Unlock the House

Context: At a time when the nation is reeling under the pressure of pandemic, economic downturn and India-China border tensions, the quick resumption of the Parliament is the need of the hour.

Significance of the Parliament: 

• Popular Sovereignty: The preamble to the Constitution of India, rests the final authority in the people of India.
• Parliamentary Democracy: It ensures representation of the people, responsible government and accountability of the council of ministers.
• National integration: When people elect a representative, he/she represents the people of the country irrespective of colour, creed, caste and religion.
• “Parliament is not a congress of ambassadors from different and hostile interests; but is a deliberative assembly of one nation, with one interest and not guided with local prejudices.”—Edmund Burke.
• Summoning Provisions: In normal circumstances, there are 3 sessions of Parliament in a year- the Budget Session, Monsoon Session and Winter Session.
• Article 85(1) mandates the President to summon each House of the Parliament to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit, the maximum gap between the two sessions being 6 months.
• Rule of procedures of each House empowers the Secretary-General (acting on the advice of Chairman of the House and not the council of ministers) to summon MPs specifying “date-time and place of commencement of the season”.
• Speaker, exercising powers under Rules of Procedure can reconvene sitting of Lok Sabha if the Lok Sabha has not been prorogued.

Change in the Modus Operandi: Several options can be considered from the best practices if legislatures around the world:

• Usual meeting with preventive measures: To ensure social distancing, WHO guidelines for sterilization can be employed as done in Egypt, France, Germany, Israel, Sweden and EU Parliament.
• Remote attendance through video conferencing: Indonesia, Venezuela, South Africa, Poland, Argentina, and Brazil have opted for this.
• Hybrid model: incorporating both of the above models, being employed in the Philippines and the United Kingdom.