Strengthening Parliamentary Oversight in India

General Studies Paper -2

Context: In India, the effectiveness of parliamentary oversight has often been questioned, while the Constitution provides a robust framework for legislative scrutiny.

• Strengthening this mechanism is essential for transparency, accountability, and good governance.

About the Parliamentary Oversight in India

• It is a fundamental aspect of India’s democratic framework, ensuring that the executive remains accountable to the legislature.
• Parliament plays a crucial role in monitoring government actions, policies, and expenditures through various mechanisms such as Question Hour, Parliamentary Committees, and Budget Scrutiny.

Key Mechanisms of Parliamentary Oversight 

• Parliamentary Oversight:
  • Article 107: Defines the legislative process, including the introduction and passage of bills.
  • Article 108: Provides for joint sittings of both Houses to resolve legislative deadlocks.
  • Article 111: Grants the President the power to assent or return bills for reconsideration.
• Question Hour and Zero Hour:
  • Question Hour allows MPs to directly question Ministers on government policies and decisions.
  • Zero Hour provides an opportunity for MPs to raise urgent matters without prior notice.
• Committee System for Legislative Review:
  • Standing Committees: These analyze bills in detail before they are debated in Parliament.
  • Public Accounts Committee (PAC): It scrutinizes government spending and audits reports.
  • Estimates Committee: It examines budget allocations and efficiency of government programs.
• Budgetary Scrutiny:
  • Article 112: Mandates the presentation of the Annual Financial Statement (Union Budget).
  • Article 113: Requires Parliamentary approval for government expenditure.
  • Article 117: Ensures that Money Bills can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha with the President’s recommendation.

Challenges in Parliamentary Oversight

• Diminishing Role of Question Hour: Question Hour, a critical tool for government accountability, has seen frequent disruptions, reducing its effectiveness.
  • In the 17th Lok Sabha (2019-24), Question Hour functioned for only 60% of its scheduled time in the Lok Sabha and 52% in the Rajya Sabha.
• Limited Influence of Parliamentary Committees: Department-related Standing Committees (DRSCs) generate detailed reports, but their findings often do not influence legislation or executive action.
  • Committee consultations engage a small group of stakeholders, raising concerns about diversity and breadth of input.
• Executive Dominance in Budgetary Affairs: Union Finance Ministry crafts the Budget with minimal parliamentary involvement, reducing legislators to mere approvers rather than active participants.
  • The Rajya Sabha has no substantive role in Budget discussions, despite its democratic credentials.

Success Stories in Parliamentary Oversight

• Financial and Infrastructure Reforms:
  • The Standing Committee on Railways recommended waiving dividend payments by Indian Railways in 2015 to improve its financial health, which was implemented in 2016.
  • The Committee on Public Undertakings addressed delays in NHAI-managed highway projects, recommending that projects commence only after acquiring 80% of land and necessary clearances.
• Policy and Legislative Amendments:
  • The Standing Committee on Transport influenced amendments to the Motor Vehicles Bill (2017), removing caps on third-party insurance and establishing a National Road Safety Board.
  • The Estimates Committee advised increasing domestic uranium production, reducing India’s dependency on imports.
• Accountability and Corruption Exposures: The PAC exposed critical delays, opaque appointments, and corrupt practices during the Commonwealth Games in 2010.
  • On average, the PAC has made 180 recommendations every year in the past eight years, out of which 80% were accepted by the government.

Recommendations for Strengthening Oversight

• Revitalizing Question Hour: Ensuring uninterrupted sessions and systematic scrutiny of government policies.
  • Encouraging MPs to focus on cross-ministerial issues rather than isolated queries.
• Enhancing Committee Effectiveness: Increasing stakeholder engagement in committee discussions.
  • Ensuring that committee recommendations are debated on the floor of Parliament.
• Reforming Budgetary Oversight: Establishing a Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) to provide independent analysis of financial policies.
  • Allowing pre-Budget discussions to enhance legislative input.
• Post-Legislative Scrutiny: Laws need to be systematically reviewed after passage to assess whether they achieve their intended impact.
  • India can adopt a model similar to the United Kingdom, where government departments submit reviews of major laws within three to five years, examined by parliamentary committees.
• Institutional Strengthening: Committee reports should be made accessible through translations, visual explainers, and videos, ensuring greater public understanding.
  • Committees require dedicated research and technical support, moving beyond administrative assistance.
• Technology-Driven Oversight: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence and data analytics, Parliament can help members swiftly track policy trends, flag irregularities, and frame evidence-based questions.

Conclusion

• As former Vice-President K.R. Narayanan noted, the purpose of legislative oversight is not to weaken the administration but to strengthen it, ensuring meaningful parliamentary support for governance.
• Strengthening oversight mechanisms means honoring the mandate given by citizens—ensuring the government remains transparent, accountable, and truly ‘of the people, by the people, and for the people’.