Modi government had only 6 short duration discussions in Lok Sabha since 2019

Opposition has been accusing the government of running away from debates on price rise, unemployment and other issues in Parliament

The AB Vajpayee government allowed 59 short-duration discussions on issues of urgent public importance in Lok Sabha between 1999 and 2004 but the Narendra Modi dispensation steered only six such debates in the current Lower House in the past three-and-a-half years.

In the previous Lok Sabha (2014-19) when Modi was in power for the first time, an analysis showed 33 such debates were allowed, underlining a declining trend in holding short duration discussions over the years under Rule 193 where there is no voting.

The analysis by the PRS Legislative Research comes at a time when the Opposition's demand for a discussion on the India-China border row against the backdrop of recent military clashes in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang was not allowed citing the sensitivity of the subject. The Opposition has been accusing the Modi government of running away from debates on price rise, unemployment and other issues in Parliament.

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According to the analysis, the number of short-duration discussions initiated in Parliament has decreased over the last few Lok Sabhas – from 13th (1999-2004) to 17th (2019 onwards).
Under the short-duration discussions, MPs can raise a discussion on a matter of public importance while other MPs can also participate. In the end, the concerned Minister would reply to the debate.

While 59 short duration discussions were held between 1999-2004, it declined to 45 between 2004 and 2009 (14th Lok Sabha) when the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government was in power.

“There were 59 such discussions in the 13th Lok Sabha, which declined to 55, 41, and 33 in the last three Lok Sabhas, and further to six in the three-and-a-half years of the current Lok Sabha,” the analysis said.

The number of short duration discussions are unlikely to see a dramatic rise in the next 18 months, as there are only four sessions left before the next Lok Sabha election. Even the fourth session, which will be the Budget Session of 2024 is unlikely to see much business, as the country will be in election mode by then.

It is not just short duration discussion, the current Lok Sabha is yet to elect a Deputy Speaker even after three and a half years since it first convened. Article 93 of the Constitution states that Lok Sabha should choose two members of the House as Speaker and Deputy Speaker “as soon as may be”.

"There has just been one instance in the past – 269 days during the 12th Lok Sabha – when it took over three months to elect a Deputy Speaker," the analysis said.

The importance of the post could be gauged from the fact that the Constitution stipulates that it is the Deputy Speaker to whom the Speaker has to submit his resignation, if he chooses to do so.

The present Lok Sabha has the longest period of pendency to choose an MP for the post. In the 11th Lok Sabha, Suraj Bhan was elected as Deputy Speaker within 52 days while the next Lok Sabha saw PM Sayeed taking over the post on the 270th day. Sayeed again became the Deputy Speaker in 13th Lok Sabha when it took just seven days, similar to the number of days taken by Charanjit Singh Atwal and Karia Munda in the 14th and 15th Lok Sabha respectively.

In the previous Lok Sabha, M Thambi Durai was elected on the 71st day.

In the previous Monsoon Session of Parliament, RSP MP N K Premachandran had introduced a private member bill in Lok Sabha to amend Article 93 to insert a specific time limit of one month to choose a Deputy Speaker within a month from the date of election of Speaker.