UPSC Mains 2019 GS2 Q15 — Parliamentary Functioning
Individual Parliamentarian’s role as the national law maker is on a decline, which in turn, has adversely impacted the quality of debates and their outcome. Discuss.
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- Discuss
- Scope keywords
- Individual Parliamentarian’s rolenational law makeron a declinequality of debatesoutcome
- Implicit sub-parts
- What are the structural and procedural factors leading to the erosion of an individual MP's agency?
- How exactly does this decline translate into poorer legislative scrutiny and lower quality of debates?
- What are the consequences of this trend on the 'outcomes' (nature of laws passed and democratic accountability)?
- What institutional reforms or changes in parliamentary conventions are needed to restore the MP's role?
- Common pitfalls
- Focusing too much on general parliamentary disruptions and ruckus instead of the specific role of an individual MP.
- Failing to mention the Anti-Defection Law (10th Schedule) as a primary structural constraint on individual autonomy.
- Neglecting the 'outcome' part of the question, such as the increasing use of Ordinances or passing bills without committee scrutiny.
- Writing a generic essay on 'Parliamentary Decline' without distinguishing between the Treasury and Opposition benches' roles.
- Dimensions required
- Constitutional/Legal (Anti-Defection, Whip system)Procedural (Private Member Bills, Question Hour, Guillotine)Political (Party High Command culture)Institutional (Parliamentary Committees, Research support)Comparative (Briefly contrasting with UK/US systems where MPs have more cross-party flexibility)
- Marks allocation hint
Allocate 50-60 words to identifying the causes of the decline (Whips, lack of research support, party dominance). Dedicate 100-120 words to the core of the question—how this affects debate quality and legislative outcomes (e.g., Bills passed without discussion). Use the remaining 70-80 words for a nuanced discussion on remedial measures and a balanced conclusion.
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