Editorial 1 : The Consensus Document
Context: The consensus republic: A lesson for today’s parliamentarians from the Constituent Assembly
Introduction: Today, on November 26, India celebrates the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India. As we commemorate the 75th anniversary, it is important to also celebrate the contribution of the members of the Constituent Assembly.
The Constituent Assembly
- The most important lesson to learn from the Constituent Assembly debates is how people can vehemently and respectfully disagree with each other without questioning motivations, commitments and values.
- Dr. Ambedkar appreciated and celebrated the dissenting voices in the Constituent Assembly.
Dismal Parliament Record
- The last two decades of the evolution of parliamentary democracy (2004-24) in India should be carefully examined to understand and appreciate the need for reimagining the culture of democratic engagement in Parliament.
- Before 1990, each Lok Sabha used to convene for 550 days spanning 3,500 hours, which declined to 345 days spanning 1,800 hours post-1990.
- The 17th Lok Sabha (2019-24) held the lowest number of sittings, with 274 days over five years.
- The 1st Lok Sabha sat for 677 sittings during 1952-57.
- The 15th Lok Sabha (2009-14) passed 192 bills while the 5th Lok Sabha passed 487 bills.
- The percentage of bills referred to Parliamentary Committees reduced from 71% in the 15th Lok Sabha to 16% in the 17th Lok Sabha.
- The 15th and 17th Lok Sabha passed 36% and 35% of bills in less than one hour, respectively.
- The 15th Lok Sabha lost 37% of its scheduled time to disruptions, while the 16th Lok Sabha lost 16%.
- Budget Discussion: The average time spent on Union Budget discussion declined from 120 hours before 1990 to 35 hours post-1990. In 2023, 2018 and 2013, the entire budget was passed without any discussion.
Lessons to be learnt from Constituent Assembly
- Ability to come together, discuss and debate complex issues of law.
- Constituent Assembly’s members represented the most diverse interests; they came from different backgrounds. They discussed and debated complex issues with sincerity and conviction.
- This could serve as an important lesson for contemporary parliamentarians.
- Developing political consensus
- Pluralistic views that promoted a democratic culture were very much part of the Assembly’s discourse.
- However, it must be noted that strong political parties with their ideological interests had not taken root during Constituent Assembly and it did not carry the historical burden that our current parliamentarians have.
- India’s constitutional history has demonstrated the extraordinary power of collective consciousness and of diverse people coming together to lay the foundation of a new India.
Conclusion: The 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India provides a right moment to reflect on and reimagine the future of India’s parliamentary democracy.
Editorial 2 : The Baku Betrayal
Context: Disappointment at CoP — developing countries left unheard
The Finance Cop
- The 29th edition of the UNFCCC’s annual meet (CoP 29) went into extra time, but it wasn’t enough to salvage the rapidly diminishing reputation of UNFCCC.
- A well worked out deal could have gone a long way in resolving the impasse on climate funding.
Finances Needed
- Before the CoP 29, a broad consensus seemed to have emerged that developing countries require at least $1.3 trillion every year to stave off the worst effects of global warming.
- Reports of the planet heating up beyond 1.5oC compared to the industrial era should have imparted a sense of urgency to the deliberations.
- On the criteria of both equity and ambition, the $300 billion finance target pushed through at the last minute fails the developing countries.
- The amount agreed to at Baku could be a seed fund to draw more investment and push climate finances towards the $1.3 trillion figure.
Past Record of Developed World
- Developed countries took over 10 years to meet the $100 billion target set at CoP 15 in 2009.
- Most of that money has come in loans, pushing several low-income countries towards vicious debt traps.
- CoP 29 was expected to provide a road map for effective climate finance. Instead, developed countries rallied to push through a watered-down target of $250 billion. An outcry by developing countries and civil society groups led only to a marginal scale-up in ambition i.e. $50 billion.
Way Forward
- Global South has little time to lament the Baku betrayal.
- Initiatives like International Solar Alliance (ISA) provide some hope, but these are no substitute for UNFCCC-backed funding.
- With developed countries showing scarcely any inclination towards effective climate finances, initiatives like ISA assume added importance.
- Developing countries should come together at multilateral fora to pressure the West.