Hindi English Translation || Editorial || An alarming fall: On the standard of India’s parliamentary sessions

An alarming fall: On the standard of India’s parliamentary sessions

Opposition protests and ruling party vindictiveness (प्रतिशोध, प्रतिकारिता) have exacerbated the fall (गिरना, पतन) in parliamentary standards

The refrain that standards of parliamentary functioning (कामकाज, संचालन, प्रदर्शन) have taken a beating in recent years is not without merit (योग्यता, अच्छा बिंदु). In terms of (के अनुसार) the time spent on deliberating (विचार-विमर्श, सोचा-समझा, चर्चा) legislation, the conduct of fruitful (लाभदायक, उत्पादक, उपयोगी) debates both in tone (स्वर, सुर) and tenor (the general content/meaning; the basic character/quality), and in the quality of discussion, the reliance (निर्भरता, भरोसा) and participation (भाग लेना, भागीदारी) of expert (विशेषज्ञ, शानदार) opinion through the agency of standing and parliamentary committees besides (के अतिरिक्त, इसके अलावा) other factors, parliamentary sessions have been found to be wanting (absent, missing, lacking, not there, not present). Much of this deterioration is a consequence (परिणाम, प्रभाव) of representatives (प्रतिनिधि, सांसद, विधायक) of political parties utilising Parliament more to showcase (exhibit, display, put on public view) political spectacle (display, show) than to use it as a forum (a medium/place (where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged)) for serious legislative (governmental, law-making, policy-making) functioning. This practice was given primacy (greater importance, supremacy, dominance, leadership, priority, preference, first place) by the Bharatiya Janata Party during the United Progressive Alliance’s tenure (term of office, period in office, period of office, time in office) in government, and has now been copied by the Congress and other parties, who are utilising the Houses more and more (to an increasing extent, steadily more, continuously more, gradually more, growingly) as arenas (area, sphere, realm, domain) of protest. Disruption (disturbance, disorderliness, disorganization, turmoil, interruption, obstruction) has become the norm (standard, usual, normal; pattern, model), with the Opposition seeking (try, aim, attempt) to use the debates as a ploy ((cunning) plan, scheme, tactic/trick) to gain publicity — just as the BJP did earlier — but nonetheless (notwithstanding, nevertheless, in spite of that/however) even more damaging to legislative business, with the ruling party choosing to pass Bills without adequate discussion. Other unseemly (improper, inappropriate, undignified; ill-advised) scenes in Parliament last week — the furore (commotion, outcry, uproar, agitation) over a stray (random, accidental, freak, unexpected, casual, incidental) usage of a term by Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (he has apologised), and then the heckling (harass, taunt, tease, needle) of Congress president Sonia Gandhi — have also exemplified (clarify, represent, illustrate (as an example)) the drastic fall in standards.

The officials in charge of (responsible for, in control of, at the helm of; managing, running, administering, directing, overseeing, controlling) maintaining decorum (decency, correctness, propriety, customary behaviour) and order meanwhile have chosen to take punitive (disciplinary, corrective, retributive) actions in suspending (debar, exclude, remove, eliminate, expel, evict) 27 MPs, many for the entire monsoon session just for displaying placards (notice, poster), giving an impression that they would brook (tolerate, allow, accept (something like dissent/difference of opinion)) no protest from the Opposition, and in turn furthering (promote, advance, develop, stimulate, back, foster, champion) its hostility (enmity, bitterness, rancour, resentment) towards the ruling party. This has been exacerbated by the ruling party’s stance (point of view, viewpoint, opinion, position) on Opposition requests for a debate on key issues such as price rise. Data from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats showed that suspensions (exclusion, debarment, removal, temporary removal, elimination, rejection, expulsion, ejection, eviction) of MPs went up three times during the BJP’s tenure in power compared to the previous eight years. Clearly, an attempt must be made by parliamentarians to tamp down (reduce, press down, compress) on this hostility with the onus (responsibility, duty, burden) on doing so being more on the ruling party and its representatives. A revocation (cancellation, repeal, annulment, abolition, invalidation, withdrawal/reversal) of the suspensions and dialogue (discussion, exchange, debate, discourse, exchange of views, talks) will go a long way (will be very successful) in mending relations. As the farmers’ protests that raged on for more than a year showed, the lack (absence, unavailability, non-existence) of adequate parliamentary process in deliberating legislation of consequence can result in (cause, prompt, bring about, give rise to) social conflict (the struggle for agency or power in society) and a democratic deficit (shortfall, deficiency, shortage, undersupply, slippage) in outcomes. There are enough tools, mechanisms, structures and precedents (model, exemplar, example, pattern; previous example/instance, prior instance) in India’s parliamentary history that can be relied upon by the current set of legislators to bring back useful deliberation (discussion, talk, consultation, debate). Parliamentarians must realise that the bedrock (core, basis/base, foundation) of a functioning democracy is a flourishing (thriving, developing, prospering (successfully)) legislature (law-making body or governing body; parliament, congress, council, assembly).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.fall (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गिरना, पतन
English Meaning - decline, deterioration, degeneration, downfall, ruination, collapse, failure.

2.vindictiveness (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिशोध, प्रतिकारिता
English Meaning - vengefulness, revengefulness, vengeance, revenge, avengement.

3.functioning (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कामकाज, संचालन, प्रदर्शन
English Meaning - operation, performance, behaviour.

4.merit (noun)

Hindi Meaning - योग्यता, अच्छा बिंदु
English Meaning - good point, strong point, significance, justification; value, worthiness.

5.in terms of (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - के अनुसार
English Meaning - with regard to, regarding, concerning, as to, in respect of, with reference to, in the matter of, in connection with.

6.deliberate (verb)

Hindi Meaning - विचार-विमर्श, सोचा-समझा, चर्चा
English Meaning - discuss, debate, weigh up; give thought to, think about, ponder, consider.

7.fruitful (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - लाभदायक, उत्पादक, उपयोगी
English Meaning - productive, useful, helpful, beneficial, valuable, rewarding, advantageous, gainful, successful, effective.

8.tone (noun)

Hindi Meaning - स्वर, सुर
English Meaning - mode of expression, expression.

9.reliance (noun)

Hindi Meaning - निर्भरता, भरोसा
English Meaning - dependence.

10.participation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - भाग लेना, भागीदारी
English Meaning - involvement, taking part, engagement, contribution.

11.expert (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - विशेषज्ञ, शानदार
English Meaning - brilliant, great, exceptional, excellent, superb.

12.Parliamentary select committee (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संसदीय चयन समिति
English Meaning - ‘parliamentary select committee’ can be formed for a specific purpose, for instance, to deliberate on a particular bill. Once the Bill is disposed of, that select committee ceases to exist.

13.besides (preposition)

Hindi Meaning - के अतिरिक्त, इसके अलावा
English Meaning - apart from, other than, barring, excluding.

14.consequence (noun)

Hindi Meaning - परिणाम, प्रभाव
English Meaning - result, upshot, outcome, effect, repercussion, reverberations, ramification.

15.representative (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिनिधि, सांसद, विधायक
English Meaning - Member of Parliament, parliamentarian, legislator.

16.alarming (adjective)

English Meaning - worrying, disturbing, shocking/distressing.

17.exacerbate (verb)

English Meaning - increase, raise, intensify, heighten; aggravate, make worse, worsen, inflame, compound.

18.refrain (noun)

English Meaning - a repeated complaint/comment/remark.

19.take a beating (phrase)

English Meaning - suffer damage (very badly).

20.legislation (noun)

English Meaning - law-making, law enactment, law formulation, prescription, ratification.

21.conduct (noun)

English Meaning - management, administration, organization, coordination, handling, carrying out.

22.tenor (noun)

English Meaning - the general content/meaning; the basic character/quality.

23.House committees (noun)

English Meaning - The parliamentary (standing & select) committees; They do close examination and investigation of government policies, actions and spending.

24.Parliamentary Standing Committee/Parliamentary panel (noun)

English Meaning - it is a committee (consisting of Members of Parliament) constituted usually on an annual basis to enable detailed consideration/discussion on all bills (all proposed laws).

25.wanting (adjective)

English Meaning - absent, missing, lacking, not there, not present.

26.showcase (noun)

English Meaning - exhibit, display, put on public view.

27.spectacle (noun)

English Meaning - display, show.

28.forum (noun)

English Meaning - a medium/place (where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged).

29.legislative (adjective)

English Meaning - governmental, law-making, policy-making.

30.primacy (noun)

English Meaning - greater importance, supremacy, dominance, leadership, priority, preference, first place.

31.tenure (noun)

English Meaning - term of office, period in office, period of office, time in office.

32.more and more (phrase)

English Meaning - to an increasing extent, steadily more, continuously more, gradually more, growingly.

33.arena (noun)

English Meaning - area, sphere, realm, domain.

34.disruption (noun)

English Meaning - disturbance, disorderliness, disorganization, turmoil, interruption, obstruction.

35.the norm (noun)

English Meaning - standard, usual, normal; pattern, model.

36.seek (verb)

English Meaning - try, aim, attempt.

37.ploy (noun)

English Meaning - (cunning) plan, scheme, tactic/trick.

38.nonetheless (adverb)

English Meaning - notwithstanding, nevertheless, in spite of that/however.

39.business (noun)

English Meaning - affair, responsibility, duty, function.

40.Bill (noun)

English Meaning - A Bill is a draft statute that becomes law after it is passed by both the Houses of Parliament and assented to by the President. All legislative proposals are brought before Parliament in the forms of Bills (or) draft statute/law, proposed legislation, proposal (presented to parliament/congress/council for discussion).

41.unseemly (adjective)

English Meaning - improper, inappropriate, undignified; ill-advised.

42.furore (noun)

English Meaning - commotion, outcry, uproar, agitation.

43.stray (adjective)

English Meaning - random, accidental, freak, unexpected, casual, incidental.

44.apologise (verb)

English Meaning - say sorry, express regret, make an apology, ask forgiveness, beg pardon.

45.heckle (verb)

English Meaning - harass, taunt, tease, needle.

46.heckling (noun)

English Meaning - harassment.

47.exemplify (verb)

English Meaning - clarify, represent, illustrate (as an example).

48.in charge of (phrase)

English Meaning - responsible for, in control of, at the helm of; managing, running, administering, directing, overseeing, controlling.

49.decorum (noun)

English Meaning - decency, correctness, propriety, customary behaviour.

50.order (noun)

English Meaning - peace, lawful behaviour, law and order, lawfulness, discipline, quietness, peacefulness.

51.punitive (adjective)

English Meaning - disciplinary, corrective, retributive.

52.suspend (verb)

English Meaning - debar, exclude, remove, eliminate, expel, evict.

53.placard (noun)

English Meaning - notice, poster.

54.brook (verb)

English Meaning - tolerate, allow, accept (something like dissent/difference of opinion).

55.in turn (phrase)

English Meaning - successively.

56.further (verb)

English Meaning - promote, advance, develop, stimulate, back, foster, champion.

57.hostility (noun)

English Meaning - enmity, bitterness, rancour, resentment.

58.stance (noun)

English Meaning - point of view, viewpoint, opinion, position.

59.The Upper House (or) Rajya Sabha (noun)

English Meaning - The Rajya Sabha or the Council of States is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India.

60.The Lower House (or) Lok Sabha (noun)

English Meaning - The Lok Sabha or the House of the People is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of India. (bicameral legislature/parliament means a legislature/parliament having two chambers/houses).

61.suspension (noun)

English Meaning - exclusion, debarment, removal, temporary removal, elimination, rejection, expulsion, ejection, eviction.

62.go up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - rise, increase.

63.tamp down (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - reduce, press down, compress.

64.onus (noun)

English Meaning - responsibility, duty, burden.

65.revocation (noun)

English Meaning - cancellation, repeal, annulment, abolition, invalidation, withdrawal/reversal.

66.dialogue (noun)

English Meaning - discussion, exchange, debate, discourse, exchange of views, talks.