India borrowed its parliamentary structure from the UK but it did not adopt a valuable part of it — the Shadow Cabinet system.

This system could be an effective solution to the persistent problem of our not-so-mature democracy. The Shadow Cabinet (also called the Shadow Front Bench) is integral to the Westminster System. It is composed of a senior group of opposition leaders where each member shadows or marks a minister of the ruling cabinet. The shadow cabinet is led by the Leader of the Opposition (or the leader of other smaller opposition parties) and represents an alternative cabinet to the ruling one.

It is mainly the shadow cabinet’s responsibility to criticise the government and its policies. It also decides whether amendments to the legislation are needed. This helps in having serious debates in Parliament with shadow ministers taking on the real ministers and effectively holding them accountable for their actions and policies.