Daily RC and Vocabulary_ 16th March
House decorum
The ruling party and the Opposition must rise above partisanshipThe Lok Sabha rejected by voice vote, on March 11, a resolution under Article 94(C) of the Constitution for the removal of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla from office, but only after a hostile debate on the functioning of the House deepened the wedge between the government and the Opposition. In principle, Parliament is the foundation of representative democracy, and its routine functions act as an instrument that holds the cabinet accountable. As a forum for government-Opposition interaction, it is meant to operate in a structured, methodical way. Single-party dominance has eroded all these formal and informal functions of legislatures at all levels, and the Lok Sabha, sadly, has become a platform for political partisanship. In recent years, the chairs of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have been dragged into political conflict. In 2024, there was an Opposition resolution to remove Jagdeep Dhankhar as Rajya Sabha Chairman. Though the resolution did not pass, he resigned as Vice-President for unexplained reasons. The Opposition has raised concerns over the Lok Sabha’s functioning, but what precipitated their protest into a formal resolution for Mr. Birla’s removal was, possibly, his statement that he had confidential knowledge that Congress women MPs might act against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the House floor. Opposition MPs are routinely denied the opportunity to raise substantive issues, though the government cites statistics in its rebuttal. The Speaker had disallowed Leader of the Opposition (Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi from quoting former Army Chief M.M. Naravane’s unpublished memoir, which discusses Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role in the 2020 military standoff with China. The microphones of Opposition MPs are frequently switched off during debates. The Opposition has pointed out that in February, Mr. Gandhi was interrupted 20 times while speaking during the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address and also blocked from raising the Gautam Adani investigation issue in the U.S. and the EU-U.S. trade deal. The government argued that the Opposition was given 56% of Zero Hour time, and that NDA MPs, despite their majority, received 321 supplementary questions against the Opposition’s 364 during his tenure. Home Minister Amit Shah said that the House’s productivity during Mr. Birla’s tenure had been high and that it had debated in 14 regional languages. Mr. Shah also cornered Mr. Gandhi for being frequently absent from the House. The resolution and the debate manifested a deeply fractured polity in need of urgent corrective measures. The ruling majority and the Opposition must rise above partisanship and restore the majesty of Parliament.
Top 10 Vocabulary Words from the Editorial
- Decorum
Meaning: Proper behavior, dignity, and respect in a formal setting.
Example:
Members of Parliament must maintain decorum during debates to preserve the dignity of the House. - Partisanship
Meaning: Strong and often blind support for a particular political party or cause.
Example:
Excessive partisanship in Parliament weakens democratic discussion. - Hostile
Meaning: Unfriendly, aggressive, or showing opposition.
Example:
The debate in the Lok Sabha turned hostile, deepening tensions between the government and the Opposition. - Wedge
Meaning: Something that creates division or separation between groups.
Example:
The controversy created a wedge between the ruling party and Opposition leaders. - Partisan
Meaning: Biased toward a particular party or group.
Example:
The Speaker is expected to remain neutral and avoid partisan behaviour. - Substantive
Meaning: Important, meaningful, or having real value.
Example:
Opposition members complained that they were not given opportunities to raise substantive issues. - Rebuttal
Meaning: A statement that proves an argument or accusation to be wrong.
Example:
The government presented statistics as a rebuttal to the Opposition’s criticism. - Precipitated
Meaning: Caused something to happen suddenly or earlier than expected.
Example:
The Speaker’s remarks precipitated the Opposition’s decision to move a removal motion. - Manifested
Meaning: Clearly shown or displayed.
Example:
The heated debate manifested the deep divisions within the political system. - Fractured
Meaning: Broken or divided into parts, especially in a social or political sense.
Example:
The editorial describes India’s politics as a fractured polity needing urgent reforms.
5 High-Level Reading Comprehension MCQs based on the editorial
- What is the primary concern expressed in the editorial?
A. The Opposition is weakening parliamentary democracy.
B. The government is suppressing regional languages in Parliament.
C. Increasing political partisanship is undermining the functioning and dignity of Parliament.
D. Parliamentary productivity has declined drastically.Answer: CExplanation:
The editorial mainly argues that excessive political partisanship and confrontation between the ruling party and Opposition are eroding parliamentary norms and decorum.
- According to the editorial, what is the fundamental role of Parliament in a representative democracy?
A. To ensure dominance of the ruling party.
B. To act as a platform for political confrontation.
C. To hold the executive accountable and facilitate structured government–Opposition interaction.
D. To prevent criticism of the Prime Minister.Answer: CExplanation:
The editorial states that Parliament functions as an instrument to hold the cabinet accountable and provide a structured forum for government–Opposition interaction.
- Which of the following factors contributed to the Opposition’s decision to move the resolution against the Speaker?
- Allegations that Opposition MPs were denied opportunities to raise substantive issues.
- The Speaker’s statement about confidential knowledge regarding Congress MPs’ actions.
- Repeated interruptions during Rahul Gandhi’s speech.
A. 1 only
B. 1 and 2 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3Answer: DExplanation:
The editorial mentions all three factors as contributing to the Opposition’s protest and eventual removal motion.
- Which argument did the government present in defense of the Speaker’s conduct?
A. The Opposition was given more time during Zero Hour.
B. Parliamentary debates were conducted in multiple regional languages.
C. Parliamentary productivity remained high during the Speaker’s tenure.
D. All of the above.Answer: DExplanation:
The government defended the Speaker by citing 56% Zero Hour time for Opposition, high productivity of the House, and debates in 14 regional languages.
- Which of the following best captures the editorial’s concluding message?
A. The ruling party alone must reform parliamentary functioning.
B. The Opposition must reduce criticism of the government.
C. Both the ruling majority and Opposition must rise above political rivalry to restore parliamentary dignity.
D. Parliamentary debates should be replaced with executive decision-making.Answer: CExplanation:
The editorial concludes that both sides must move beyond partisanship and restore the majesty and decorum of Parliament.
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