The Indian Parliament and Democratic Transformation

Ajay K. Mehra is a political scientist affiliated with the University of Delhi and coordinates the activities of the Centre for Public Affairs, a network institution of public intellectuals.

List of Figures and Tables. Contributors. Foreword. Preface. List of Abbreviations. Introduction Part I Institutional Perspective 1. Parliament: The Formative Years, 1952-72 2. Indian Parliament: Changing Institutional Moorings 3. Why is the Indian Parliament in a State of Decline? Part II Issues in Representation 4. The Indian Parliament and its Mode of Political Representation 5. Parliament as a Representative Institution: An Assessment 6. The Nature of Democratization of the Parliament: A Study of Membership Profile of Lok Sabha Part III Making the System Accountable 7. Parliamentary Accountability in India: Contestations and Performance 8. Parliament and Accountability: Enforcing Responsibility 9. Opposition and Parliamentary Accountability: Who Sets the Agenda? 10. An Analysis of Disruptions in Parliament 11. Parliamentary Control of Delegated Legislation: The Hazards of Erroneous Delegation 12. ‘Responsibility’ and ‘Accountability’: Confidence and No Confidence Motions in the Indian Parliament Part IV Parliament & Other Institutions 13. From Panchayats to Parliament: Exploring Interfaces 14. The First and the Fourth Estates in India Part V Miscellaneous Perspective 15. Parliamentary Staffing: Expertise and Coordination 16. Parliament in India’s Foreign and Security Policy: From a Conscience Keeper to an Active Arbiter 17. Parliament as a Spectacle: Politics by Other Means. Index