A Pointless Exercise?

Questions are being raised about the need for graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies in Parliament and state legislatures. While some say it’s a waste of money, others ask why other professions are ignored

- Madhav Godbole

ELECTIONS of graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies in six state legislative councils are just over. These elections raise a number of points. The first is whether there is enough justification for the continuance of these second chambers. In the Cons tituent Assembly, questions were raised about the need for a second chamber in Parliament and the state legislatures. Mahatma Gandhi considered it a waste of money to have second chambers and was of the view that a poor country like India could not afford this luxury. Dr BR Ambedkar had suggested that the question of second chambers may be decided after seeing their work and evaluating it.

The Rajya Sabha, at least, had some justification as a representative of states. But, after the constitutional amendment effected by the Vajpayee government in 2002 by which a person need not be a resident of the state for being elected to the Rajya Sabha, even this justification has vanished. The composition of the Rajya Sabha is now no different than the Lok Sabha. It is not the House of the Elders, as was expected earlier. It is as noisy and acrimonious as the Lok Sabha. The latest instance was at the time of the passage of the farm bills in 2020 when some members of the Rajya Sabha were suspended for days for their disorderly behaviour. Questions about the need for continuance of the Rajya Sabha have been raised several times in the past, but the status-quoist thinking has prevailed. Political parties are also not prepared to let go of this patronage for accommodating their members who are unable to get elected by direct elections.

Why should preferential treatment be given to teachers for representation in the councils? There was some justification for it when the Constitution was framed. Now, there are many other professions.