To what extent, in your view, the Parliament is able to ensure accountability of the executive in India? (150 words) [2021]
In my view, the Parliament of India plays a significant role in ensuring the accountability of the executive in the following ways:
- Legislative oversight: The Parliament has the power to scrutinize and approve the policies and actions of the executive through various mechanisms, such as question hour, debates, and committees. This helps to ensure that the executive is accountable to the legislature and the general public.
- Power of the purse: The Parliament also has the power of the purse, which means that it controls the allocation of financial resources to the executive. This gives the Parliament the ability to influence the priorities and policies of the executive and ensure that public funds are being used effectively and efficiently.
- Impeachment: The Parliament also has the power to impeach the President of India, who is the head of the executive, for violation of the Constitution or for other high crimes and misdemeanors. This serves as a deterrent against abuse of power by the executive and helps to ensure accountability.
- No-confidence motion: The Parliament can also pass a no-confidence motion against the government, which requires the government to resign or seek a vote of confidence from the Parliament. This helps to ensure that the government is accountable to the Parliament and can be removed from office if it loses the confidence of the legislature.
Overall, while the Parliament is not able to fully control the actions of the executive, it has various tools and mechanisms at its disposal to ensure accountability and hold the executive accountable to the people of India.
