A dire need was felt to have a latest authoritative and comprehensive reference book on the Indian Parliament in view of great many changes in the practices, procedures and the functioning of Indian Parliament post 2016. The void has been filled by the latest book published by LexisNexis, the leading publisher of law books in India. The publisher wisely commissioned Devender Singh, former Addl Secretary Lok Sabha, an accomplished author in his own right on constitutional and parliamentary matters.
The Indian Parliament: Samvidhan Sadan to Sansad Bhawan is a well-researched, intellectually engaging, and structurally coherent volume that explores the Indian Parliament not merely as a constitutional institution, but as a living and dynamic embodiment of democratic aspirations. With the inauguration of the new Sansad Bhawan and the renaming of the old Parliament as Samvidhan Sadan and after merger of Rail Budget in the Annual Budget, and presentation of a single consolidated budget since 2017 and other procedural innovations, researchers, scholars and the general readers were looking for a comprehensive and authoritative book on the Indian Parliament.
As an official of the Lok Sabha who serviced Parliament for almost four tumultuous decades and who was a privy to the ring side view of the working of Parliament and as much a draftsperson of many monumental reports of parliamentary panels, Devender Singh has chronicled and documented all the procedural and constitutional developments with fidelity and scholarly rigour. Indeed, the book arrives at a historic juncture, anchoring contemporary.
developments in parliamentary architecture within the larger constitutional and parliamentary democratic echo system. A compendium of intimately connected and allied scholarly essays on a wide thematic range, it sets out the historical background of introduction of a separate Rail Budget in 1925 and its eventual merger with the Annual Budget in 2017 and presentation of a single consolidated Budget to Parliament in terms of Article 112 of the Constitution. Apart from documenting procedural and other remarkably perceptible changes in the functioning of Parliament, which is a barometer of a functional democracy, the author makes wide ranging recommendations of far-reaching import for making our parliamentary democracy system more robust and vibrant.
befitting the claim of Mother Democracy.
The author suggests introduction of PM’s Question Hour in both the Houses of Parliament once a week. Further, according to the author, and to me -an avid watcher of parliamentary debates over many eventful decades- it’s a well-considered observation that “Parliament needs to innovate and drastically change the format of debate from the repetitive rambling speeches to better articulate the aspirations of the people” so as to seek redressal of problems of the people. The book also makes a strong pitch for sittings of Parliament for at least 100 days in a year and introduction of Prime Minister’s Question Time to hold the executive to account. The introduction of PM’s Question Hour would really be a break from the colonial past and inaugurate a new era in the Indian Parliamentary annals.
The introduction of PM’s Question Hour once a week, unreservedly, will function as a safety valve, allow members to raise issues of urgent concern and allow the prime minister to explain government policies and counter criticism. “The introduction of the PMQ and its effective use can go a long way to take the wind out of the sail of the Opposition, to soothe the ruffled feathers and pacify the irate tempers and preempt the tendency to frequently disrupt or rock proceedings”.
On the public perception of Parliament, the author holds that public cynicism and distrust about Parliament proceedings was a result of unwarranted grandstanding, persistent obstructions and unethical conduct of some members. “In order to have a more contemporary look and to emerge as a more effective forum of debate and accountability, the practice and procedures of Parliament needs innovation,” the book observes.
Another remarkable suggestion is for an effective cyber interface to involve greater number of citizens in the working of Parliament to make Parliament more contemporary and above all, the people’s Parliament. I concur with Mr Singh that “the format of debate also calls for drastic change to overcome repetitive and rambling speeches. As the highest forum of debate and discussions, Parliament must meet at least 100 days in a year and function robustly and act as a bulwark against arbitrary actions of the executive”. Undoubtedly, the case for Parliamentary reforms is “exceptional” so as to guard it against “putrefaction and decay”.
Another remarkable suggestion is for an effective cyber interface to involve greater number of citizens in the working of Parliament to make Parliament more contemporary and above all, the people’s Parliament. I concur with Mr Singh that “the format of debate also calls for drastic change to overcome repetitive and rambling speeches. As the highest forum of debate and discussions, Parliament must meet at least 100 days in a year and function robustly and act as a bulwark against arbitrary actions of the executive”. Undoubtedly, the case for Parliamentary reforms is “exceptional” so as to guard it against “putrefaction and decay”.
The book also traces the history of democratic institutions in ancient India and their evolution over the years, the making, and the working, of the Constitution, to the present day functioning of parliamentary system of governance. The subtitle-Samvidhan Sadan to Sansad Bhawan underscores the need for making the new Parliament a robust and sacrosanct place of debate and discussion to keep unremitting vigil over the executive and make it accountable. So much has been condensed and encapsulated in a single volume with great concision and clarity.
I consider it a compelling, beneficial and brilliant treatise to read for students, academia, civil servants, journalists and legislators- present and future. In the words of Dr Shashi Tharoor, “ Accessible to the scholar as well as to the to the reader, The Indian Parliament marries Mr Singh’s meticulous understanding of this complex institution with a succinct and exact writing style, leaving very little unsaid without succumbing to verbosity or a daunting excess of pages.”
In the words of Prof. Balram Pani, Dean of Colleges, University of Delhi, “The sheer scale of treatment of a wide array of closely conjoined subjects, wealth of information, incisive analysis, and well-merited suggestions, make it a compelling read.” The book is a timely and indispensable contribution to the discourse of parliamentary democracy. The author succeeds in illuminating both the grandeur and the gravitas of the Indian Parliamentary annals- the pivot of the largest democracy of the world, while exposing unsparingly its flaws and failings, but displaying optimism about the future of our democracy.
