From the discussion of the law making process, do you think that Parliament can devote enough time for thorough discussion of the bills? If not, then what remedies would you suggest to overcome this difficulty?
No, Parliament cannot devote enough time for thorough discussion of bills. Since Parliament meets only during sessions, it has very limited time at its disposal. The making of law requires in-depth study of the issue under consideration, which demands more attention and time than what is available during parliamentary sessions.
The main remedy to overcome this difficulty is the system of Parliamentary Committees. A large part of the discussion on bills takes place in these committees. The recommendation of the committee is then sent to the House. That is why committees are referred to as miniature legislatures.
Since 1983, India has developed a system of parliamentary standing committees. There are over twenty such departmentally related committees. These committees play a vital role not merely in law making, but also in the day-to-day business of the House.
Parliamentary committees perform important functions like studying the demands for grants made by various ministries, looking into expenditure incurred by various departments, and investigating cases of corruption. This allows for thorough examination of bills and other matters even when Parliament is not in session.
Thus, the committee system enables detailed deliberation on bills and helps Parliament overcome the constraint of limited time during sessions.
Explanation
The textbook clearly states that Parliament has 'very limited time at its disposal' since it meets only during sessions. Law-making requires 'in-depth study' demanding 'more attention and time.' The remedy suggested by the textbook itself is the parliamentary committee system, which acts as 'miniature legislatures' and handles detailed examination of bills and other parliamentary business. The standing committee system developed since 1983 addresses this time constraint effectively.
Solution Steps
Step 1: Identify that Parliament has limited time as it meets only during sessions
Step 2: Explain that law-making requires in-depth study demanding more time
Step 3: Present parliamentary committees as the remedy - they are called 'miniature legislatures'
Step 4: Describe the standing committee system established since 1983
Step 5: Conclude how committees help overcome the time constraint