The dates for the forthcoming Winter Session of Parliament have been announced. 1 December to 19 December. The House will actually just sit for 15 days.
We did some research on the number of days Parliament is in session. Here is what we found. During the first Lok Sabha (1952), the average sittings per session of Parliament was 45 days. In the second and third Lok Sabha, the average was 36 days. During the ninth Lok Sabha (1989-1991) which lasted for only 15 months, this number came down to 14.
Since 1991, the average days per Parliament session has always remained above twenty. During the tenth Lok Sabha (1991-1996) Parliament sat for an average of 26 days. In subsequent Lok Sabhas, the average number of days was 21 days, 25 days and 22 days.
When the Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014, this number dropped below 20 days. During the 16th Lok Sabha (2014-2019), the average days per session was 19. During the 17th Lok Sabha (2019-2024), it was 18 days. After today’s announcement, it has dropped to an abysmal 17 days.
The reason for this government’s Parliament-ophobia is obvious. The creaky coalition led by PM Narenda Modi shied away from a discussion on SIR (Silent Invisible Rigging) during the entire Monsoon Session of Parliament. A longer Winter Session would have made them even more uncomfortable when the Opposition demands discussions on unemployment and throttling federalism.
There is another reason why this skittish coalition wants a truncated session of Parliament, starting only in December. It is Constitution Day on 26 November. It would have been a perfect occasion for a meaningful debate on upholding the values of the Constitution of India. But then, who cares about Parliament?