Chapter - 6 The Parliamentary System: Legislature and Executive

 Chapter - 6

The Parliamentary System: Legislature and Executive

Introduction

• India became independent after long struggle.
• The Constitution of India was framed to guide governance.
• It introduced Universal Adult Franchise → all adults can vote (no discrimination).
• People elect representatives to the Lok Sabha.
• The majority party forms the government.

Composition of Parliament:-Parliament has 3 parts:

• President
• Lok Sabha (Lower House)
• Rajya Sabha (Upper House)
• This system is called Bicameral Legislature.

Why Bicameral System:- A government where law-making is done by two separate groups of representatives.

• Ensures better law-making.
• Represents both:
• People (Lok Sabha)
• States (Rajya Sabha)
• Supports Federalism (division of power between centre & states).

Key Terms

• Federalism → Power divided between Centre & States.
• Standing Committee → Permanent group of MPs reviewing government work.

Presiding Officers:- Presiding Officers are the persons who conduct and control the meetings of a House of Parliament. They make sure discussions happen in an orderly way and rules are followed.

• Lok Sabha → Speaker
• Rajya Sabha → Vice President (Chairperson)

Union Executive:- Includes:

• President
• Vice President
• Prime Minister
• Council of Ministers
•  They implement laws.

 Functions of Parliament

1️⃣ Constitutional Functions:- Protects:

• Democracy (universal voting)
• Separation of powers
• Federalism
• Fundamental Rights

2️⃣ Lawmaking:- Parliament makes laws.

Bill → Discussion → Approval → Becomes Act/Law

3️⃣ Executive Accountability

• Government is answerable to Parliament. 
• Question Hour
• Committees
• Ministers must explain decisions.

4️⃣ Financial Accountability

• Parliament:
• Approves Budget
• Monitors government spending

Executive Functions

President:- 

• Head of State
• Appoints PM and ministers
• Gives assent to bills

Prime Minister

• Real executive authority
• Leads government

Key roles:

• Policy making
• Leading ministers
• Advising President

Judiciary (Courts)

• Interprets laws
• Protects Constitution

Ensures:

• Laws are not unconstitutional
• Maintains checks and balances

Separation of Powers

• Legislature → Makes laws
• Executive → Implements laws
• Judiciary → Interprets laws

Prevents misuse of power.

State Government Structure:- Similar to Centre:

• MLAs instead of MPs
• Legislature:
• Vidhan Sabha
• Vidhan Parishad (in some states)

States with Bicameral System:- Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh

Challenges of Legislature

• Absenteeism of members
• Disruptions in Parliament
• Poor debate quality
• Delay in passing laws
• Criminal cases against some representatives

Sessions of Parliament

• Budget Session
• Monsoon Session
• Winter Session
• Usually works 6 hours daily

Role of Citizens & Media

• Media spreads awareness.
• Stay informed
• Participate in discussions
• Question leaders

NCERT/QUESTIONS/ANSWERS

Question:- 1 Find out how many representatives from your state are in each House of the Parliament.

Answer:-Representation of Haryana in Parliament

Lok Sabha (Lower House)

• Haryana has 10 Members of Parliament (MPs)
• These are directly elected by the people.

Rajya Sabha (Upper House)

• Haryana has 5 Members of Parliament (MPs)
• These are elected by the MLAs of the State Assembly. 

Question:- 2 What makes the Indian Parliament the “voice of the people”? How does it ensure that different opinions are heard?

Answer:- The Indian Parliament is called the “voice of the people” because it represents the will and opinions of citizens.

Parliament called the “voice of the people” because: 

• People elect their representatives to the Lok Sabha.
• These representatives speak on behalf of the जनता (people).
• Laws and policies are made according to public needs.
• The government works with the consent of the people.

Question:-3 Why do you think the Constitution made the Executive responsible to the Legislature?

Answer:- The Constitution made the Executive responsible to the Legislature to ensure accountability and proper functioning of democracy. 

Reasons

• The Executive (Prime Minister and Council of Ministers) makes decisions and implements laws, so it must answer to the elected representatives in the Lok Sabha.
• Since the Legislature represents the people, this ensures the government works in the interest of citizens.
• It prevents misuse of power and keeps a check on the government.
• Tools like Question Hour, debates, and committees force ministers to explain their actions.

Question:- 4 Why do you think we have chosen the system of bicameral legislature at the Union level?

Answer:- India adopted a bicameral legislature (two Houses) to ensure better and balanced law-making.

• Better discussion of laws:- Laws are debated in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, which improves quality.
• Prevents hasty decisions:- A second House rechecks laws before they are passed.
• Representation of states:- The Rajya Sabha represents the states, supporting federalism.
• Balance of power:- No single House becomes too powerful.
• Inclusion of experienced members:- Rajya Sabha includes experienced and knowledgeable persons.

Question:- 5 Try to track the journey of a recent bill passed by the Parliament. Identify in which House it was introduced. Were there any major debates or disagreements? How long did it take for the bill to become a law? Use newspaper archives, government websites, and Lok Sabha debates, or ask your teacher for help.

Answer:- The Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2024 was introduced in the Lok Sabha, debated in both Houses, and passed before receiving the President’s assent. It took several months to become a law, showing the detailed lawmaking process in Parliament.

Question:- 6 Choose a recent law passed by the Parliament. Divide into teams to role-play different parts of the process — MPs debating in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, ministers answering questions, and the President giving assent. Present a short skit showing how a bill becomes a law; enact a ‘model Parliament’.

Answer:- A bill becomes a law after being introduced, debated, and passed in both Houses of Parliament and receiving the President’s assent.

Question:-7 The Women’s Reservation Bill, 2023, was passed with wide support. Why might it have taken over 25 years for this bill to be passed, despite being discussed for so long?

Answer:- The Women’s Reservation Bill, 2023 (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam) took over 25 years to pass because of several challenges and disagreements.

• Political disagreements:- Different political parties had different views on how the reservation should be implemented.
• Demand for sub-quota:- Some leaders wanted separate reservation within the quota for women from backward classes (OBCs), which led to debates.
• Lack of consensus:- Even if many supported the idea, they did not agree on details and structure of the bill.
• Changes in governments:- The bill was introduced multiple times since 1996, but different governments could not pass it.
• Concerns about seat rotation:- Some MPs worried that rotating reserved seats would affect their political careers.

Question:-8 Sometimes the Parliament is disrupted and does not function for the number of days it is supposed to. What impact do you think this has on the quality of laws and the trust people place in their representatives?

Answer:- When Parliament is frequently disrupted and does not function properly, it has serious effects on both law-making and public trust.

Impact on Quality of Laws

• Less discussion and debate:- Bills may be passed without proper examination.
• Hasty decisions:- Important laws may be rushed without considering all viewpoints.
• Poor scrutiny:- Fewer questions and committee reviews reduce the quality of laws.
• Important issues ignored:- Public problems may not be discussed fully.

Impact on Public Trust

• Loss of confidence:- People may feel their representatives are not doing their job.
• Negative image of leaders:- Frequent disruptions look irresponsible.
• Weakening of democracy:- Citizens may feel their voices are not being heard.
• Reduced participation:- People may lose interest in voting or public discussions.

Question:- 9 . Can you create ‘interest’ groups among students and list questions related to any policy that you may want to ask your MP and / or your MLA? How would these questions be different if it is to the MP instead of the MLA, and vice versa?

Answer:- MP vs MLA Questions

Questions for MP (Member of Parliament):- Focus on national issues

• Government policies for the whole country
• National education or health schemes
• Railway, defence, or large projects
• Laws made in Parliament

Questions for MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly):- Focus on state/local issues

• Local schools, hospitals, roads
• State government schemes
• Electricity, water supply
• Local development problems

Question:- 10 What is the role that the Judiciary plays in Indian democracy? What could happen if we didn’t have an independent judiciary?

Answer:- The Judiciary interprets laws, protects rights, and checks government actions. Without an independent judiciary, there would be misuse of power, violation of rights, and weakening of democracy.