6. The Parliamentary System: 

Legislature and Executive

🟩 1. Meaning of Parliamentary Government

India follows a Parliamentary form of government, also known as the Westminster Model (borrowed from the UK).
In this system:

  • The Parliament is the supreme law-making body.

  • The Executive (Government) is responsible to the Legislature (Parliament).

  • The President is the constitutional head, while the Prime Minister is the real head of government.

Key Point:
👉 “The government runs in the name of the President but actually by the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers.”

🟩 2. Features of Parliamentary Government

1️⃣ Nominal and Real Executives:

  • President – Head of the State (nominal/executive head).

  • Prime Minister – Head of the Government (real executive head).

2️⃣ Collective Responsibility:
The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. If it loses confidence, it must resign.

3️⃣ Majority Party Rule:
The political party (or coalition) with majority members in the Lok Sabha forms the government.

4️⃣ Leadership of the Prime Minister:
The Prime Minister leads the Council of Ministers, coordinates work, and advises the President.

5️⃣ Opposition Party:
The party with the second-largest number of seats forms the Opposition.
It keeps a check on government activities.

6️⃣ Independent Judiciary:
The judiciary is independent to ensure that laws and executive actions follow the Constitution.

🟩 3. Difference between Parliamentary and Presidential Systems

FeatureParliamentary SystemPresidential System
Head of StatePresident (nominal)President (real)
Head of GovernmentPrime MinisterPresident
Executive-Legislature relationExecutive responsible to LegislatureExecutive not responsible to Legislature
ExampleIndia, UKUSA

🟩 4. The Indian Parliament – Structure

The Parliament is the supreme legislative body of India.
It consists of three parts:

1️⃣ The President
2️⃣ The Rajya Sabha (Council of States)
3️⃣ The Lok Sabha (House of the People)

🏛️ (A) The Rajya Sabha (Upper House)

  • Represents the states and union territories.

  • Maximum strength: 250 members

    • 238 represent states and UTs

    • 12 are nominated by the President (from art, science, literature, and social service).

  • Tenure: Permanent body; 1/3rd members retire every 2 years; each member serves 6 years.

  • Chairperson: Vice-President of India.

  • Main Function: Reviews and revises bills passed by Lok Sabha; represents the interests of states.

🏛️ (B) The Lok Sabha (Lower House)

  • Represents the people of India directly.

  • Maximum strength: 552 members

    • 530 from states

    • 20 from Union Territories

    • 2 nominated from Anglo-Indian community (if required).

  • Tenure: 5 years (can be dissolved earlier).

  • Speaker: Presides over meetings and maintains order.

  • Qualification: Must be 25 years old, an Indian citizen.

  • Main Function:

    • Makes laws

    • Controls finances (“power of the purse”)

    • Controls the Council of Ministers through question hour, motions, and debates.

🟩 5. Functions of Parliament

1️⃣ Law-Making Function:
Makes new laws and amends or repeals existing ones for the whole country.

2️⃣ Control over Executive:
The Council of Ministers remains in office only as long as it enjoys the confidence of Lok Sabha.
Parliament questions and debates policies.

3️⃣ Financial Control:
No tax or expenditure can be made without Parliament’s approval.
The Budget is presented every year for discussion and passing.

4️⃣ Constitutional Functions:
Amends the Constitution as per the procedure laid down in Article 368.

5️⃣ Electoral Functions:

  • Elects the President and Vice-President.

  • Also participates in their impeachment process if required.

6️⃣ Judicial Functions:
Parliament can remove judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts by impeachment for proved misconduct.

🟩 6. Role of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers

  • Prime Minister: Head of government and leader of the majority party in Lok Sabha.

    • Advises the President on all appointments.

    • Chairs cabinet meetings.

    • Guides the policy and administration.

  • Council of Ministers: Includes Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State, and Deputy Ministers.

    • They help in policy making and implementation.

    • All are collectively responsible to Lok Sabha.

🟩 7. Relationship Between the Executive and Legislature

  • The Executive (PM and Council) is part of the Legislature (Parliament).

  • They stay in power only till they have majority support in Lok Sabha.

  • If the Lok Sabha passes a no-confidence motion, the entire ministry must resign.

🟩 8. Importance of Parliamentary System

1️⃣ Promotes accountability and democracy.
2️⃣ Ensures representation of all regions and people.
3️⃣ Prevents dictatorship because the government must face Parliament regularly.
4️⃣ Provides stability through majority rule and coalition support.

🟩 9. Challenges in Parliamentary System

  • Frequent coalition politics can cause instability.

  • Sometimes delays in decision-making occur due to long debates.

  • Disruptions in Parliament reduce productivity.

  • Corruption and lack of transparency may weaken accountability.

🟩 10. Importance of Opposition in a Democracy

  • Keeps a check on government actions.

  • Provides alternative policies and criticism.

  • Ensures transparency and debate.

  • Strengthens democratic functioning.

🟩 11. Key Terms

TermMeaning
Parliamentary GovernmentGovernment where the executive is responsible to the legislature
No-confidence MotionMotion expressing that Parliament has lost faith in the government
CabinetSenior ministers responsible for main departments
SpeakerPresiding officer of Lok Sabha
Bicameral LegislatureA legislature with two houses – Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha

🟩 12. Summary

  • India has a parliamentary democracy with the President as the head of the state and Prime Minister as the head of the government.

  • The Council of Ministers is accountable to Lok Sabha.

  • The Parliament makes laws, controls the government, and approves finances.

  • The Opposition plays a crucial role in ensuring accountability.

  • The system encourages responsible government and people’s participation.



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EXERCISE

📘 Chapter: Parliamentary Government – Questions & Activities (Page 161–162 Answers)

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

➡️ The number of Members of Parliament (MPs) from each state depends on its population.
For example (students should check the latest data for their own state):

StateLok Sabha MembersRajya Sabha Members
Odisha2110
West Bengal4216
Tamil Nadu3918
Uttar Pradesh8031
Maharashtra4819
Karnataka2812

📝 Activity: Ask your teacher or check the official Parliament website (parliamentofindia.nic.in) to find the current numbers for your state.

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

➡️ The Indian Parliament is called the voice of the people because:

  • It is made up of elected representatives from every part of India.

  • Members belong to different political parties, castes, religions, and regions, representing diverse viewpoints.

  • Debates and discussions are held before any law is passed.

  • The Opposition questions and criticises the government, ensuring multiple opinions are heard.

  • Committees and public consultations allow expert and citizen input.

🗣️ Thus, Parliament acts as a platform where all voices of the people are represented and respected.

Q 3. Why do you think the Constitution made the Executive responsible to the Legislature?

➡️ The Executive (Prime Minister and Council of Ministers) is made responsible to the Legislature (Parliament) to ensure accountability and prevent misuse of power.

  • The ministers must answer questions raised by Members of Parliament.

  • If the Lok Sabha passes a no-confidence motion, the government must resign.

  • This keeps the Executive honest, transparent, and answerable to the representatives of the people.

✅ In short: This system ensures that the government serves the people and works according to their will.

Q 4. Why do you think we have chosen the system of a bicameral legislature at the Union level?

➡️ India has a bicameral legislature — two Houses: Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha — because:
1️⃣ Diverse representation: India is a large country with many states and regions; both the people (Lok Sabha) and states (Rajya Sabha) need representation.
2️⃣ Checks and balance: Two Houses prevent rash or hasty law-making.
3️⃣ Review system: Rajya Sabha reviews and refines bills passed by Lok Sabha.
4️⃣ Stability: Since Rajya Sabha is a permanent House, it provides continuity even when Lok Sabha is dissolved.

📜 Therefore, bicameralism ensures better law-making and protects the federal nature of our democracy.

Q 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?

➡️ Example: “Women’s Reservation Bill, 2023 (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam)”

Step 1 – Introduction:
Introduced in the Lok Sabha on 19 September 2023 by the Law Minister.

Step 2 – Debate:
There were major discussions in both Houses on women’s political representation. Most parties supported the bill, though some asked for quicker implementation.

Step 3 – Passage:

  • Lok Sabha passed it on 20 September 2023.

  • Rajya Sabha passed it on 21 September 2023.

Step 4 – Presidential Assent:
After approval by the President, it became law on 28 September 2023.

⏱️ Time taken: About 10 days from introduction to becoming law.

Result: The Act reserves 33 percent seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies once the next delimitation is done.

🧾 Students can also look up other recent bills like the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 or Forest Conservation (Amendment) Act 2023 on government websites.

Q 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’.

✅ Activity Answer / Guidance:
You can choose any recent law, for example the Women’s Reservation Bill (2023) or the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (2023).

Steps for your skit:
1️⃣ Bill Introduction – One student acts as the Minister introducing the Bill in Lok Sabha.
2️⃣ Debate Stage – Students as MPs discuss its advantages & concerns.
3️⃣ Voting – The Speaker asks for votes and announces result.
4️⃣ Rajya Sabha Stage – Students repeat the process in Rajya Sabha.
5️⃣ Presidential Assent – Student playing the President signs the Bill.
6️⃣ Law Announcement – The Bill becomes an Act and is read aloud.

🎭 This role-play helps you understand each stage of law-making—from discussion to approval.

Q 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?

➡️ Because:

  • Earlier, there was no agreement among political parties on how to implement reservation for women.

  • Some leaders feared that reserving seats might reduce chances for existing male candidates.

  • Others wanted reservation for women belonging to different social groups to be clearly defined first.

  • It took time to build consensus and public support.

✅ In short: Though everyone agreed in principle, it needed years of debate to reach a point where all parties supported it together.

Q 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?

➡️ When Parliament sessions are disrupted:

  • Debates and discussions on bills do not happen properly.

  • Important laws may pass without enough review, leading to poor-quality legislation.

  • Public money is wasted as no real work gets done.

  • People begin to lose trust in their representatives and feel their voices are not heard.

✅ Conclusion: Regular, peaceful functioning of Parliament is essential for strong democracy and public faith in governance.

Q 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?

✅ Activity Example:
Form small “interest” groups on topics such as education, health, environment, transport, or employment.

Interest GroupQuestions to MP (Central Level)Questions to MLA (State Level)
Education GroupWhat new central schemes are planned for digital learning in schools?When will new classrooms and teachers be provided in local schools?
Health GroupWhat steps is the central government taking to reduce medicine prices?When will our local hospital get more doctors and medicines?
Environment GroupHow is the government reducing air pollution across India?What is being done to plant more trees and clean the local river?

💡 Difference:

  • MP handles national and international issues.

  • MLA handles local and state-level issues.

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

➡️ Role of the Judiciary:

  • It interprets the Constitution and laws.

  • It protects citizens’ rights and freedoms.

  • It ensures that the government follows the Constitution.

  • It acts as a guardian of justice, settling disputes fairly.

➡️ If there were no independent judiciary:

  • The government might misuse power.

  • Citizens would have no protection against unfair laws or actions.

  • Rule of law would collapse, leading to injustice and loss of democracy.

✅ Therefore: An independent judiciary keeps the balance of power and protects the rights of every citizen.



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