Why in the News?

Since 2014, the Ministry of Home Affairs made 421 assurances in the Lok Sabha and 338 in the Rajya Sabha. However, it dropped about 15% of the assurances in the Lok Sabha and 12% in the Rajya Sabha, which is the highest among all the ministries in both houses.

What is an ‘Assurance’ in the parliamentary process, and how is it tracked?

• An assurance in the parliamentary process is a commitment made by a Ministry or the executive during a parliamentary session, where the government undertakes to take further action or report back on a matter raised by a Member of Parliament (MP).
  • Example: If an MP asks about the status of a government project, and the Minister promises to provide an update or take further action, that promise becomes an assurance.
• Tracking of Assurances: Assurances are tracked by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs using the Online Assurance Monitoring System (OAMS). The system keeps records of whether assurances are fulfilled, pending, or dropped. If an assurance is not fulfilled within three months, the Ministry must apply for an extension or request that it be dropped.
  • Example: A query about the status of the Adani ports, raised by Congress MP B. Manickam Tagore in 2023, resulted in an assurance, but as of 2024, the assurance remains pending.

Why has the Ministry of Home Affairs dropped the highest number of assurances in Parliament?

• Lack of Follow-up on Critical Issues: The Ministry often fails to follow through on assurances related to significant national security issues, leading to unfulfilled promises.
  • For example, a question on the state-wise number of terrorist attacks and the number of terrorists arrested and killed, raised by former MP Sirajuddin Ajmal in 2014, was left unanswered, and the assurance was dropped.
• Delayed Response to Investigative Matters: The Ministry often fails to follow up on assurances related to complex investigations. An example is the question raised by MP Asaduddin Owaisi in 2014 regarding ‘out of turn promotions’ and ‘gallantry awards’ given to policemen involved in fake encounters, which remained unanswered and was eventually dropped.
• Inability to Fulfill Commitments on Security Incidents: The Ministry has been slow in responding to assurances related to major security incidents. For instance, questions raised by MP Manish Tiwari in 2019 and 2020 regarding the Pulwama terror attack investigation were not fully addressed, resulting in these assurances being dropped.

Which ministries have the most pending and dropped assurances in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha?

• Ministry of Home Affairs: The Ministry of Home Affairs has the highest number of dropped assurances across both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. For example, questions regarding terrorist attacks and the status of security-related investigations, like the one raised by former MP Sirajuddin Ajmal about terrorist attacks, have not been answered, leading to the dropping of the assurance.
• Other Ministries with High Numbers: Besides the Home Ministry, other ministries like Finance, Law and Justice, Road Transport and Highways, and Railways also feature among the top ministries with the most dropped assurances. For example, the assurance related to the investigation of the Adani Group, raised by MP Mahua Moitra in 2021, was dropped by the Finance Ministry despite the promise of further details on foreign investments and SEBI’s inquiry.

How does the Online Assurance Monitoring System (OAMS) help in tracking government assurances?

• Tracking and Monitoring: The Online Assurance Monitoring System (OAMS) allows for real-time tracking of assurances made by the government in Parliament. It records and publishes the status of each assurance, ensuring that the government is held accountable for its commitments.
  • For example, the OAMS portal shows that nearly 65% of the assurances made in 2024 in the Lok Sabha were still pending as of March 24, 2024.
• Transparency and Accountability: OAMS provides transparency by making the status of all assurances accessible to the public. This helps track whether ministries are fulfilling their promises in a timely manner or whether they request extensions.
  • For example, it highlighted the pending status of the assurance regarding the Adani Group’s ports, made in 2023, which has still not been addressed.

What are some notable examples of assurances that remain pending or were dropped between 2014 and 2024?

• Adani Group Ports Assurance: In 2023, Congress MP B. Manickam Tagore asked about the status of government-constructed ports and the volume of trade at Adani-owned ports compared to state-owned ventures. The assurance given in response to this question remains pending as of 2024.
• Investigation into the Adani Group: In 2021, MP Mahua Moitra raised the issue of investigating the Adani Group and foreign portfolio investors owning stakes in the company. The Finance Ministry provided some details but later dropped the assurance, leaving the matter unresolved.
• Pulwama Terror Attack Assurances: Congress MP Manish Tiwari raised questions about the Pulwama terror attack in 2019 and 2020, but the Ministry of Home Affairs dropped the assurances related to those questions, leaving the issues without a formal follow-up.

Way forward: 

• Strengthening Follow-Up Mechanisms: To improve accountability, there should be a more robust system for tracking and following up on assurances. Ministries should be mandated to provide periodic updates, and a dedicated parliamentary committee could be formed to ensure timely resolution.
• Enforcing Deadlines for Assurance Fulfillment: The government should consider setting stricter deadlines for fulfilling assurances, with consequences for non-fulfillment.

Mains PYQ:

Question: “Winning of ‘Hearts and Minds’ in terrorism-affected areas is an essential step in restoring the trust of the population. Discuss the measures adopted by the Government in this respect as part of the conflict resolution in Jammu and Kashmir.” [UPSC 2024]

Linkage: Counter-terrorism efforts and the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, both significant areas of responsibility for the MHA. In response to such a question, the MHA might give assurances about specific measures being taken, data on their impact, or future plans.

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