Parliamentary Oversight in India: Challenges and Reforms

The concept of parliamentary oversight in India is rooted in the historical debates of the Constituent Assembly, where a parliamentary system was chosen for its ability to ensure executive accountability through daily and periodic checks.

Current Mechanisms and Challenges

• Question Hour:
  • Intended to ensure daily government accountability.
  • Frequently disrupted by protests, reducing its effectiveness.
  • During the 17th Lok Sabha, it functioned only for 60% of the time in the Lok Sabha and 52% in the Rajya Sabha.
• Parliamentary Committees:
  • Includes Department-related Standing Committees (DRSC) that generate detailed reports.
  • Reports often not discussed on the floor, limiting their influence.
  • Limited engagement with diverse stakeholders and limited institutional memory.

Notable Successes

• Standing Committee on Railways: Recommendation to waive Indian Railways' dividend payments was implemented in 2016.
• Standing Committee on Transport: Influenced amendments in the Motor Vehicles Bill in 2017.
• Committee on Public Undertakings: Addressed delays in NHAI-managed projects.
• Public Accounts Committee (PAC): Exposed issues during the Commonwealth Games 2010; 80% of PAC's recommendations are accepted annually.

Proposed Reforms

• Post-Legislative Scrutiny:
  • Create subcommittees or a specialized body to review law implementation.
  • Use the United Kingdom's model of periodic law reviews by government departments.
• Strengthening Committees:
  • Make oversight findings more accessible in local languages and formats.
  • Debate select DRSC reports on the parliamentary floor with mandatory ministerial responses.
  • Enhance committee support with research and technical assistance.
• Leveraging Technology:
  • Use AI and data analytics to assist MPs in scrutinizing policies and data.

The overarching goal is to enhance legislative oversight, ensuring transparency and accountability in governance, aligning with the democratic principle of a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people."