Shrinking hours and debates

The concern over the precipitous decline in the number of days Parliament meets each year is both genuine and widespread.

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In the 1950s, when the first and second Lok Sabha sat, the House met for as many as 130 days annually—essentially ensuring that every third day was a working day for the nation’s highest legislative body. In stark contrast, the Seventeenth Lok Sabha (2019-24) managed to meet for only 55 days a year. There is, unfortunately, no indication that the trend will reverse. Running Parliament is an expensive affair. Elections demand enormous expenditure. Maintaining the Parliament Secretariat, paying salaries and perks to members, and extending pensions to retired MPs collectively cost the exchequer thousands of crores. Yet few would object to the cost if Parliament functioned as intended—rigorously debating and reviewing legislation that could withstand judicial scrutiny and earn public trust. But that ideal is increasingly distant. Fewer sittings allow governments to push through Bills without