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Editorial · 2 min read · THE HINDU PAPER EDITORIAL

Parliamentary Discord and Democratic Accountability

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The recent attempt to remove Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla via a resolution under Article 94(C) of the Constitution culminated in its rejection by a voice vote, yet not before it intensified the existing political chasm between the ruling dispensation and the opposition. While Parliament is ostensibly the bedrock of India's representative democracy, designed to ensure governmental accountability through methodical discourse, its current state reflects a profound erosion of these foundational principles. The institution, particularly the Lok Sabha, has regrettably devolved into a forum for virulent political partisanship , a trend exacerbated by persistent single-party dominance . This politicization extends to the presiding officers, as seen in previous attempts to unseat the Rajya Sabha Chairman. The catalyst for the latest opposition push for Mr. Birla’s ouster appears to be his contentious assertion of possessing confidential information regarding potential actions by Congress women MPs against the Prime Minister.Opposition members frequently articulate concerns over their inability to raise substantive issues . Instances include Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi being denied permission to bring up former Army Chief M.M. Naravane's unpublished memoir concerning the 2020 China standoff and repeated instances of their microphones being switched off during crucial debates. Gandhi's frequent interruptions (20 times) during the Motion of Thanks and blocking of the Adani investigation issue further underscore these grievances . Conversely , the government puts forth data, highlighting considerable time allocated to the opposition in Zero Hour and a fair distribution of supplementary questions. Home Minister Amit Shah also spoke out for the Lok Sabha's impressive productivity and its multilingual debates during Mr. Birla’s tenure, while also calling out Mr. Gandhi’s attendance record. Ultimately, this contentious episode points to a deeply fractured political landscape , demanding urgent introspection and a collective commitment from both the majority and the opposition to rise above partisan divides and re-establish Parliament's esteemed authority .

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Vocabulary from this Editorial

Accountability noun

The fact or condition of being accountable; responsibility.

Synonyms: responsibility, answerability, liability

"Governmental accountability is paramount for a functioning democracy."

Allocated verb (past participle)

Distributed (resources or duties) for a particular purpose.

Synonyms: assigned, allotted, earmarked

"The funds were carefully allocated to various departments to ensure efficient use."

Articulate verb

Express (an idea or feeling) fluently and coherently.

Synonyms: express, state, enunciate

"She was able to articulate her concerns clearly during the meeting."

Assertion noun

A confident and forceful statement of fact or belief.

Synonyms: claim, declaration, statement

"His assertion that the economy was improving was met with skepticism."

Authority noun

The power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.

Synonyms: power, control, command

"The principal exercised her authority to maintain discipline in the school."

Bedrock noun

A strong foundation; the fundamental principles on which something is based.

Synonyms: foundation, basis, cornerstone

"Trust is the bedrock of any successful relationship or institution."

Catalyst noun

A person or thing that precipitates an event.

Synonyms: stimulus, impetus, trigger

"The new policy acted as a catalyst for widespread public debate."

Chasm noun

A profound difference between people, viewpoints, feelings, etc.

Synonyms: gulf, rift, split

"A deep chasm exists between the two political factions."

Collective adj

Done by people acting as a group.

Synonyms: joint, shared, common

"The project was a result of a collective effort from the entire team."

Commitment noun

The state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.

Synonyms: dedication, devotion, allegiance

"Her commitment to her studies earned her top grades."

Concerning preposition

About; regarding.

Synonyms: regarding, about, respecting

"He received a letter concerning the upcoming changes in policy."

Contentious adj

Causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial.

Synonyms: controversial, disputable, debatable

"The new zoning law proved to be a highly contentious issue among residents."

Conversely adverb

In a contrary way; on the other hand.

Synonyms: alternatively, oppositely, conversely

"Some studies show benefits; conversely, others find no significant effect."

Devolved verb (past participle)

Transferred or delegated (power) to a lower level; passed into a worse state.

Synonyms: delegated, transferred, relegated

"The responsibility for local services has been devolved to regional councils."

Dispensation noun

A political, religious, or social system prevailing at a particular time.

Synonyms: system, regime, order

"The new economic dispensation promised significant reforms."

Distribution noun

The action of sharing something out among a number of recipients.

Synonyms: allocation, apportionment, disbursement

"The equitable distribution of resources is crucial for social justice."

Divides noun (plural)

Differences or disagreements that separate people or groups.

Synonyms: fissures, rifts, schisms

"The policy created deep divides within the community."

Dominance noun

Power and influence over others.

Synonyms: supremacy, ascendancy, hegemony

"The company aimed for market dominance with its innovative products."

Erosion noun

The gradual destruction or diminution of something.

Synonyms: decay, deterioration, decline

"The constant erosion of public trust is a serious threat to democracy."

Episode noun

An event or a group of events occurring as part of a larger sequence.

Synonyms: incident, event, occurrence

"This unfortunate episode highlighted the need for better security measures."

Esteemed adj

Highly respected.

Synonyms: respected, revered, honored

"He was an esteemed scholar, recognized globally for his contributions."

Exacerbated verb (past participle)

Made (a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling) worse.

Synonyms: aggravated, worsened, intensified

"The new regulations exacerbated the existing economic disparities."

Foundational adj

Providing a basis or groundwork; fundamental.

Synonyms: fundamental, basic, underlying

"Logical thinking is a foundational skill for problem-solving."

Fractured adj

Broken or splintered; (of a group or organization) divided or disintegrated.

Synonyms: fragmented, divided, splintered

"The deeply fractured political landscape made consensus difficult to achieve."

Grievances noun (plural)

Real or imagined wrong or other cause for complaint or protest, especially unfair treatment.

Synonyms: complaints, resentments, injustices

"The workers aired their grievances during the union meeting."

Highlighting verb (present participle)

Drawing special attention to (something).

Synonyms: emphasizing, stressing, underscoring

"The report is highlighting the urgent need for environmental protection."

Intensified verb (past participle)

Made or became more intense.

Synonyms: heightened, strengthened, escalated

"The conflict intensified after the recent border skirmish."

Introspection noun

The examination or observation of one's own mental and emotional processes.

Synonyms: self-reflection, self-examination, contemplation

"Periods of introspection are crucial for personal growth and understanding."

Landscape noun

The distinctive features of a given area of intellectual activity.

Synonyms: environment, scenario, situation

"The competitive landscape of the tech industry is constantly evolving."

Methodical adj

Done according to a systematic or established procedure.

Synonyms: systematic, orderly, organized

"Her methodical approach to problem-solving ensures thoroughness."

Ostensibly adverb

As appears or is stated to be true, though not necessarily so; apparently.

Synonyms: apparently, seemingly, professedly

"Ostensibly, the meeting was for planning, but it turned into a heated debate."

Ouster noun

Expulsion or removal from a position or office.

Synonyms: expulsion, removal, ejection

"The CEO's sudden ouster sent shockwaves through the company."

Partisan adj

A strong supporter of a party, cause, or person; prejudiced in favor of a particular cause.

Synonyms: biased, prejudiced, sectarian

"His partisan views often prevented him from seeing the full picture."

Partisanship noun

Prejudice in favour of a particular cause; bias.

Synonyms: bias, prejudice, factionalism

"Excessive partisanship can hinder constructive political dialogue."

Persistent adj

Continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.

Synonyms: tenacious, determined, relentless

"Her persistent efforts eventually led to a breakthrough in the research."

Politicization noun

The action of causing an activity or issue to become political.

Synonyms: ideologization, partification, factionalization

"The politicization of the education system led to numerous reforms being stalled."

Presiding adj

Being in the position of authority in a meeting or other gathering.

Synonyms: supervising, officiating, chairing

"The presiding judge maintained strict order in the courtroom."

Productivity noun

The state or quality of being productive, especially the rate at which a company produces goods or services.

Synonyms: efficiency, output, yield

"New technology helped increase the company's productivity significantly."

Profound adj

Very great or intense.

Synonyms: deep, intense, extreme

"The experience had a profound impact on her outlook on life."

Regarding preposition

Concerning; with respect to.

Synonyms: about, concerning, with reference to

"I have some questions regarding the new terms and conditions."

Regrettably adverb

In a way that expresses regret or sadness.

Synonyms: unfortunately, sadly, lamentably

"Regrettably, the event had to be cancelled due to bad weather."

Re-establish verb

Establish again; restore.

Synonyms: restore, reinstate, rebuild

"Efforts are underway to re-establish diplomatic relations between the two countries."

Standoff noun

A stalemate or deadlock between two equally matched opponents in a dispute or conflict.

Synonyms: deadlock, stalemate, impasse

"The political standoff between the parties prevented any progress on the bill."

Substantive adj

Having a firm basis in reality and therefore important, meaningful, or considerable.

Synonyms: meaningful, significant, considerable

"The discussions led to substantive changes in the company's policy."

Underscore verb

Emphasize (something).

Synonyms: emphasize, highlight, stress

"The recent events underscore the importance of international cooperation."

Unseat verb

Remove (someone) from a position of power or authority.

Synonyms: dethrone, oust, topple

"The opposition aimed to unseat the incumbent mayor in the upcoming elections."

Virulent adj

(Of a disease or poison) extremely severe or harmful in its effects; bitterly hostile.

Synonyms: venomous, malicious, hostile

"The debate was marked by virulent attacks from both sides."

Phrasal Verbs

Bring up

To mention a topic or introduce it into a discussion.

"The committee decided to bring up the budget deficit at the next meeting."

Call out

To draw attention to someone's mistake or bad behavior; to criticize publicly.

"The journalist decided to call out the politician for his inconsistent statements."

Culminated in

Reached its highest point or the end of a process, resulting in something.

"Their months of hard work culminated in a successful product launch."

Devolved into

To pass into a lower or worse state or condition.

"The peaceful protest regrettably devolved into chaos."

Extends to

To include or affect a particular degree, area, or group.

"His generosity extends to all members of the community."

Points to

Indicates, suggests, or shows a particular fact or situation.

"The rising unemployment rate points to a struggling economy."

Push for

To make a determined effort to achieve something.

"Environmentalists are pushing for stricter regulations on pollution."

Puts forth

To propose or present an idea, argument, or plan.

"The scientist puts forth a new theory to explain the phenomenon."

Rise above

To overcome a difficulty or a negative emotion; to not be affected by something negative.

"Despite the provocations, she managed to rise above the petty arguments."

Spoke out for

To speak publicly in support of someone or something.

"Several activists spoke out for the rights of indigenous communities."

Switched off

To stop the flow of electricity or power to (a light, machine, or other device).

"Please switch off the lights when you leave the room."

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