Parliament's accelerated bill passage raises concerns over legislative scrutiny: PRS data

Hindustan Times - India · 23 Aug 2026 · 2 min read
Prelims · Polity Mains · GS2 Governance High relevance

PRS Legislative Research data reveals a sharp increase in bills being passed in the same session of introduction, with 53% of bills in the 18th Lok Sabha cleared without inter-session gap, raising concerns about reduced parliamentary scrutiny and stakeholder consultation.

Key points

Legislative efficiency vs scrutiny: 34 of 64 bills (53%) in 18th Lok Sabha were passed in the same session, up from 33% in 16th Lok Sabha and 62% in 17th Lok Sabha, indicating a structural shift in parliamentary functioning.

Monsoon Session 2026: 11 of 12 bills introduced were passed in the same session, with only the Indian Statistical Institute Bill remaining pending, showing accelerated clearance of unlisted bills.

Committee bypass: PRS notes reduced time for MPs to examine bills and limited stakeholder consultations, with 9 bills passed without any MP (other than minister) speaking during Monsoon Session 2026.

Expedited process: 7 of 11 bills in Monsoon Session were passed in ≤5 minutes, contrasting with 0 bills passed in Budget Session 2024 and only 1 in Winter Session 2024.

Pending bills: Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill and FCRA Amendment Bill remained unpassed despite being on government agenda, showing selective prioritization.

Parliamentary disruptions: Lok Sabha functioned for only 15% scheduled time in Monsoon Session 2026, with Question Hour operating for just 9 minutes (1% scheduled time), impacting oversight functions.

[GS2-Governance] This trend reflects centralization of legislative process, reducing Parliament's role as deliberative body and raising questions about executive dominance in law-making.

[GS4-Ethics] Expedited bill passage without debate challenges constitutional morality principles of participatory democracy and reasoned deliberation in law-making.

Way Forward: Mandatory minimum gap between bill introduction and passage, compulsory referral of complex bills to committees, institutionalizing pre-legislative consultation process, and reforming parliamentary procedures to ensure meaningful debate.

Key terms

Committee System

Parliamentary committees (standing/select/joint) enable detailed scrutiny of bills outside House time. Their underutilization (only 5 bills referred in 17th Lok Sabha) is critical for GS2 analysis of legislative quality erosion.

PRS Legislative Research

An independent, non-profit think tank that tracks Parliament's functioning, provides legislative analysis, and promotes transparency. Its data is crucial for UPSC as it reveals trends in law-making, executive-legislative relations, and parliamentary democracy's health.

Question Hour

A constitutional convention under Rules of Procedure where MPs question ministers about governance matters. Its erosion (functioning for just 1% time in Monsoon Session 2026) signifies decline in executive accountability, relevant for GS2 questions on parliamentary oversight.

Pre-legislative Consultation Policy

A 2014 mandate requiring ministries to publish draft bills for public feedback for ≥30 days. The current trend bypasses this, important for GS2 questions on participatory governance and law-making reforms.