2. PARLIAMENT
•INDIA’S CENTRAL LEGISLATURE, OR UNION LEGISLATURE, IS KNOWN ASTHE
PARLIAMENT.
•IT ISTHE HIGHEST LAW - MAKING BODY INTHE COUNTRY.
•IT CONSISTS OFTHE PRESIDENT OF , ANDTWO HOUSES, NAMELY,THE LOK SABHA
( HOUSE OFTHE PEOPLE) ANDTHE RAJYA SABHA (COUNCIL OF STATES).
•THE MEMBERS OFTHE LOK SABHAANDTHE RAJYA SABHAARE CALLED MEMBERS
OF PARLIAMENT (MPS).
•THE PARLIAMENT HOLDS ITS SESSIONS (MEETINGS) AT PARLIAMENT HOUSE
(SANSAD BHAVAN) IN NEW DELHI.
6. LOK SABHA
• THE LOK SABHA IS THE LOWER HOUSE OF
PARLIAMENT.
• AT PRESENT IT CAN HAVE UP TO 545 MEMBERS.
• THOUGH THE CONSTITUTION HAS PROVIDED FOR
A MAXIMUM OF 552 SEATS IN THE LOK SABHA, THE
NUMBER OF SEATS WILL REMAIN FIXED AT 545 TILL
THE YEAR 2026
7. LOK SABHA
• MOST OF THE MEMBERS OF THE LOK SABHA ARE ELECTED DIRECTLY BY
THE PEOPLE.
• THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA MAY NOMINATE UP TO TWO MEMBERS FROM
THE ANGLO - INDIAN COMMUNITY IF ENOUGH MEMBERS ARE NOT
ELECTED TO REPRESENT THAT COMMUNITY.
• THE LOK SABHA HAS A NORMAL TERM OF FIVE YEARS.
BUT, IT MAY BE DISSOLVED BY THE PRESIDENT BEFORE
THE OF ITS TERM. ALSO, DURING AN EMERGENCY,
ITS TERM MAY BE EXTENDED FOR ONE YEAR.
8. WHO CAN CONTEST LOK SABHA
ELECTIONS
To Stand For Election To The Lok Sabha, A
Person
• Has To Be An Indian Citizen Aged At Least 25 Years.
• Should Not Be Bankrupt Or Mentally Unsound
• Should Not Hold Any Salaried Government Job.
9. ELECTIONS OF LOK SABHA
• ELECTIONS TO THE LOK SABHA ARE HELD AT LEAST ONCE
EVERY FIVE YEARS.
• FOR THE PURPOSE OF ELECTIONS, THE COUNTRY IS
DIVIDED INTO AS MANY CONSTITUENCIES AS THERE ARE
SEATS IN THE LOK SABHA.
• THE CONSTITUENCIES ARE CREATED ON THE BASIS OF
POPULATION, SO THAT THE MORE POPULOUS STATES HAVE
MORE SEATS IN THE LOK SABHA.
10. ELECTIONS OF LOK SABHA
• EVERY CONSTITUENCY ELECTS ONE REPRESENTATIVE TO THE LOK
SABHA.
• A CANDIDATE WHO CONTESTS ELECTIONS MAY BELONG TO A
POLITICAL PARTY OR BE AN INDEPENDENT (NON-PARTY) CANDIDATE.
• THE CANDIDATE WHO GETS THE LARGEST NUMBER OF VOTES
BECOMES THE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CONSTITUENCY IN
THE LOK SABHA.
• ALL INDIAN CITIZENS AGED 18 YEARS OR ABOVE CAN VOTE IN
ELECTIONS TO CHOOSE THEIR REPRESENTATIVES.
11. ELECTIONS OF LOK SABHA
• VOTING IS DONE BY SECRET BALLOT SO THAT ONLY THE VOTER KNOWS
WHICH CANDIDATE HE OR SHE HAS VOTED FOR.
• AFTER THE RESULT OF THE ELECTION IS DECLARED, THE PARTY THAT
WINS THE MAJORITY OF SEATS IN THE LOK SABHA IS INVITED BY THE
PRESIDENT TO FORM THE GOVERNMENT AT THE CENTRE.
• IF NO PARTY GETS A CLEAR MAJORITY, TWO OR MORE PARTIES MAY
TOGETHER FORM THE GOVERNMENT. THIS TYPE OF GOVERNMENT IS
CALLED A COALITION GOVERNMENT. THE PARTIES OTHER THAN THE
RULING PARTIES CONSTITUTE THE OPPOSITION.
12. • THE PRESIDING OFFICER OF THE LOK SABHA IS KNOWN AS THE
SPEAKER. THE LOK SABHA MEMBERS ELECT THE SPEAKER
FROM AMONG THEMSELVES.
• THE SPEAKER CONDUCTS THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE HOUSE
AND MAINTAINS ORDER WITHIN THE HOUSE. SOMETIMES, AFTER
A DEBATE, THE SPEAKER TAKES A VOTE ON THE ISSUE. USUALLY,
THE SPEAKER DOES NOT VOTE. BUT, IF THERE IS A TIE, HE CAN
EXERCISE A CASTING VOTE (DECIDING VOTE). THE SPEAKER
GENERALLY BELONGS TO A RULING PARTY, BUT HAS TO ACT
IMPARTIALLY.
• THE LOK SABHA MEMBERS ALSO ELECT A DEPUTY SPEAKER,
WHO PRESIDES OVER THE HOUSE IN THE SPEAKER’S ABSENCE.
14. RAJYA SABHA
THE RAJYA SABHA IS THE UPPER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT.
IT CAN HAVE UP TO 250 MEMBERS, INCLUDING 12 MEMBERS NOMINATED BY
THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA.
AT PRESENT, THE RAJYA SABHA HAS 245 MEMBERS – 12 NOMINATED AND 233
ELECTED.
THE ELECTED MEMBERS REPRESENT THE STATES AND UNION TERRITORIES.
MORE POPULOUS STATES HAVE MORE MEMBERS REPRESENTING THEM.
THE MEMBERS REPRESENTING A STATE ARE ELECTED BY THE ELECTED
MEMBERS OF THE STATE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY.
THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNION TERRITORIES ARE ELECTED ACCORDING
TO RULES MADE BY THE PARLIAMENT.
15. THE MEMBERS NOMINATED BY THE PRESIDENT ARE DISTINGUISHED AUTHORS,
JOURNALISTS, ECONOMISTS, JURISTS, SCIENTISTS, ARTISTS, SOCIAL WORKERS,
AND SO ON.
AMONG THE DISTINGUISHED PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN NOMINATED TO THE
RAJYA SABHA ARE POET MAITHILISHARAN GUPTA, SCIENTISTS SATYENDRANATH
BOSE, ACTRESS SHABANA AZMI, SINGER LATA MANGESHKAR AND JOURNALIST
KHUSHWANT SINGH.
THE RAJYA SABHA IS NOT DISSOLVED AFTER A FIXED TERM. IT IS A PERMANENT
BODY. ONE- THIRD OF ITS MEMBERS RETIRE EVERY TWO YEARS. NEW MEMBERS
ARE THEN ELECTED TO THE VACANT SEATS. EACH MEMBER HAS A TERM OF SIX
YEARS.
THE VICE- PRESIDENT OF INDIA PRESIDES OVER THE RAJYA SABHA. HE IS THE
EX OFFICE CHAIRMAN BECAUSE HE GETS THIS POST BY VIRTUE OF HIS
OFFICE. IN THE CHAIRMAN’S ABSENCE THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN PRESIDES. THE
RAJYA SABHA MEMBERS ELECT THE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN FROM AMONG
THEMSELVES.
16. WHO CAN BE A MEMBER OF RAJYA
SABHA
TO BE A MEMBER OF THE RAJYA SABHA,
A PERSON
HAS TO BE AN INDIAN CITIZEN AGED AT LEAST 30
YEARS.
SHOULD NOT BE BANKRUPT OR MENTALLY UNSOUND
SHOULD NOT HOLD ANY SALARIED GOVERNMENT
JOB.
17.
18. COMPARISON BETWEEN LOK
SABHA AND RAJYA SABHA
LOK SABHA
• THE LOK SABHA IS A
DIRECTLY ELECTED BODY.
• THE LOK SABHA CAN PASS A
VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE.
• THE LOK SABHA CAN BE
DISSOLVED.
RAJYA SABHA
• THE RAJYA SABHA IS AN
INDIRECTLY ELECTED
BODY’
• THE RAJYA SABHA CANNOT.
• THE RAJYA SABHA CANNOT
BE DISSOLVED.
19. HOW OUR UNION
LEGISLATURE WORKS
– THE INDIAN PARLIAMENT HAS TO HAVE AT LEAST TWO SESSIONS
A YEAR.
– THE GAP BETWEEN SESSIONS MUST NOT BE MORE THAN SIX
MONTHS.
– THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA SUMMONS AND CLOSES EACH SESSION.
– THE FIRST SESSION BEGINS WITH AN ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT.
– THERE ARE FIXED TIME PERIODS SUCH AS THE QUESTION HOUR
AND THE ZERO HOUR FOR THE PARLIAMENT TO DISCUSS
DIFFERENT MATTERS.
20. QUESTION HOUR
– THE FIRST HOUR OF EVERY SITTING OF THE
PARLIAMENT IS KNOWN AS THE QUESTION HOUR.
– DURING THIS PERIOD, THE MINISTERS ANSWER
QUESTIONS SENT IN ADVANCE BY VARIOUS MPS.
– DEBATES OVER THE QUERIES AND REPLIES HELP
REVEAL FLAWS IN THE GOVERNMENT’S POLICIES.
21. ZERO HOUR
– THE TIME BETWEEN THE QUESTION HOUR AND
THE BEGINNING OF THE REST OF THE DAY’S WORK
IS KNOWN AS THE ZERO HOUR.
– THE ZERO HOUR IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE
DEBATES OVER ISSUES OF PUBLIC INTEREST ARE
HELD DURING THIS PERIOD.
22.
A PROPOSAL TO PASS A NEW LAW OR TO
CHANGE AN EXISTING ONE IS CALLED A
BILL.
MAKING LAWS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT
FUNCTION OF THE LEGISLATURE.
OUR PARLIAMENT CAN MAKE NEW LAWS
AND ALSO CHANGE EXISTING ONES
BILL
23. HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW
• FIRST READING: A BILL IS FIRST READ IN A HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT
WHEN A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE INTRODUCES IT.
• SECOND READING: AT THIS STAGE, THE BILL IS DISCUSSED
THOROUGHLY AND MEMBERS SUGGEST POSSIBLE CHANGES.
• THIRD READING: AT THIS STAGE, THE BILL IS DRAFTED AGAIN AFTER
MAKING SUITABLE CHANGES AND IT IS PRESENTED AND PUT TO
VOTE. IF THE MAJORITY OF MEMBERS PRESENT VOTE IN FAVOUR OF
THE BILL, IT IS PASSED.
• THE BILL IS THEN SENT TO THE OTHER HOUSE, WHERE IT GOES
THROUGH THE SAME PROCEDURE. IF PASSED BY THIS HOUSE, IT IS
SENT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR HIS APPROVAL.
• THE BILL WHEN SIGNED BY THE PRESIDENT BECOMES A LAW.