Maharashtra Board Class 8 Civics Chapter 2 The Indian Parliament PDF Download

The Indian Parliament

We have studied that the parliament plays an important role in parliamentary system of government. In this chapter, we will discuss the Parliament of India.

The Constitution of India has created the Parliament of India. The Legislature at the national level, that is the level of the central government, is called the Parliament. It consists of the President and the two Houses of Parliament - Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Though President is an inseparable part of the Parliament, he/she cannot participate in the discussions in either of the house of the Parliament.

Lok Sabha

Lok Sabha is the lower and the first house of the Parliament of India. Lok Sabha is the House of Representatives directly elected by the people. Hence, the Lok Sabha is called the 'First' house. The members of Lok Sabha are elected directly by people from the 'territorial constituencies'. The tenure of Lok Sabha is five years. The elections take place after every five years. These elections are known as General Elections. However, there are examples when, the Lok Sabha was dissolved before the completion of five years. Elections held in such a case are called mid-term elections.

Lok Sabha is the representative body of the citizens of the country. As per the constitution there can be a maximum of 552 members in the Lok Sabha. To ensure equal representation to all sections of the community, some seats are reserved for members belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes. In case there are no representatives from the Anglo-Indian community, the President can appoint two members from this community to the Lok Sabha.

Teacher's Note

Lok Sabha is like the house that directly represents you and all Indian citizens. It is the most important house because people vote directly for its members, just like how you vote in your school elections.

Exam Trick

Remember: Lok Sabha = directly elected by people. Rajya Sabha = indirectly elected. Think of it like this: In Lok Sabha, voters choose directly. In Rajya Sabha, state governments choose.

Points to Remember

Lok Sabha is the lower house and is directly elected by the people.
Members are elected from territorial constituencies.
Maximum 552 members can be in Lok Sabha.
The tenure is five years.
Some seats are reserved for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes.

Rajya Sabha

The upper and the second house of Parliament is the Rajya Sabha. The members of Rajya Sabha are indirectly elected. As the name suggests, Rajya Sabha gives representation to 29 states and 7 Union territories in India. Thus, members of Rajya Sabha work as representatives of the constituent states.

The constituent States in India get seats on basis of their population. For the purpose of elections, the State is divided into territorial constituencies. The population of these territorial constituencies is approximately equal.

The total membership of Rajya Sabha is 250 members. Amongst them, 238 members are elected from the constituent states and Union Territories. All the constituent states do not get equal representation in the Rajya Sabha. It is proportionate to the total population of each of the state. Remaining 12 members are appointed by the President. These members are usually experienced and distinguished personalities from the fields of literature, arts, science, sports and social work. The members of Rajya Sabha are elected through the system of proportional representation.

Rajya Sabha is never dissolved completely hence it is called a permanent House. 1/3rd members of total membership of Rajya Sabha who have completed their tenure of six years retire after every two years and equal number of new members get elected. Because the limited members of Rajya Sabha retire step by step, Rajya Sabha can function continuously. Any person contesting for the elections of Rajya Sabha must be an Indian citizen and he must have completed 30 years of age.

Teacher's Note

Rajya Sabha is like the elder council that represents all states. It is called the upper house because state governments choose its members, not the people directly. Think of it like your principal (Rajya Sabha) choosing class representatives.

Exam Trick

Remember: Rajya Sabha = permanent house, never fully dissolved. Think of it like your grandmother - she is always there! And Rajya Sabha = 250 members, while Lok Sabha = 552 members (more people, more direct).

Points to Remember

Rajya Sabha is the upper house with indirectly elected members.
It has 250 members - 238 elected and 12 appointed by President.
Rajya Sabha is a permanent house and never fully dissolved.
1/3rd members retire every two years.
Members must be 30 years old and Indian citizens.

Members of Parliament

Members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are known as Members of Parliament (MPs). MPs try to resolve the queries and complaints of their constituencies by raising questions in the Parliament. Government allocates them funds to carry out development activities in their respective constituencies.

Functions of Parliament

After understanding the basics of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, we will now review their functions.

Formulation of Laws

In order to achieve welfare of the people and the objectives of the Constitution, the Parliament has to formulate new laws. Also, outdated laws are repealed, necessary changes are made in some laws. The process of the formulation of laws has been described in the constitution. In accordance to the procedures, the Parliament fulfills this primary and important responsibility.

Control over Council of Ministers

The Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers are drawn from the Parliament and Parliament exercises control over them. There are multiple ways through which this control can be exercised. It is the responsibility of the Parliament to see that the Council of Ministers does not disregard the Parliament and functions under its supervision.

Teacher's Note

Parliament is like the boss that watches over the government ministers. Just like your principal watches over the teachers, Parliament watches over the ministers to make sure they do their job correctly.

Exam Trick

Remember: Parliament = boss, Ministers = workers. Parliament controls the ministers and asks them questions. This is called parliamentary control or accountability.

Points to Remember

Parliament makes new laws for the country.
Parliament controls the Council of Ministers.
Parliament can remove outdated laws.
Parliament watches over ministers to keep them responsible.
MPs can ask questions about government work.

Amendments to the Constitution

The Parliament decides whether to make any amendment to the Indian Constitution. The constitution amendment bill is considered to be an important bill. The Parliament discusses why the amendment is required and decides whether to accept it or not. The Constitution mentions various ways of amending the Constitution. They are as follows-

Few provisions in the Indian Constitution are amended by simple majority of the Parliament.

Some provisions require special majority (2/3rd) of the Parliament.

Few other provisions are amended by special majority plus consent from more than half of the constituent states.

Speaker of Lok Sabha

In the very first meeting after the elections of Lok Sabha, the members of Lok Sabha elect a 'Speaker' and 'Deputy Speaker'. Lok Sabha functions under the guidance and control of the speaker.

Lok Sabha represents the citizens and the Speaker represents the Lok Sabha. After getting elected as Speaker, he/she has to conduct the business of the House in an unbiased manner. Lok Sabha members have some rights and privileges as the representatives of the people. These are taken care of by the Speaker. Apart from this, the Speaker has to maintain the decorum and dignity of the house as well as interpret the rules of daily functioning of the house and work accordingly.

The Chairman of Rajya Sabha

The Chairman exercises a control over the functioning of Rajya Sabha. The Vice President is the ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha. The functions of Rajya Sabha Chairman also include maintaining the discipline in the house, facilitating discussions, giving members a chance to speak etc.

Teacher's Note

The Speaker of Lok Sabha is like your class monitor who keeps order in the class. The Chairman of Rajya Sabha is like your school prefect who manages bigger things. Both are very important people who keep everyone following the rules.

Exam Trick

Remember: Speaker = Lok Sabha boss, Vice President = Rajya Sabha boss (ex-officio). The Speaker and Chairman keep the houses working properly and fairly, just like a referee in a game.

Points to Remember

Speaker is elected by Lok Sabha members after elections.
Speaker conducts house business in unbiased manner.
Speaker maintains decorum and discipline in Lok Sabha.
Vice President is ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha.
Chairman maintains discipline and order in Rajya Sabha.

How Does the Parliament Make Laws?

In our country, the parliament is empowered to make laws. To formulate them, a certain system has been adopted. This system is known as the law-making process. A rough draft of the law is prepared initially. This draft or outline is known as draft proposal of the law or Bill of law.

There are two types of bills that are primarily introduced in House of the Parliament.

Money Bill

Ordinary Bill

In order to be converted into an Act (Law), the Bill undergoes following process.

First Reading

The minister of the concerned department/ministry or member of the parliament presents the bill and briefly explains its structure while presenting it. This is called as 'first reading'.

Teacher's Note

Law making is like baking a cake - you follow steps one by one. First you mix ingredients (first reading), then you check everything (second reading), and finally you bake (third reading and President's approval).

Exam Trick

Remember the three readings: First reading = introduction, Second reading = discussion and changes, Third reading = final approval and voting. Think: Introduce, Discuss, Decide!

Points to Remember

There are three stages of law making in Parliament.
First reading = bill is introduced and explained.
Second reading = bill is discussed in detail.
Third reading = final voting and approval.
After President's signature, bill becomes a law.

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