Implementation of <strong>Rule 374A (Lok Sabha)<\/strong> and <strong>Rule 255 (Rajya Sabha)<\/strong> to suspend members engaging in disorderly conduct.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Introduction of clear guidelines to prevent unnecessary adjournments due to disruptions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Code of Conduct for Legislators: <\/strong>Proposals for a mandatory code of conduct that penalizes repeated disruptions.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Establishment of a <strong>Parliamentary Conduct Committee <\/strong>to review disruptions and recommend actions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Increased Use of Technology:<\/strong> Live tracking and documentation of disruptions to hold members accountable.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Digital screens displaying names of those disrupting proceedings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Other Possible Solutions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Institutional Reforms: <\/strong>Ensure greater autonomy for presiding officers to take disciplinary actions.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Set up an independent parliamentary ethics committee.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Encouraging Dialogue and Consensus-Building: <\/strong>Pre-legislative consultations between ruling and opposition parties.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Use of <strong>mediation committees<\/strong> to resolve disputes before parliamentary sessions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Constitution Club<\/strong> to serve as a <strong>platform for informal discussions<\/strong> and <strong>policy dialogues,<\/strong> fostering democratic discourse and thoughtfulness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Public Accountability Measures: <\/strong>Introduce a disruption-tracking mechanism where citizens can monitor unproductive hours.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Encourage media coverage that promotes debate rather than highlighting theatrics.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reforming the Zero Hour &amp; Question Hour: <\/strong>Providing structured debate slots to the opposition can reduce the need for disruptions as a means of protest.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Revisiting the Anti-Defection Law: <\/strong>The misuse of the anti-defection law to curb dissent within parties has forced many legislators to express their views through disruption rather than constructive dissent.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/deliberate-disruptions-of-parliament-proceedings-against-the-spirit-of-democracy-om-birla\/article69306962.ece\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Source: TH<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Recently, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla voiced his concerns over the growing trend of deliberate disruptions in Parliament and State Assemblies, describing them as detrimental to the spirit of democracy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39048","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39048"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39048\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39050,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39048\/revisions\/39050"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}