ABSTRACT
India has witnessed much political, social and economic change since the first general election in 1952. The focus of this chapter is on how these changes have impacted institutional moorings and on how Parliament has responded to the changing scenario. The first and most important development is that there is a lot more balance in the social composition of the Lok Sabha, the lower House of Parliament. We now see the occupational democratization of the House and a substantial improvement in the educational qualifications of members of this House. Other positive developments include the introduction of the committee system and televising of parliamentary proceedings. But the negative list is worrisome. The average number of sittings per year has seen a drastic fall, the Question Hour has lost its zing, there is still no fool-proof system to keep criminals out of electoral politics, MPs have little time for law making and they are far more obsessed with their privileges than ethics. Looking at this balance sheet, this chapter argues strongly for Parliament reform encompassing various facets of the responsibilities of MPs and the functioning of the two Houses of Parliament.
