5 min readSep 21, 2026 02:21 PM IST First published on: Sep 21, 2026 at 02:21 PM ISTThe country’s democratic institutions — the two Houses of Parliament and the state assemblies — are caricatures of what they used to be when they were established. When it all began in the 1950s, the Houses of Parliament and state assemblies were vibrant bodies that met for around 100 days a year or more, and MPs and MLAs articulated their constituencies’ concerns. Question Hour and Call Attention Motions kept the government on its toes, and ministers viewed an approaching session with some trepidation. Today Parliament and the assemblies hardly meet, and the disruptive nature of politics has hollowed out these institutions. As a result, they no longer serve the purpose for which they were established.The two Houses of Parliament met for an average of 127 days per year during the 1950s, and this rose to 138 sittings in the following decade. Now, this average was just 55 days during the 17th Lok Sabha (2019-2024). The percentage of time lost to disruptions has spiralled to over 25 per cent.AdvertisementAlso Read | Politics has descended into a crusade of mutual demonisation, and Parliament has followedThere are fewer days for Question Hour, Call Attention Motions, debates on the Demands for Grants of various departments and legislative business. In earlier decades, MPs would pin down ministers during Question Hour, and the Speakers would pull up ministers who were unprepared or tried to mislead the House. Today, since the House hardly meets, most ministers are given a walkover.The performance of state assemblies is even more abysmal. The average sittings of state assemblies per year, around 80 days or more six decades ago, has crashed to less than 25 days. Article 174(1) of the Constitution stipulates that there shall not be a gap of six months between two sittings. Most chief ministers merely ensure that they fulfil this constitutional formality.This is borne out by PRS Legislative Research. The UP Assembly, which met for 45 to 50 days a year six decades ago, now meets for 15-20 days. The Karnataka Assembly met for around 75-80 days in the 1970s. Now, its sittings average 25 to 33 days per year. The Tamil Nadu Assembly is down from 64 days per year to 32 days. Punjab and Haryana are down to 10-15 days from 40; Bihar is down from 60 days a year to 30. The numbers for Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tripura have fallen by 50 per cent as well.AdvertisementThe problem extends to every aspect of the work of a legislative body, including committees and law-making. Studies show the attendance in committees is just about 50 per cent. The less said about the attitude of MPs to law-making, the better. Here are a few examples: On August 30, 2012, the Lok Sabha passed the AIIMS (A) Bill concerning the establishment of six such premier hospitals for Rs 4,900 crore, in just a minute-and-a-half. On September 3, 2012, the Lok Sabha passed three bills, including the Protection of Women Against Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill (a law that affects millions of working women), without debate. One bill about three new high courts in the Northeast was moved at 12:03 and passed at 12:05. The next day, the House passed the NIMHANS Bill in two minutes.In the Monsoon Session this year, two bills were cleared in three minutes each. Three other bills took four minutes each. These examples of “law-making” in Parliament should shock the conscience of every parliamentarian.The list of perquisites given to parliamentarians is very long, but one item should alert citizens — special, privileged allotment of firearms to MPs by the Customs Department. Four decades ago, Parliament was informed that over 15 months, as many as 38 MPs were allotted guns seized by the Customs Department. RTI activist Ambrish Pandey found that 82 MPs were allotted weapons between 2001 and 2012, including 13 who were facing criminal charges like murder, attempt to murder and kidnapping.In the 1950s, it cost Rs 36,000 per day to run Parliament. In 2004, the cost jumped to Rs 1.23 crore per day and in 2012 to Rs 2 crore. Now, PRS Legislative Research estimates the cost to be a staggering Rs 9 crore per day.you may likeIrrespective of which party or alliance is in power at the Centre and in the states, the parties occupying the opposition benches do not allow the Houses to function. The chaos caused by slogan-shouting results in adjournment.The fall in standards is precipitous. People must demand that the salaries, allowances and perks of our representatives be cut by 50 per cent until a semblance of accountability is restored. One looks forward to such a resolution being adopted at the next conference of presiding officers.Surya Prakash is the author of What Ails Indian Parliament