Paper Details

Parliament occupies a central position in India’s constitutional democracy as the primary institution for legislation, executive accountability, and political representation. In recent years, however, concerns have intensified regarding the declining quality of parliamentary functioning. This article examines the erosion of Parliament’s deliberative role, focusing not merely on the reduction in sitting days but on the qualitative weakening of debate, scrutiny, and accountability mechanisms. Drawing on parliamentary data, PRS Legislative Research reports, scholarly literature, and select legislative case studies, the study analyses trends such as truncated sessions, fast-track lawmaking, declining Question Hour effectiveness, and the bypassing of parliamentary committees. Using deliberative democracy as an analytical lens, the article argues that these procedural shifts have contributed to executive dominance and the marginalisation of Parliament as a forum of public reasoning. Case studies including the Farm Laws (2020), Citizenship Amendment Act (2019), and Labour Codes (2019–2020) illustrate how compressed deliberation undermines democratic legitimacy and public trust, even when legislation is formally constitutional or later repealed. The article further contends that weakened parliamentary deliberation has indirect but significant implications for democratic accountability and the protection of citizens’ rights, particularly equality, liberty, and socio-economic security. The study concludes that revitalising Parliament’s deliberative capacity is essential for restoring institutional accountability, safeguarding constitutional values, and strengthening India’s representative democracy.

Parliamentary deliberation, Indian Parliament, Deliberative democracy, Executive dominance, Legislative scrutiny, Parliamentary committees, Democratic accountability, Citizens’ rights, Fast-track legislation, Representative democracy.