A Governance Quiz Missed at Monsoon Session

In a rare exhibition of consensus, the opposition parties and the ruling alliance have deemed the monsoon session of parliament a washout.

- SHANKKAR AIYAR Author of The Gated Republic, Aadhaar: A Biometric History of India's 12 Digit Revolution, and Accidental India ([e-mail])

The trigger for a parade of adjournments was the scandalous handling of the revision of electoral rolls. Who can vote, what defines citizenship, who decides who is a citizen and more. There are questions galore in this classic Indian conundrum and the Election Commission has covered itself with infamy.

Chaos unravelled in parliament while the issue is in the Supreme Court. Typically, the elected MPs end up representing their parties, not those who elect them. The cost of the washout—estimated at ₹2 lakh a minute—is important. More critical is the price paid in failing oversight on legislation and governance. The circumstances merit a review of governance on issues that affect lives and livelihoods. Here are a few snapshots.

Like the big challenge before India is the threat of unilateral tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. The statement on their potential impact was lost in a din of rhetoric. The issue sparked seven questions in the Lok Sabha and 13 in the Rajya Sabha. Ideally, the issue should have catalysed a debate, even an all-party select committee on strategies. That was not to be.

Be that as it may, the government has rightly focused on issues haunting the domestic economy and created two iGoMs (informal groups of ministers) for economic and social sector reforms. The two panels are tasked with laying out legislative and policy reform agendas. While this is welcome, it raises questions about the declarations of measures made in Budget 2025.