India, Dec. 19 -- The 19-day winter session of Parliament closed in a dramatic manner on Friday after two marathon nights of debate that spilled beyond midnight. The productivity figures of 111% and 121% for the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, respectively, might look impressive (reflecting the long hours of sitting in the final week, more than anything else) but they hide the fact that the session was largely lopsided - with the first few days marred by disruptions, followed by two debates and then a flurry of important bills rushed through in the closing days.

The first week of the session was spent in breaking a gridlock between the government and the Opposition and then discussions on issues such as fake news, digital ecosystems and a...