Question hour, zero minutes

Used effectively, it could be an important instrument for enforcing accountability. But that8217;s far from happening.

Out of 4461 questions raised in Parliament during the second session of the 13th Lok Sabha 8212; the period that was the subject of the study 8212; only 498 or 9.54 per cent related to the social sector.

And out of these 498 questions, only 113 were on education when 40 per cent of India8217;s population is still illiterate.

8216;8216;If the number of questions asked in Parliament is to be taken as one of the indicators of the commitment of the MPs towards various issues, then it appears that the social sector remains a forgotten area in the eyes of those who are entrusted with the power to shape the future of the country,8217;8217; says the report.

The members who asked the maximum number of questions were Vilas Muttemwar Congress, who asked 91, out of which only seven pertained to the social sector, and Ramdas Athawale of the Indian National Lok Dal, who who asked 87 questions, out of which only 19 related to the social sector. The others were Y S Vivekanand and Raghuvansh Prasad Singh.

Weigh the demand for reservations for women in Parliament against the fact that only 26 per cent of the women MPs 17 out of 49 asked questions. Shyama Singh of the Congress asked 61 and Geeta Mukherjee 38, out of which only five each were relevant to the social sector.

Among those who didn8217;t ask a single question were Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Trinamool president Mamata Banerjeee and BSP8217;s Mayawati.

The chasm between promises and actual performance of our MPs in Parliament sounds even more damaging considering that the expenditure on the LS proceedings per hour was Rs 532,136 in 1999-2000 and rose to Rs 661,768 in 2000-2001.

Out of the 113 questions on education, 27.2 per cent focused on higher education and only 6.3 per cent related to primary education.

8216;8216;The greater emphasis laid by the parliamentarians on higher education to which only 1.8 per cent of the people have access raises the serious doubt that whether it is government for the people or for a privileged few,8217;8217; said the report.

The most vocal MPs seeking information on education are from UP, Maharashtra, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

Concern for minorities, as reflected in the manifestoes of various parties, was another area that the study examined. Only eight questions pertained to them! Out of these, four were related to specific incidents of atrocities and only two to the 15-point programme for their welfare.

Only one was on a minority educational institute and that too on the international aid it had received and the number of foreigners that were studying there.

8216;8216;Surprisingly, Samajwadi Party, which proclaims to be committed to social change in order to compensate the Dalits and backwards for the wrongs done against them, doesn8217;t feel the need to bring to the notice of the highest legislative body of the country any matter related to the minorities,8217;8217; the report remarked.

One hundred and eighty questions pertained to health. 8216;8216;It is distressing to note that the questions8230;show a complete disregard for the health of women and rural poor,8217;8217; says the report.