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QUE. Healthy debate is essential for the strong functioning of parliamentary business in India, discuss the challenges before the Parliament and give appropriate suggestions.
June 19, 2026
- The main function of the Parliament is to make laws for the country. In the Indian parliamentary tradition, every bill goes through extensive debate in both the houses before being passed. The main function of the Rajya Sabha is also for checks and balances in the Indian parliamentary tradition. A healthy debate on any subject reflects the views of the people, including the pros and cons, provisions, etc. related to that subject.
- In India, various means have been provided for discussing any subject in the Parliament. The Parliament has been provided with means to discuss any issue through Zero Hour, Question Hour, various types of motions such as Calling Attention Motion, Censor Motion, Half Hour Discussion, Point of Order, Special Mention, etc.
- Challenges to the functioning of Parliament:
- Frequent obstructions and adjournments are the major challenges in the functioning of the Indian Parliament. The functioning of the Parliament is obstructed by the opposition party. Which deprives the Parliament of its legal and representative role. And the time and resources of the Parliament are wasted.
- Lack of Participation: There is a lack of participation by members in the functioning of Parliament. Many members are absent from parliamentary sessions and do not even participate in discussions. This reduces effective representation and quality. For example, the 2021 Budget Session recorded only 13.63% attendance, which is the lowest ever.
- Poor quality of proposed bills: Laws passed by Parliament often lack clarity, leading to their ineffective implementation.
- Lack of diversity: The representation of women, minorities, backward communities in the Parliament is limited. Which shows the unbalanced representation of different sections of the society.
- Low productivity: The productivity of the Indian Parliament is low compared to other democracies. The sessions are very short and the attendance of the members of Parliament is also seen less. The proposed bills take a very long time to pass. Important bills are delayed or dropped due to pending bills, delays in the process.
- Various measures should be taken to address these challenges. For example, a parliamentary code of conduct should be implemented to regulate the conduct and performance of all members during the session. It helps in maintaining the dignity and respect of the House among the people and enhances participation. In addition, by promoting the use of technology, its use in parliamentary proceedings can be enhanced through various portals and apps.
- Maximum use of the committee tradition is of utmost importance for discussing, analyzing and making necessary changes to any bill. This increases the productivity and quality of parliamentary work. If necessary, disciplinary action can be taken and an MP can be suspended or excluded from the proceedings of the House for misconduct.
- The Indian Parliament is facing some of the above-mentioned challenges, which are directly impacting its productivity and efficiency. But the continuous incorporation of code of conduct, technology adoption, committee system, disciplinary action in the functioning can improve the effectiveness of democratic institutions through transparency, accountability and inclusiveness.
