Lesson - 11 Parliament of India: Summary

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Lesson – 11

Parliament of India

Summary –
The Parliament has two Houses Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha and the President is
an integral part of the Parliament. India has a parliamentary form of government
in which the Prime Minister and his Council of Ministers are collectively
responsible to the lower House of the Parliament. It is the people who elect their
representatives to be members of the Parliament and these representatives
legislate and control the executive on behalf of the people.

5) Elected members of the State’s


legislative assemblies elect the
members of the Rajya Sabha based on
proportional representation through
Composition of the the single transferable vote system.
Parliament- The Parliament has
6) The bigger State gets bigger
two Houses Rajya Sabha and Lok
representation, and the smaller ones
Sabha. Rajya Sabha is upper House
have lesser representation.
and represents the States of India
while the Lok Sabha is lower House. Qualifications - 1. S/he should be a
citizen of India and at least 30 years of
age, 2. S/he should make an oath or
affirmation stating that he will bear
true faith and allegiance to the
Constitution of India. 3.S/he should be
Rajya Sabha: Membership &
registered as a voter in the State from
Election – which he is seeking election to the
1) It is a permanent body of Rajya Sabha.
parliament, cannot be dissolved.
But in 2003, two provisions have
2) Membership of Rajya Sabha cannot been made regarding the
exceed 250. elections to Rajya Sabha-
(i) Any Indian citizen can
3) President nominates 12 members
based on their excellence in literature, contest the Rajya Sabha
science, art and social service and the elections.
rest are elected. (ii) Elections are to be
conducted through open
4)Rajya Sabha is the body voting system.
representing States in Indian Union.

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Political Science (317)
Learner’s Guide, Senior Secondary Course
Tenure– Qualifications - 1. Should be not
less than 25 years of age, 2. S/he
Safe tenure of six years, one
should declare through an oath that he
third of its members retire after
has true faith and allegiance in the
every two years, can be re-
Constitution and he will uphold the
elected for next term.
sovereignty and integrity of India, 3.
Officials of Rajya Sabha– Must possess such other qualifications
as may be laid down by the Parliament
The Vice-President of India is by law, must be registered as a voter in
the ex-officio Chairman of the any constituency in India, 4. Person
Rajya Sabha, in his absence contesting from the reserved seat
Deputy Chairman the person should belong to the Scheduled Caste
elected by its members or Scheduled Tribe.
amongst themselves.
The Vice-President is an ex- Tenure- Term is for five years, but the
officio Chairman and not a President on the advice of Council of
member of Rajya Sabha, S/he Ministers may dissolve it before the
is normally not entitled to vote. expiry of five years.
S/he can vote only in case of a
tie.
Officials of the Lok Sabha- The
Speaker and the Deputy Speaker:
Membership & Election of Lok
1) Presiding officer of Lok Sabha is
Sabha – known as Speaker.
It is elected directly by the 2) Speaker & Deputy Speaker can
people based on universal be removed from office by a
adult franchise. resolution of Lok Sabha passed
The maximum permissible by a majority of all the then
membership of Lok Sabha is members of the House.
550 out of which 530 are
Powers & functions of Speaker-
directly elected from the States
1. Preside over the house and conduct
while 20 members are elected
the meetings of the House, may ask a
from the Union Territories.
member to finish his speech. 2. Bills,
President may nominate two
reports, motions, & resolutions are
members from the Anglo-
introduced with Speaker’s permission,
Indian community.
3. Custodian of rights and privileges of
Number of seats have been
the members. 4. Can disqualifies a
reserved for Scheduled Castes
member of membership in case of
and Scheduled Tribes in the
defection. 5. In joint sitting of Lok
Lok Sabha.
Sabha & Rajya Sabha, Speaker
presides over the meeting.

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Political Science (317)
Learner’s Guide, Senior Secondary Course
Functions of Parliament- Power of Removal- President of
Parliament is a law-making
making body. India may be removed through the
There are three lists – Union List, process of impeachment, judges of
State List and Concurrent List – Supreme & High Courts can be
Parliament can make laws on 97 removed by an order of the President,
subjects of Union List, some of which may be issued only if a
resolution of their removal is passed
Concurrent List & certain
by both Houses of Parliament by
circumstances on the State List also.
special majority.

Amendment of Constitution -
Most
ost of the parts of the Constitution
can be amended by the Parliament by
special majority, but certain
provisions only be amended by the
Executive Functions - 1. Can Parliament with the approval of
ask questions &supplementary
supplementary States.
questions. 2. If the members are not
satisfied with the Government’s Miscellaneous Functions–
answer, they may demand separate
1) Parliament approves Proclamations
discussion on the subject.
subject 3.
of Emergency
Exercises
xercises control over the executive
through several motions
motions. 4. Lok 2) Parliament may form a new State,
Sabha can express its lack of it may change the boundaries and the
confidence in the executive by name of any State
disapproving budget or money bill or
3) Can
an abolish or create Legislative
even an ordinary bill.
Councils in the States.
Financial Functions- It is the
Law-making
making Procedure in
custodian of the public money. It
controls the entire purse of the Parliament –
Central Government. No money can
Ordinary Bills - Every member of
be spent without its approval. The
budget is approved by the the Parliament has a right to
Parliament every year. introduce
oduce an ordinary bill that is two
types of bills – government bills and
Electoral Functions- Elected private member’s bills.
member of Parliament, one members
of the electoral college for A Minister moves a government
Presidential election elect the Vice
Vice- bill & any bill not moved by a
President,
dent, Lok Sabha elects its Minister is a Private Member
Speaker & Deputy Speaker & Rajya Bill, which means that the bill
Sabha elects its Deputy Chairman. has been moved by a member of
parliament
ment but not a minister in
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Political Science (317)
Learner’s Guide, Senior Secondary Course
Money Bills– The money bills are such bills which deal with money matters
like imposition of taxes governmental expenditure and borrowings etc.

The Budget –
Budget is an annual financial statement showing expected revenue and
expenditure of public money. It is not a bill.
Budget is presented along with the speech of the finance minister. It
remains a closely guarded secret till its presentation.
After the speech, the finance minister introduces the Finance Bill, which
contains the taxation proposals of the government.
governme

Rajya Sabha & Lok Sabha~Comparative


Comparative Study

Rajya Sabha Lok Sabha

Represents the
Representative of
States in the Indian
the Indian people
Union

Rajya Sabha has


Lok Sabha is
been vested with
superior
exclusive powers

Evaluate yourself –
1. The
he Parliament is the most important organ, define the structure of the
parliament and write down its functions in your own words.
2. Write down the difference between Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha in brief.
3. Prepare a comparative study of the powers allocated to Lok Sabha &
Rajya Sabha.

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Political Science (317)
Learner’s Guide, Senior Secondary Course

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