Ramdas Athawale

You can hold them accountable for

• Attending and taking part: turning up for Parliament sittings, department reviews and committee work, and doing the ministerial job actively rather than in name only.
• Answering to Parliament: giving truthful, timely, non-misleading replies to starred and unstarred questions and to debates on their department (Independent Charge) or on the subjects a Cabinet Minister has handed to them; and laying required papers and reports on the Table of the House.
• Keeping promises made to Parliament: honouring the assurances, promises and undertakings a minister gives on the floor of the House, which are formally tracked by the Committee on Government Assurances until they are carried out.
• Delivering the department's job: for an Independent Charge MoS, how well the ministry they run performs — its schemes, targets, service delivery, delays and outcomes; for an assisting MoS, the specific subjects handed to them.
• Using powers lawfully: acting only within the subjects given to them under the Allocation of Business Rules and the Transaction of Business Rules (Article 77), and following the law and financial rules when signing files, notifications and appointments.
• Spending public money well: overseeing their department's budget and spending honestly and efficiently, subject to Parliament's grant and to audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
• Collective responsibility: standing by, and being answerable to the Lok Sabha for, government and Cabinet decisions (Article 75(3)); resigning or accepting removal if they cannot support them.
• Keeping the oath: honouring the oath of office and secrecy under the Third Schedule — bearing true faith to the Constitution and not misusing confidential information.
• Ethics and conflict of interest: following the Code of Conduct for Ministers — declaring assets and liabilities, keeping away from business and financial interests that clash with public duty, and not using the office for private gain.
• Clean and lawful conduct: not indulging in corruption or misuse of office, and staying subject to the same disqualification, anti-defection (Tenth Schedule) and criminal-law standards as any Member of Parliament.
• Following the rules of the House: obeying parliamentary procedure and the rulings of the Chair, not misleading the House, and correcting the record when they get something wrong.
• Being reachable and open: responding to representations from citizens and MPs, and providing accurate information through Parliament and the Right to Information Act.
• Representing constituents: as a sitting MP (a Lok Sabha member, or a Rajya Sabha member from a state), raising and pursuing the concerns of the people or area they represent alongside their ministerial duties.

You can hold them accountable for

• Attending sittings of the Rajya Sabha regularly and taking active part in debates, discussions, and voting on Bills and motions (attendance and participation are publicly recorded).
• Using their law-making powers responsibly — proposing, examining, debating, and voting on national legislation and constitutional amendments in the interest of the country and their State.
• Representing the concerns and interests of the State they were elected from (or, for nominated members, contributing their special expertise) in national law-making.
• Scrutinising the government by asking questions, moving motions, and working through parliamentary committees to hold ministers and departments to account.
• Examining and debating the Union Budget and public spending, and questioning how public money is used.
• Using their MPLADS entitlement (Rs 5 crore/year) honestly — recommending only eligible public-good works within their State (or anywhere in the country, for nominated members), including the mandated share for Scheduled Caste (15%) and Scheduled Tribe (7.5%) areas, and making sure the money is properly used and audited.
• Transparency about money and interests — disclosing assets and liabilities and registering personal, pecuniary, or business interests in the Rajya Sabha Register of Members' Interests, and declaring conflicts of interest before speaking or voting.
• Following the Constitution, the law, and the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Council of States, and respecting the authority of the Chair.
• Ethical conduct and integrity — behaving honestly, avoiding corruption, and abiding by the code/rules overseen by the Rajya Sabha Ethics Committee (India's first parliamentary Ethics Committee, set up by the Rajya Sabha in 1997).
• Not misusing the anti-defection rules — abiding by the Tenth Schedule without taking any corrupt inducement to switch sides or votes.
• Being reachable and responsive to citizens, institutions, and civil society in their State, and communicating their parliamentary work.
• Delivering on the mandate of any Ministry or department they head IF they are also a Union Minister — answering to Parliament for that portfolio's performance and decisions.
• Not misusing parliamentary privileges (Article 105) — free speech in the House is protected, but the privilege is meant for genuine legislative work, not to evade accountability.
• Justifying claims on salary, allowances, and facilities provided under the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954, and using them properly.