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Parliament

Parliament

MPs Suspension and associated Rules

Recently 78 opposition MPs have been suspended for disrupting Parliamentary proceedings over the Parliament security breach issue. What is the issue? Presiding officers of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha suspended the opposition lawmakers for disrupting the parliamentary proceedings. They were suspended as the legislators demanded a discussion and a statement from the Home Minister regarding last week’s security breach. This was the highest number of MPs suspended in a single day in the history of Indian Parliament. The opposition accused the government of failing to provide security on the 22nd anniversary of a deadly attack on the parliament. The speaker of the…

27 December, 2023 Parliament

Reservations for Women in Politics

A political group has demanded that Parliament should have to consider the long-delayed Women's Reservation Bill. The Women's Reservation Bill was approved by the Rajya Sabha on March 9, 2010. The bill, however, never received a vote in the Lok Sabha. While the bill was still pending in the Lok Sabha, it expired. Data and Facts In recent years, there has been a steady increase in the percentage . Women would need to be involved in making decisions, sharing power, leading political parties and creating policy at all levels of government machinery , From 45 ie(8.3%) in 2004 (the 14th…

29 March, 2023 Parliament

Whip in State Assembly and  Parliament

Whip in State Assembly and  Parliament According to a recent judgement by the Supreme Court, members of a House are bound by the "whip" and if any MLAs from a political party that is a part of a ruling coalition decide they do not wish to support the coalition, they risk being removed from office. About Whip A political party may issue a whip to its members, instructing them to cast a specific ballot or show up for an important vote. According to the Tenth Schedule, political parties have the right to whip their legislators (Anti Defection Law). The whip…

09 March, 2023 Parliament

Speaker of the  Lok Sabha

Speaker of the  Lok Sabha In India, the Office of the Speaker is a dynamic institution that responds to the demands and issues that Parliament really faces as it carries out its duties. The Speaker and Deputy Speaker are both elected under Article 93 of the Constitution. The Speaker is the House's official head both legally and ceremonially. The presiding officer of each House of Parliament is different. For the Lok Sabha, there is a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker, while for the Rajya Sabha, there is a Chairman and a Deputy Chairman. History: Under the terms of the Government…

16 February, 2023 Parliament

Privilege motion

Privilege motion There was a commotion in the Rajasthan Assembly as a result of a breach of privilege motion brought against senior BJP MLA and Deputy Leader of the Opposition Rajendra Rathore. About Privilege motion: To efficiently carry out their duties and activities, all Members of Parliament (MPs) are granted rights and privileges, both individually and collectively. Any case in which these privileges and rights are violated by a Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha member constitutes a "breach of privilege" offense that is sanctioned by law. Any member of either house may move a motion to move a notice of…

01 February, 2023 Parliament

No-Confidence Motion

No-Confidence Motion The Speaker of the State's Legislative Assembly was the target of a no-confidence motion, made by the opposition party in Maharashtra. What is a no-confidence motion? A no-confidence motion is a legislative resolution introduced in the Lok Sabha that declares the full council of ministers unfit to serve in leadership roles because of their shortcomings or failing to fulfil their responsibilities. It can be adopted in the Lok Sabha without a prior justification being given. Rules regarding "No Confidence Motion": According to rule 198, a "No Confidence Motion" against the government may only be introduced in the Lok…

02 January, 2023 Parliament

Parliamentary Committee

Parliamentary Committee The reorganization of 22 Standing Committees took place recently. What exactly are Parliamentary Committees? A Parliamentary Committee is a group of Members of Parliament appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker/Chairman. The committee reports to the House or the Speaker/Chairman and works under the direction of the Speaker/Chairman. Parliamentary Committees originated in the British Parliament. They derive their authority from Articles 105 and 118. Article 105 addresses MPs' privileges. Article 118 empowers Parliament to make rules to govern its procedure and conduct of business. Need: To begin the legislative business, a Bill is introduced…

07 October, 2022 Parliament

Parliamentary System in India and Britain

Parliamentary System in India and Britain Britain’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, died on September 8 at the age of 96. Image Source - CNBC British Monarchy The British Monarchy is a constitutional monarchy because an elected Parliament, not the Sovereign Head of State, has the power to draught and enact laws. Although she reigns, the British monarch does not rule. Belgium, Cambodia, Jordan, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Thailand are additional constitutional monarchies. In contemporary Britain, the monarch's authority or function is primarily ceremonial. The king "must maintain absolute neutrality in regard to political affairs. Powers and…

09 September, 2022 Parliament

The privilege of MPs does not extend to criminal cases

The privilege of MPs does not extend to criminal cases MPs do not enjoy any protection from being arrested in a criminal case during the Session or otherwise," the Rajya Sabha Chairman made clear in the House. Members of Parliament (MPs) are "not on a different footing than a normal citizen" in criminal cases. A day after House Speaker and leader of the Congress, Mallikarjun Kharge, brought up the fact that he had been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate when the House was in session, the Chairman made his observation. Highlight      Article 105: According to Article 105 of the…

08 August, 2022 Parliament

Suspension Of MPs : Explained

Suspension Of MPs: Explained Recently, Lok Sabha suspended the 4 MPs (Member of Parliament) and the Rajya Sabha suspended 23 MPs as they were disrupting the proceedings of the house. Reason for disruption by MPs MPs do not have enough time to raise crucial issues. The government's unresponsiveness and the Treasury benches their retaliatory posture. Parties intentionally cause disturbance for political or publicity reasons. The failure to take immediate action against MPs who interrupt parliamentary proceedings. Why suspension of MPs? The role and duty of the Presiding Officer that is the Speaker of Lok Sabha and Chairman of Rajya Sabha are to maintain…

30 July, 2022 Parliament

Central Vista project essential, of public importance: Delhi HC

Central Vista project essential, of public importance: Delhi HC The Supreme Court, in a majority judgment, gave its go-ahead to the multi-crore Central Vista redevelopment project, which proposes to build a new Parliament three times bigger than the existing 93-year-old heritage building and modify the use of 86.1 acres of land, home to India’s power corridor in the national capital. In their majority opinion, Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari said the court cannot order the government to desist from spending money on one project and use it for something else. They said the government did not act against public…

01 June, 2021 Parliament

Parliament- Declining role

Parliament- Declining role Introduction Due to the lockdown imposed following the novel coronavirus pandemic, the fiscal year 2020-21 saw the Lok Sabha sitting for 34 days (and the Rajya Sabha for 33), the lowest ever. The casualty was proper legislative scrutiny of proposed legislation as well as government functioning and finances. While COVID-19 was undoubtedly a grave matter, there is no reason why Parliament could not adopt remote working and technological solutions, as several other countries did. No Bill scrutiny It has led to absence of careful scrutiny of Bills. During the session, 13 Bills were introduced, and not even…

27 March, 2021 Parliament

Parliamentary Privileges- Inhibiting free speech

Parliamentary Privileges- Inhibiting free speech Introduction When the Delhi Assembly summoned Facebook honcho Ajit Mohan to depose before its Peace and Harmony Committee, it unwittingly provoked a litigation that may have far-reaching implications on federalism, the separation of powers and fundamental rights in India. Background for freedom of speech In 1399, the Commons recognised free speech in the House as a tradition by reversing the judgment of treason on Sir Thomas Haxey. It is this ancient privilege that found its way into our Constitution. It is a landmark of liberty as it allows elected representatives to challenge the most powerful…

26 February, 2021 Parliament

Budget Session to have Question Hour

Budget Session to have Question Hour The Question Hour, which had been suspended by the government during the monsoon session, will resume when Parliament meets for the Budget session on January 29. The government had claimed that the suspension of Question Hour, which gives the Opposition an opportunity to hold the government accountable, was an additional precautionary measure to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. The suspension had been strongly criticised by the Opposition. During the monsoon session, the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha will meet at alternate sessions to ensure that all the three chambers — Rajya Sabha hall, Lok…

20 January, 2021 Parliament

Analysis of Central Vista Project

Analysis of Central Vista Project Beyond judicial clearance, Central Vista should be able to achieve national consensus With the Supreme Court’s 2-1 judgment clearing the Central Vista project for New Delhi, the Narendra Modi government can now indelibly reshape the national capital’s visual landscape. Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari found no infirmity in the approvals granted by the Central Vista Committee, Delhi Urban Art Commission, the Heritage Conservation Committee and other bodies, paving the way for a new Parliament building and other edifices of government to come up. Justice Sanjiv Khanna, while agreeing with the majority opinion on the…

07 January, 2021 Parliament

Central Vista Project approved

Central Vista Project approved The Supreme Court, in a majority judgment, gave its go-ahead to the multi-crore Central Vista redevelopment project, which proposes to build a new Parliament three times bigger than the existing 93-year-old heritage building and modify the use of 86.1 acres of land, home to India’s power corridor in the national capital. In their majority opinion, Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari said the court cannot order the government to desist from spending money on one project and use it for something else. They said the government did not act against public trust. They brushed aside allegations…

06 January, 2021 Parliament

Parliamentary scrutiny on the back burner

Parliamentary scrutiny on the back burner Introduction: There must be triumphant laughter in the resting places of those who argued in the 1940s that India is not suited for parliamentary democracy. Their reasons varied from the political culture to the proverbial social diversity of India, or even the Gandhian idea of swaraj that were construed as not easily amenable to forge representative institutions characteristic of parliamentary democracy. Given their large-scale implications and the popular protests against them, the three Bills related to agricultural produce and the three labour Bills that overhauled conditions of work, terms of employment, grievance redress and…

29 September, 2020 Parliament

Parliamentary scrutiny on the back burner

“Parliamentary scrutiny on the back burner” Introduction: Parliament is the embodiment of the people’s will and parliamentary committees are an instrument of Parliament for its own effective functioning. Over the years, the Indian Parliament has increasingly taken recourse to the parliamentary committee system. However, data and several other instances show that in the last few years there has been a gradual marginalisation of the committee system. Pillars of Parliamentary democracy: Representativeness, Responsiveness and Accountability are the foundational pillars of Parliamentary democracy. In India, Parliament has broadly two functions, which are lawmaking and oversight of the executive branch of the government.…

26 September, 2020 Parliament

Parliament and its panels

Parliament and its panels Context: Reports in the media of the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha being keen on amending the business rules of the Rajya Sabha, to give the Department-related Standing Committees (DSRCs) a fixed tenure of two years. About DRSCs: There are 24 Department-related Standing Committees (DRSCs). These committees were created for the first time in 1993. Out of 24 DSRCs, 16 work under Lok Sabha and 8 under Rajya Sabha. Composition of DRSCs: DRSCs are joint committees of the two Houses of Parliament. Each DRSC has a total of 31 members consisting of 21 members from Lok…

16 September, 2020 Parliament

The second chair: On Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker

The second chair: On Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Context: More than a year after the 17th Lok Sabha was constituted, the constitutionally mandated post of Deputy Speaker is lying vacant. Now, Harivansh Narayan Singh re-elected as Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman The post of Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha has been one of the bones of contention between the government and the opposition, which has renewed its campaign for the position ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. This is the first time that the Lok Sabha has functioned for over a year without having a Deputy Speaker. Speaker and…

16 September, 2020 Parliament

Democracy in question: If questions are disallowed in Parliament, more will be asked outside it

Democracy in question: If questions are disallowed in Parliament, more will be asked outside it Context Recently, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats have notified that there will be no Question Hour during the monsoon session of the Parliament which has already been truncated to September 14-October, in view of the Covid 19 pandemic, and that Zero Hour will be restricted in both Houses. The move has come under heavy criticism as the opposition believe they will lose the right to question the government which can be termed as undemocratic. Details: 1. Question Hour Question Hour is the first…

13 September, 2020 Parliament

Presidential Form of Government

Presidential Form of Government Context India's system of democracy is based on the Parliamentary form of government, whereby the Head of state is different from the Head of the government. However, from time to time it has been suggested by many experts that India should adopt the Presidential form of government instead of the Parliamentary style of democracy, inherited from the British. These suggestions have been given in the backdrop of frequent elections and related administrative as well as financial burden owned by India. In this context, it is a good time to evaluate the suitability of the Presidential system…

25 July, 2020 Parliament

Anti Defection Law

Anti Defection Law Part of: GS-II- Polity (PT-MAINS-PERSONALITY TEST) Recently, some of the sitting MLAs in the Manipur government defected to the opposition creating instability in the state's polity. This politics of defection in Manipur is not unique, there have been some other recent examples of defection in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. For a very long time, the Indian political system was impacted by political defections by members of the legislature. This situation brought about greater instability and chaos in the political system. Thus, in 1985, to curb the evil of political defections, the 52nd constitution amendment act on anti-defection…

25 June, 2020 Parliament

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