PARLIAMENT’S BUDGET SESSION: ACHIEVEMENTS, CONTROVERSIES AND UNRESOLVED ISSUES : DEVANAND SINGH

PARLIAMENT’S BUDGET SESSION: ACHIEVEMENTS, CONTROVERSIES AND UNRESOLVED ISSUES : DEVANAND SINGH

19-APRIL-ENG 16

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA------------------------Parliament's recent Budget Session was extraordinary in many respects. This session not only witnessed several rare parliamentary occurrences but also remained a subject of discussion due to the fact that several significant legislative initiatives remained incomplete. This blend of achievements and failures has underscored the need to re-evaluate the functioning of Indian democracy.

First, let us address a significant political development wherein the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026—pertaining to women's reservation—could not be passed in the Lok Sabha. This Bill has long been at the center of political discourse and was widely regarded as a historic step toward enhancing women's political participation. However, amidst extensive debate and opposition protests, the Bill failed to garner the requisite support. Concurrently, the government also refrained from advancing the Delimitation Bill and the Union-State Laws (Amendment) Bill, thereby demonstrating the inherent difficulty in pushing through major reforms without parliamentary consensus.

Another notable event of this session was the passing of the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in the Lok Sabha without a response from the Prime Minister. This is considered an unusual situation within parliamentary traditions, as the Prime Minister typically responds to such discussions to articulate the government's stance. Although the Prime Minister did deliver a response in the Rajya Sabha, his absence in the Lok Sabha raises questions regarding the quality of parliamentary dialogue.

The no-confidence motion moved against the Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla, also marked a significant juncture in this session. The very fact that such a motion was debated is a rarity in itself, as the office of the Speaker is generally considered to transcend partisan politics. Although the motion was ultimately defeated, the entire process served as a clear indication of the extent to which political tensions have escalated within Parliament. Notably, during this period, Birla himself refrained from presiding over the House proceedings—a balanced move that can be viewed as being in consonance with parliamentary propriety. A positive and historic aspect was also witnessed in the Rajya Sabha when nominated member Harivansh was elected Deputy Chairman unopposed. This marked the first instance in which the responsibility of this office was entrusted to a nominated member. This signals that the tradition of prioritizing merit and experience remains alive within the parliamentary system, even if the tone of confrontation appears more dominant in the broader political landscape.

The playing of a recorded rendition of the full six stanzas of ‘Vande Mataram’ just prior to the conclusion of the session was also a symbolic yet noteworthy shift. While this step demonstrates respect for cultural heritage, it also indicates that Parliament is open to incorporating new experiments within its traditional framework.

However, amidst all these developments, the most pertinent question remains: to what extent was this session successful in fulfilling its primary objective—legislative work and policymaking? If crucial bills, such as the Women's Reservation Bill, fail to be passed, it signifies not merely a legislative failure but also a lack of political consensus. In a democracy, debate and dissent are natural; however, when they lead the decision-making process to a standstill, it becomes a cause for concern.

Questions were also raised regarding the duration and conduct of the session. Changes to the pre-scheduled agenda, interim adjournments, and the eventual adjournment *sine die*—all these factors suggest a need to make parliamentary proceedings more streamlined and predictable. Parliament serves not merely as a platform for political confrontation but also as the epicenter of policy decisions, and the country's governance system hinges upon its efficiency.

This Budget Session has made it abundantly clear that within the Indian Parliament, tradition and change, consensus and confrontation, achievement and failure—all coexist simultaneously. This is an inherent part of the democratic process; however, maintaining a balance between these elements remains the greatest challenge. In the times ahead, it will be crucial to observe whether political parties draw lessons from these experiences to adopt a more constructive and result-oriented approach, or if the state of parliamentary deadlock persists. Ultimately, this session has indeed gone down in history; however, this history is not merely one of achievements, but also of those unanswered questions for which the people of the country will seek answers in future sessions.