Parliamentary Oversight: Need, Challenges & Way Ahead

Table of contents

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, while defending the adoption of the parliamentary system in the Constituent Assembly, asserted: “It offers more responsibility than stability.” This responsibility is reflected through daily executive accountability in Parliament. However, in the quest for maximum governance, maximum accountability through a robust and empowered Parliament remains under-realised in India.

About Parliamentary Oversight

Meaning: Parliamentary oversight is the process by which the legislature monitors executive actions to ensure accountability and transparency.
Mechanism: Tools like questions, debates, committee reviews, and confidence motions help ensure lawful and effective policy implementation.

Need to Strengthen Parliamentary Oversight

Committees Underutilised: Less than 15% of Standing Committee reports are discussed in Parliament, weakening their policy impact.
Declining Question Hour: In the 17th Lok Sabha, only 60% of Question Hour time was utilised in the Lok Sabha and 52% in the Rajya Sabha, reducing executive accountability.
Inadequate Budget Scrutiny: Important allocations in the ₹45 lakh crore Union Budget (2024–25) were passed without discussion due to the guillotine mechanism, limiting parliamentary input.
No Post-Legislative Scrutiny: India lacks a formal mechanism to assess the implementation and outcomes of laws after enactment; E.g., excessive litigation followed the Companies (Amendment) Act, 2013.
Bypassing Committee Scrutiny of Bills: In recent years, over 50% of bills were passed without being sent to parliamentary committees, undermining transparency and public trust (PRS Legislative Research).

Challenges Undermining Parliamentary Oversight

Disruptions Curtail Accountability: Question Hour in the 17^th Lok Sabha functioned only 60% in Lok Sabha and 52% in Rajya Sabha, diluting real-time ministerial accountability.
Committee Reports Often Overlooked: Important reports like the Data Protection Bill 2022 were tabled but not debated, reducing their impact on lawmaking.
No Post-Legislative Scrutiny: India lacks mechanisms to assess law outcomes; e.g., Companies Act, 2013 led to a spike in criminal litigation without policy correction.
Reduced Budget Scrutiny: Recent Union Budgets were passed with just 18 hours of discussion, compared to 100+ hours in the 1950s, weakening financial oversight.
Lack of Expert Support to Committees: Committees function without dedicated technical staff, unlike the U.S. CRS, limiting evidence-based scrutiny of policies.

Government Initiatives for Parliamentary Oversight

e-Sansad Portal (2020): Digitises parliamentary processes, providing MPs with easy access to bills, committee reports, and daily business.
National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA): A paperless initiative offering real-time access to legislative proceedings, improving transparency and accountability.
Pre-Legislative Consultation Policy (PLCP, 2014): Requires draft bills to be placed in the public domain 30 days before introduction, strengthening legislative scrutiny.
Revamp of Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSCs): The scope and number of DRSCs were increased post-2004 to ensure specialised scrutiny of ministries and schemes.
Creation of Sansad TV: Merged Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha TV to broadcast debates, committee discussions, and interviews, promoting transparency.
Mission Karmayogi: Trains civil servants to improve their responses to parliamentary queries and committee input, enhancing the quality of parliamentary processes.

Recommendations for Strengthening Parliamentary Oversight

Post-Legislative Scrutiny: Establish DRSC sub-committees to periodically review laws post-enactment, as recommended by the 2^nd ARC and seen in the UK model.
Strengthen Committees: Provide DRSCs with expert staff and present reports in local languages and visual formats for wider accessibility.
Leverage Technology: Use AI to detect anomalies in schemes like PM-KISAN and equip MPs with data tools for sharper questions.
Mandatory Report Discussions: Make floor debates and ministerial responses compulsory for key committee reports, as seen in the neglected Data Protection Bill 2022 report.
Encourage Cross-Party Consensus: Promote cross-party collaboration to reduce disruption.

Way Forward

Institutionalise Law Reviews: Set up DRSC subcommittees to review laws 3–5 years after enactment, following the 2nd ARC and UK practices, for evidence-based policy correction.
Strengthen Committee System: Mandate debates on key reports, ensure expert/stakeholder input, and equip committees with trained staff and AI tools for research and analysis.
Reform Question Hour: To improve ministerial accountability, ensure time-bound replies, track evasive answers via AI dashboards, and enable digital follow-ups.
Improve Budget and Bill Scrutiny: Hold pre- and post-budget consultations, dedicate time for key ministry debates, and mandate committee review and public feedback for all major bills.
Leverage Technology & Promote Discipline: Create an AI-powered platform to track implementation, assist MPs with data, and promote cross-party consensus to reduce disruptions.

Empowering committees, ensuring post-legislative scrutiny, and using technology like AI to track policies are essential to strengthening parliamentary oversight. To improve accountability, prioritise cross-party cooperation and debate on critical committee reports.

Reference: The Hindu

PMF IAS Pathfinder for Mains – Question 182

Q. Discuss the importance of parliamentary oversight for effective and efficient democracy. Elaborate on the challenges and measures that can be implemented to strengthen parliamentary accountability and transparency. (250 Words) (15 Marks)

Approach

Introduction: In the introduction, briefly discuss parliamentary oversight and mention B.R. Ambedkar’s view on it.
Body: Discuss the importance of parliamentary oversight, the challenges to effective oversight, and suggest reform measures.
Conclusion: In conclusion, highlight the necessary enhancement of parliamentary oversight to improve accountability and public trust in governance.