“The growth of cabinet system has practically resulted in the marginalisation of the parliamentary supremacy.” Elucidate.

In India's parliamentary system, the Cabinet is the real executive and, as Ramsay Muir put it, the 'steering wheel of the ship of state'. Because the Council of Ministers is drawn from and commands a majority in Parliament, the Cabinet increasingly directs the very body meant to control it, blurring the theory of parliamentary supremacy.

How the Cabinet marginalises Parliament

• Command of a disciplined majority lets the Cabinet dominate the legislative agenda and virtually guarantee passage of its bills.
• The anti-defection law and party whip curtail the independent judgment of legislators.
• Frequent ordinances (Article 123), the money-bill route and use of the guillotine bypass detailed scrutiny.
• Declining sitting days and rushed passage weaken deliberation and oversight.

Checks that survive

• Collective responsibility keeps the Cabinet answerable through no-confidence motions.
• Question Hour, debates, opposition and Parliamentary Standing Committees retain scrutiny functions.

Thus while executive dominance has practically eroded day-to-day parliamentary supremacy, Parliament remains the ultimate source of the Cabinet's legitimacy. Reviving committees, curbing ordinance use and protecting deliberation can restore a healthier balance.