India’s Parliament is missing in action

Context:  In today’s extraordinary circumstances the Parliament should convene soon with adoption IT solutions that will make it even easier.

Reasons for more active Parliamentary Action

• Central role in governance and accountability: It checks and challenges the government of the day. 

• The Constitution Drafting Committee preferred a Parliamentary System to ensure the accountability of governments at all times. 

• Premier Law-Making body: an appropriate act with suitable checks and an expiry date could have been brought to enforce lockdown, rather than making decisions under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
• Scrutinize Expenditure: Measures to address the economic crisis announced by the government should have been subjected to scrutiny or approval.
• Raising concerns: MPs have a duty to shape policy and guide the government in the national interest.

• Questions related to issues arising out of pandemic must be addressed

• Constitutional Provisions: remote meetings with physical distancing is not prohibited. 

• Article 85: President may summon Parliament “to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit”. 
• The Rules of Procedure of both Houses: The Speaker may permit meetings to be held outside.

• Use of technology: There is no issue of confidentiality with the regular meeting as they are regularly telecasted. 

• Committee meetings may require remote working tools. 

• International Examples: The Inter-Parliamentary Union has documented the processes used by various national parliaments to meet during the pandemic. 

• The British Parliament has adopted a hybrid model of in-person and video attendance. 

Way Forward

• Parliamentarians are the sentinels of the people and should find a way to perform their constitutional duties by harnessing the country’s IT strengths.