SYNOPSIS- IASbaba’s TLP 2017 [28th Feb] – Day 32

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1. The sessions conducted in both the houses of the Parliament have witnessed a significant decline in terms of output and productivity. Why? What are the possible solutions? Analyse.

This is a pretty straight forward question for which most of you have given correct answer. Most of the points are repeated so Best answers can be considered as synopsis too.

Some points which you need to remember here are:

The question is asking about recent reasons so don’t mention that uneducated MPs are getting elected, they have criminal back ground, there are so many committees etc. These reasons have always been there but the work was going on properly.

Also try to use correct statements while mentioning solutions, for example many of you have written that time of the session should increase. Now this is an absolute statement. Even if the total time of a session is increased, that too will be wasted in similar fashion. The proper statement is, to extend the session if the required hours have not been invested into work.

These questions can be answered in as lengthy manner as you want but the art is to use minimum words to write maximum points. Do not spend too many words in introduction and conclusion.

Reasons for decline in Output and productivity:

• Parliament has become a fighting ring where political parties are busy in accusing each other for political benefits.
• Earlier most of the parliamentarians were those who were either freedom fighters or who were born in that era. Despite different political opinions they had personal integrity which helped taking debates in healthy direction.
• The concept of ‘whip’ has discouraged the individuality of a parliamentarian which hampers voicing of opinions.
• Parliament well is regularly stormed and the speaker/chairman lacks power to take any strong action against that.

(More points can be added)

Solution:

• Strict parliamentary guidelines should be made and Speaker should be given enough power to take action if they are violated.
• MPs disrupting the parliament should be penalized.
• Parliamentary sessions should be extended till proper time is given to the parliamentary work.
• ‘Whip’ should be used only in rare cases.
• Since live sessions are aired on TV, an online platform should be made for the public to rate sessions and MPs. This will increase the public participation and make MPs conscious of their duties.

Best Answer: Neil

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2. The role of the Speaker in Lok Sabha must be reimagined in order to ensure a well behaved and productive lower house. Comment.

Introduction:

Write a short introduction.

Body:

The speaker of the Loksabha and the chairman of Rajyasabha are the representative heads of the parliament of India as such there offices are seen to be above party politics.

Since the government of the day is accountable to the Loksabha, the office of the speaker gains importance,

There have been allegations of speaker favoring the ruling government e.g. the recent Aadhar Bill being passed as the money bill and the prolonged suspensions of the opposition party members.

The speaker and the chairpersons have been unable to prevent the members from occupying the well of the house, holding placard and creating ruckus in the house thereby disrupting the normal functioning of the house.

Steps needed:

1. Clear cut code of ethics for the speaker to maintain impartiality and neutrality of the office.
2. Powers of the office of the speaker have to be increased to maintain the decorum and dignity of the house, so that unruly behavior is curbed.
3. The office of speaker must be made accountable to the committee of the house comprising members of all the political parties, for any allegations of partisanship and favoritism.
4. The speaker should induce confidence among all the members of the house that their grievances and doubts will be legitimately addressed, this is the moral responsibility of the Speaker.
5. The office of the speaker be filled by a non-political person, like the office of President of India, in this way he/she will be politically neutral and judge the cases on the basis of pure merit.

Conclusion:

Write a suitable conclusion.

Best answer: AJAY SINGH

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3. Discuss the role and functioning of Parliamentary Committees.

Introduction:

Write a brief introduction.

Body:

Role of parliamentary committees:

1. Since the Parliament neither has time nor expertise to draft bills, the committee drafts the bills in detail. The bills drafted are advisory in nature. Their role has become increasingly important in the light of the fact that Parliament is losing time to disruptions and the number of debates are reducing.
2. They keep a check on the spending of Public Funds by the executive. Thus they ensure financial accountability.
3. They allow opposition members to participate more proactively in policy framing since PCs contain members both from government and opposition.
4. To constantly keep a vigil on the functioning of the government and to make sure that the legislative business is not bypassed by way of Ordinance.

FUNCTION OF PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES:

1. It is the focal point for legislation and oversight on one or more given topics or sectors.
2. A committee is not a decision-making body, except in respect of its own internal proceedings, but provides advice to the parliament
3. It has no standing independent of the legislature and does legislature work.
4. The committee reports conclusions from the work of the committee to the house,
   often with recommendations for decision.
5. They scrutinize the accounts of the government and the grants sanctioned by the Loksabha, the quantity, utilization and the end results. So that efficiency and economy is maintained and wastage is minimized.

Conclusion:

Write a suitable conclusion.

Best answer: KARTHIK

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4. India needs logistic nodes and hubs to propel the supply chain infrastructure of the country. Elucidate.

India has one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. Based on the country’s 12th Five-Year Plan, manufacturing in India is expected to grow at a healthy CAGR of 9.5 percent. However, according to a World Bank Survey, India ranks 35th in global trade logistics performance. Despite the generally positive economic outlook, estimates indicate that the country’s inefficient supply chain results in an approximately $65bn loss per year.

Absence of a robust and integrated supply chain route is a serious impediment to attracting more foreign investment into the country.

The biggest challenge is (poor) infrastructure. More can be accomplished if there’s better logistic infrastructure and the ability to scale up to get products to the villages. For example, the Food Security Bill that has been passed needs to be implemented. How to get rice and food grains to the villages remains an SCM challenge. There’s going to be a huge opportunity once infrastructure bottlenecks are removed. This country has the potential to come up as a supply chain centre of excellence for the world.

The corporations need to build larger distribution centres into the interiors to consolidate access and move larger ones on efficient and appropriate vehicles.

Road transport is plagued by slow movement on road, causes delay and cost burden. Difficulty in transport of perishable items. Affects cost and leads to food inflation.

India lacks standard ports on the eastern shores, which negates export potential of mineral rich Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand etc.

Cargo via airways are still expensive and not conducive for most middle class goods.

With India becoming the factory of the world, establishment of hubs and spokes with quick international connections will only increase. To succeed today and to pave the way for a better future, firms in India need to create strong linkages with their logistics and supply chain partners. More and more of them today are realizing the importance of developing and implementing a comprehensive logistics and supply chain strategy – and then linking this strategy to the overall business goals.

Best answer 1: ashis kar

Infrastructure plays a very important role in economic development of any country. Post globalization and economic development logistics is said to be the backbone of infrastructure for many right reasons.

For any economy supply chain infrastructure in vital as it helps in

• Attracting foreign investments
• Improve Export potential
• Reducing regional disparities

Where does India Stand?

The logistics performance index by World Bank ranks India 35 among 160 countries. Though a positive development but India still has one of the highest logistics cost to GDP ratio of 19%, higher than China and European counter parts. Some of the issue are

1. Road transport is plagued by slow movement on road, causes delay and cost burden. Difficulty in transport of perishable items. Affects cost and leads to food inflation.
2. India lacks standard ports on the eastern shores, which negates export potential of mineral rich Odisha, Chhattisgarh,Jharkhand Etc.
3. Cargo via airways are still expensive and not conducive for most middle class goods.

To improve the situation govt has taken few steps such as Sagarmala project which will certainly improve India’s logistics cost. Some other steps which can be taken to vitalize the logistics are:

1. Implementation of Nandan Nilekani Committee’s recommendations for improving road transport such as electronic toll collection (ETC) & International Road Transport Convention.
2. Implementation of results of logistics Efficiency Enhancement by World Bank

An improved logistics will go a long way in success of schemes such as Make India which in turn can address a multitude of problems.

Best answer 2: Axi Tak

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5. The evolution of environmental jurisprudence in the last decade has been encouraging in India. Do you agree? Substantiate.

India, like most developing countries, is faced with the daunting challenge of developing itself rapidly, while at the same time preserving and protecting its environment. Major environmental problems have resulted in India from the use (and more often the misuse) of its natural resource base.

Legislative and regulatory responses to environmental problems have been adopted in India-especially in the wake of the Bhopal tragedy which is clearly the world’s worst industrial disaster. But the judicial approaches to environmental problems which have also followed, have been especially interesting in India for a variety of reasons, which are relevant to the challenges facing courts today, in developing and developed countries alike.

Since 1972, India has carefully crafted an extensive body of environmental jurisprudence. Through the work of legislature, along with the judiciary, the importance of environmental protection is being considered in all aspects of the law. The judiciary in particular has been extremely active in developing this ideal. By declaring a fundamental right to a healthy environment and liberalizing locus standi requirements, the judiciary has become active and influential in this developing country.

Most significantly, the environmentally sympathetic stance of India’s judiciary has created innovative procedural remedies even where they are not provided for under existing legislation. In its interpretation of cases, India’s judiciary has expanded the role of the courts, in its commitment to rectify perceived problems within other branches of the government.

Unlike other litigations, the frequency and different types of orders/directions passed periodically by the Supreme Court in environmental litigation and its continuous engagement with environmental issues has evolved a series of innovative methods in environmental jurisprudence.

These innovative methods, for instance, include entertaining petitions on behalf of the affected party and inanimate objects, taking suo motu action against the polluter, expanding the sphere of litigation, expanding the meaning of existing Constitutional provisions, establishment of National Green Tribunal (NGT), applying international environmental principles to domestic environmental problems, appointing expert committee to give inputs and monitoring implementation of judicial decisions, making spot visit to assess the environmental problem at the ground level, appointing amicus curiae to speak on behalf of the environment, and encouraging petitioners and lawyers to draw the attention of Court about environmental problems through cash award.

The innovative methods initiated in resolving environmental litigation, however, have been almost entirely dominating the environmental jurisprudence process for more than the last twenty years.

One can also provide examples of some of the landmark judgements given by the Supreme Court to expand the scope of environmental jurisprudence in India.

• Subhash Kumar vs State Of Bihar And Ors, 1991 – Supreme Court held that right to life is a fundamental right under Art. 21 of the Constitution and it include the right to enjoyment of pollution free water and air for full enjoyment of life.
• M. C. Mehta vs. Union of India 1987 – Supreme Court established a new concept of managerial liability – ‘absolute and non-delegable’ – for disasters arising from the storage of or use of hazardous materials from their factories. The enterprise must ensure that no harm results to anyone irrespective of the fact that it was negligent or not.
• Vellore Citizens Welfare Forum vs. Union of India, AIR 1996 – Supreme Court held that industries are vital for the country’s development, but having regard to pollution caused by them, principle of ‘Sustainable Development’ has to be adopted as the balancing concept. ‘Precautionary Principle’ and ‘Polluter Pays Principle’ has been accepted as a part of the law of the country.
• Narmada Bachao Andolan vs. Union of India against deforestation
• Tarun Bharat Sangh, Alwar vs. Union of India  against mining in the Dehra Dun hills

Best answer: Kartik

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