I am happy to be with you all at this Appreciation Course in Parliamentary Processes and Procedures, organized by the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training of the Lok Sabha Secretariat for the Probationers of the Indian Administrative Service.  I congratulate you on your selection to this prestigious Service.  I am happy that some officers from the Royal Bhutan Civil Service are also present here.  I welcome them to the Indian Parliament.

As civil servants you occupy a special position in our democratic polity.  You are entrusted with the onerous task of running an efficient and smooth administration.  The ideals of inclusive growth and good and responsive governance demand greater emphasis on public service delivery system. Special attention must be paid to the needs of the poor and the vulnerable sections of society to ensure that the benefits of progress and growth reach them equitably. In this context, the civil servants have a challenging task before them. A good administrator needs to be vigilant, responsive, accessible and accountable. You have to be forward looking, humane and flexible enough to lend stability to the system.  You have to harmonize both the executive accountability and the representational expectations and bridge the gap between the aspirations of the people and the delivery mechanism institutions.  To do so, it is crucially important that you have a fair understanding of the ethos and values of our democratic polity.  The discharge of such onerous responsibilities calls for equipping yourselves in terms of relevant knowledge, techniques and skills required for effective performance of the duties and responsibilities.  I am sure that this Appreciation Course will help you in gaining a sound perspective of the various facets of the working of our Parliament.

In our parliamentary system, the institution of the Parliament occupies the central position as it is the cornerstone on which stands the edifice of our entire democratic polity. Being the political nerve centre of the country, it understands the pulse of the people and acts as a mirror of the society, reflecting its urges, hopes and aspirations.  It is on the floor of this institution that the problems and concerns, anxieties and apprehensions of the people are voiced through their elected representatives.

The role of the Parliament assumes added significance in our polity as the Executive not only emanates from the Parliament but it is also accountable to it for all its acts of omission and commission.  Parliamentary control over the Executive is aimed at ensuring that the Government of the day delivers and performs to the best of its ability for public good and the executive power is not abused or misused.

With a view to ensuring greater accountability of the Executive, our parliamentary system has developed many intricate procedures and processes. Our parliamentary practices and procedures have evolved over the years with a view to catering to our native requirements.  These parliamentary processes and procedures enable the members to articulate the grievances of the people and seek their redressal, to draw the attention of the Government to important concerns of the citizens and also to elicit information from the Executive. The procedural devices like Questions, Calling Attentions, Special Mentions, Adjournment Motions, Half-an-Hour Discussions offer ample opportunities to the members to keep the Executive on its toes, thereby making it responsible and responsive to the people through their chosen representatives.

Another effective method by which the Parliament exercises check over the Executive is through its control over finance.  The presentation of the Budget, including the Demands for Grants of various Ministries/Departments/Organizations of the Government of India for approval by the Parliament is a constitutional obligation on the part of the Executive.  Our Constitution makes it amply clear that no tax can be levied or collected except by the authority of law. No expenditure can be incurred from public funds unless it has been sanctioned by the Parliament.  Apart from this, the Executive is bound to spend money for the purpose it is sanctioned by the Parliament.

Our parliamentary system has provided other instrumentalities to keep its vigil on the Executive with regard to its performance.  The strong Committee system that has evolved over the decades acts as a watchdog and it is through the Committees that the public servants come in direct contact with the elected representatives of the people.  In the ultimate analysis, the Parliament, the Executive and the public functionaries are all partners in the exciting task of nation-building.  They are all required to put in their best efforts towards making the governance of the country responsive and sensitive to the concerns of the nation. The Right to Information Act has further increased the responsibility of the public functionaries to work with greater commitment, honesty and sincerity to ensure that the interests of the nation and people are effectively served.

During this Appreciation Course, you will have an opportunity to interact and exchange views and experiences with eminent parliamentarians and senior parliamentary officials.  I hope that with a greater understanding of the role and functioning of the parliamentary institutions, you would be better equipped to make your contribution towards the well being of the country and its people.

With these words, I am pleased to inaugurate this Appreciation Course and wish you all the very best in your career.

Thank you.