Respond to expectations of a new generation: Ansari

Noting that there is a perceptible drop in the working days of Parliament, Vice President Hamid Ansari on Sunday called for restoring legislatures to their earlier norms of functioning.

"There is a perceptible drop in the working days of Parliament. Deliberation is less frequent; legislation is at times hasty. An impression is afoot in some quarters that diligent parliamentary work is less rewarding in political terms," he said.

Addressing a function to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the first sitting of Parliament in the Central Hall of Parliament, Ansari said, "We do need to respond meaningfully to awakened expectations of a new generation in a changing world."

He said 60 years is a long time to assess the working of Parliament in two critical areas of its functioning -- ensuring accountability and oversight of the executive, and deliberating and law-making. "Both tend to exhibit declining efficacy," he said, adding they "are being progressively underused".

Admitting that perfection eludes human creations, the vice president said, "Our Parliament has been successful in good measure in representing and harmonising the diversity of our social and political interests, and in moving forward on the basis of commonality and inclusion, rather than superiority and exclusion."

Noting that Parliament was central to economic reform and development, he called for restoring its salience to negotiate a difficult economic and social evolution in the world.