Introduce PM's Question Hour, new book on Parliament suggests

New Delhi: Parliament needs to innovate and drastically change the format of debate from the repetitive rambling speeches to better articulate the aspirations of the people and seek redressal to their problems, a new book on Parliament has said.

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 Hour to hold the executive to account.

"The introduction of PM's Question Hour would really be a break from the colonial past, and it would inaugurate a new era in the Indian Parliamentary annals," the book 'The Indian Parliament: Samvidhan Sadan to Sansad Bhawan' authored by Devender Singh, a former additional secretary in the Lok Sabha Secretariat, said.

It said the introduction of PM's Question Hour once a week will act 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," the book said.

On the public perception of Parliament, the book contended 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 said.

It also called for a cyber interface to involve greater number of citizens in the working of Parliament.

"Further, 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," the book said.

It said the case for Parliamentary reforms was "exceptional" so as to guard it against "putrefaction and decay".

The book, published by LexisNexis, traces the history of democratic institutions in ancient India and their evolution over the years to the present day parliamentary system of governance.