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Home / Author / Chakshu Roy

Chakshu Roy

Chakshu Roy

Articles by Chakshu Roy

Bigger Lok Sabha may come at cost of diluted debate, scrutiny and accountability

A larger House might not always translate to a better-functioning House.

Updated on Apr 17, 2026 01:19 IST

Making legislative scrutiny rigorous and process-driven

Parliament needs sharper tools to examine laws. House debate alone for scrutiny is like taking a knife to a drone fight. It is here that parliamentary committees step in. (HT Archive)

Updated on Dec 23, 2025 14:54 IST

How EVMs came into being: A brief history

EVMs being dispatched from the strong room to their respective polling booths in Chennai, ahead of single-phase polling in Tamil Nadu on April 19, on Thursday.

Updated on Apr 19, 2024 08:53 IST

Another Lok Sabha election nears with change in the air

The Kovind panel noted that simultaneous elections “will fundamentally transform the electoral process and overall governance.

Updated on Mar 17, 2024 22:52 IST

Parliament and its discontents

Members of Parliament voting on clauses of the Women's Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha in New Delhi on September 20, 2023. (ANI/Sansad TV)

Updated on Dec 11, 2023 12:52 IST

A building that bore witness to the odyssey of democratic India

The circular Parliament House is unique. It was a late addition to the plan for the New Capital of Delhi (Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

Updated on Sep 18, 2023 23:15 IST

No confidence, no trust: A modern tale of two alliances

The opposition parties will try to corner the government on the ongoing violence in Manipur, the train tragedy in Odisha and the flood situation across the country. (PTI)

Updated on Aug 3, 2023 12:55 IST

What the monsoon session can achieve

The monsoon session might mark the first time that the custodians of Indian democracy – our MPs – transact the nation’s business from their new home next door.

Updated on Jul 19, 2023 17:06 IST

Defections require a political response

The current NCP defection petitions might also take a year and by then, elections will be so close that the entire proceeding will be infructuous, at least politically.

Updated on Jul 4, 2023 15:53 IST

A watershed moment for two democracies

The last time PM Modi addressed the US Congress was in 2016 when he noted that Indian and US legislatures shared several practices

Updated on Jun 21, 2023 15:36 IST

Democracy’s new home needs a structural uplift

Seating has been a problem in the legislative chambers since 1927. The decision to build a new House is based on the inadequacy of the existing building, and to create a new structure distinct from our colonial past., which is laudable.

Updated on May 27, 2023 15:01 IST

The anti-defection law is failing in its purpose

In the last 30 years, at least four Constitution benches have examined the anti-defection law, which still doesn’t work (Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

Updated on May 15, 2023 14:10 IST

A strategy to resurrect our parliamentary discourse

A structural reimagination of the national legislature will help it make a sincere effort in avoiding disruptions and achieve its true deliberative potential, befitting the world’s largest democracy.

Updated on Apr 1, 2023 11:57 IST

Building a legislative road map for India

In 2022, the government did not promulgate a single ordinance, a feat that was last achieved half a century ago, in 1963. (PTI)

Updated on Jan 1, 2023 15:03 IST

Cooperation is key to fix rows involving governors

Earlier this week, Tamil Nadu’s ruling coalition submitted a memorandum to the President seeking the removal of governor RN Ravi even as in neighbouring Kerala, the relationship between governor Arif Mohammed Khan and the Left government plumbed new lows.

Updated on Nov 10, 2022 14:06 IST

The priorities for the new VP in Rajya Sabha

Outgoing VP M Venkaiah Naidu was working on measures to ensure that smaller parties have more of a say in House proceedings. The new VP will have to carry forward these plans and provide adequate time for debate.

Updated on Jul 17, 2022 15:06 IST

The anti-defection law and its effect on politics

Visuals of lawmakers being herded from state to state have underlined their lack of independence and the fraying relationship between a party and a lawmaker.

Updated on Jun 23, 2022 16:26 IST

Governors must be fair in inviting CMs

The post-poll decisions of the governors have invariably been challenged before the courts. So far, the courts have not interfered with the judgment exercised by the governor (Shutterstock)

Updated on Mar 9, 2022 13:16 IST

How Parliament must deal with disruptions

In 1992, former President KR Narayanan described indiscipline and disorder in the legislative bodies as “Infantile disorders or the measles of the middle-age” which “...are bound to pass, but pass they must, otherwise the system will be in mortal danger”. (Hindustan Times)

Updated on Dec 25, 2021 13:56 IST

Rethink the functioning of India’s Parliament

Parliamentary disruptions are a symptom of the critical problems afflicting our legislatures. An effective Parliament requires rethinking of two fundamental areas of our legislative functioning. One — who should convene Parliament and what should it discuss? Two — what changes are required to encourage deliberation and ensure scrutiny in Parliament? (Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

Updated on Nov 27, 2021 16:15 IST

Monsoon session: India’s parliamentary democracy is in crisis

The two Houses went through the motions while passing 15 other laws. Amid continuing disruptions, Lok Sabha, on an average, took less than 10 minutes to pass a law, and Rajya Sabha passed each law in less than half an hour. The passage of these laws was more in form than in substance. In Lok Sabha, there were 13 bills in which no Member of Parliament (MP) spoke other than the minister in charge of the bill. (Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

Updated on Aug 12, 2021 04:57 IST

Why the monsoon session matters

The monsoon session is also the time for Parliament to create a business continuity plan for its committees. Such a plan will come in handy if physical meetings are not feasible because of a third wave (Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

Updated on Jul 25, 2021 13:07 IST

How the budget session let down the spirit of parliamentary democracy

The other worrying aspect of the session was the lack of scrutiny of government legislation in Parliament (Mohd Zakir/HT Archive)

Updated on Mar 28, 2021 16:58 IST

In India, the weakening of the institution of grand inquest

Media reports suggest that parties now want the budget session cut short for campaigning in assembly polls (PTI)

Updated on Mar 14, 2021 14:35 IST

The anti-defection law continues to damage Indian democracy

The anti-defection law has been singularly responsible for stifling debate in our Parliament and state legislatures. For example, approximately 250 Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Lok Sabha have declared their profession as farmers. They are from different political parties and represent people across the country. During the debate on the three farm bills, they could not support or oppose these bills based on their knowledge and experience of the agricultural sector. (Mohd Zakir/HT Archive)

Updated on Feb 22, 2021 01:06 IST

The evolution of India’s Parliament building

At the dawn of Independence, the logistical challenges of accommodating the 300-plus members of the Constituent Assembly would resurface

Updated on Dec 9, 2020 15:00 IST

For a meaningful monsoon session

While legislative business will be a priority, other items on the agenda will be to discuss the government’s handling of Covid-19, the border dispute with China, the plight of migrant labour and the economic situation

Updated on Sep 14, 2020 07:27 IST

The anti-defection law has failed. It is time to scrap it | Opinion

Over the last 35 years, the anti-defection law has had zero success. But it has been successful in severely damaging the legislative framework of our country, with a chilling effect on deliberations in the House

Updated on Jul 26, 2020 12:17 IST

A three-fold test for new legislations | Analysis

With Parliament and assemblies not in session, the executive has been pushing new legislations. But for laws to be effective, they have to be carefully made, regularly sharpened, and judiciously used

Updated on Jun 9, 2020 13:50 IST

Parliamentary committees matter | Opinion

Committees do not suffer from any of the infirmities of debates on the floor

Updated on Dec 11, 2019 14:19 IST

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