THE GIST of Editorial for UPSC Exams : 16 September 2020 Question and Answer (Indian Express)

Question and Answer (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 2:Polity
Prelims level: Question hour
Mains level: Parliament and State Legislatures – structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers and privileges and issues arising out of these

Context:

Before the start of the truncatedMonsoon session of Parliament, Prime Minister said “this Parliament, particularly this session, has a special responsibility”.

Opening doors:

To send out a unanimous message that the entire country stands behind its armed forces with one voice is what the PM said it in the Parliament. But the special task goes beyond what he said.
The House must open its doors wider to debate and discussion on important issues that confront this country, including the face-off with China, and to questions that seek to hold the government to account.
In fact, it could even be said that the special task of this session of Parliament is to ensure that spaces for disagreement and diversity and difference are not cramped and constricted.
In a crisis, especially in a crisis, it is essential for Parliament to talk things out loudly and freely.

Need to welcome questions:

On Day 2 of the session, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made a statement in Parliament on the situation in Ladakh.
He applauded the armed forces for their patience and resolve, their courage and valour, and said that India is prepared to deal with all contingencies.
But there is much more to be asked and answered, and the issue’s sensitivity must not become a pretext to ward offquestions.
The people’s representatives owe it to the people to seek information, and to deepen deliberation on a consequential matter.
Indeed, there is an important tradition of all-party meetings where the government addresses the Opposition’s questions, especially on issues of diplomacy and national security.
Even apart from China, there are discussions that must not be delayed on the economy, which was already slowing down and is now weighed down by a record contraction, a surging viral load and destruction of demand.
The absence of safety nets for migrants, who are now slowly making their way back to the cities again, needs to be addressed by Parliament, as also the continuing spread of the pandemic and the need for a response to it.
To be heard:
These are not happy times for legislatures in general. The world over, the outbreak of COVID-19 is strengthening executive power and weakening countervailing institutions and checks and balances.
In a time like this, more so when Question Hour has also fallen victim to the virus.
Parliament needs to safeguard its argumentative and deliberative spaces against all efforts to curb or still them, in the name of patriotism or the pandemic.
Through the mask and across the distance, the Opposition has to make itself heard — and has to be heard.

Conclusion:

PM is right, Parliament has a special responsibility — but that responsibility is not just what the PM says it is.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1) With reference to the Gangetic Dolphin, consider the following statements:

1. The Gangetic dolphin (Platanista gangetica) is one of five species of river dolphin found around the world.
2. It is found mainly in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C