THE UNION

PARLIAMENT
 SCOPE OF SYLLABUS

• Meaning of Federal setup in India

• LOK SABHA
• Term, Composition, Election, Qualifications for membership, Parliamentary procedure, a brief idea of Sessions,
Quorum, Question Hour, Adjournment, and No-confidence motion.
• Speaker: election and functions
• RAJYA SABHA
• Term, Composition, Election, Qualifications for membership,
• Presiding Officer
• FUNCTIONS AND POWERS OF UNION LEGISLATURE
• Legislative, Financial, Judicial, Electoral, Amendment of the Constitution, Control over the Executives,
• Exclusive powers of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, common powers of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha
UNION PARLIAMENT

Union
Located in New Delhi
Parliament
Law making body

Lok Sabha Rajya Sabha President

 UNION PARLIAMENT
Union
Bicameral Parliament –
two houses
Parliament
At the centre

Lok Sabha Rajya Sabha

Lower House Upper House
FEDERAL SETUP

Federal
Setup
At the centre

Union State
Government Government

Union
Territories
KEY FEATURES OF FEDERAL SETUP

• Rajya Sabha represents the states

• Constitution is supreme
• A written Constitution
• Supreme Court is the interpreter of the
Constitution - GODISNOWHERE
LOK SABHA AND RAJYA SABHA

Term
Lok Sabha Rajya Sabha

• Lok Sabha is elected for a term of 5 years unless • Rajya Sabha is a permanent house and
dissolved earlier by the President on the advice never gets dissolved
of the Prime Minister • The members are elected for a term of 6
• However, if a state of emergency is declared then years
the term may be extended for a year by the • 1/3rd of the members retire every two
Parliament but a new Lok Sabha must be years
constituted within 6 months after the emergency
ends
LOK SABHA AND RAJYA SABHA
Composition
Lok Sabha Rajya Sabha
Maximum strength is 552 as fixed by the Maximum strength of 250 as fixed by the
Constitution. Constitution.
• 530 are members elected from various • 238 members are elected from the State
constituencies and Union Territories
• A specified number of Lok Sabha seats are • 12 members are nominated by the
reserved for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled President – these members are
Tribes distinguished people in the fields of Arts,
• 20 seats are reserved for the representatives of Science, Literature or Social Service
Union Territories
• 2 members are nominated by the President from
the Anglo-Indian community, in case he feels
that the community is not adequately
represented
LOK SABHA AND RAJYA SABHA
Qualification
Lok Sabha
• Citizen of India
• Not less than 25 years of age
• Be mentally sound
• Not be insolvent
• Not be convicted or otherwise disqualified
by Parliamentary laws
• Not hold any office of Profit under the
central or state governments
• Should have his / her name registered in the
electoral roles of any constituency
Rajya Sabha
• Citizen of India
• Should not be less than 30 years of
age
• Be mentally sound
• Not be insolvent
• Not be convicted or otherwise
disqualified by Parliamentary laws
• Not hold any office of Profit under the
central or state governments
• Should have his / her name registered
in the electoral roles of any
constituency
LOK SABHA AND RAJYA SABHA
Election
Lok Sabha
• Members are directly elected by the
people on the basis of universal adult
franchise through a secret ballot
Rajya Sabha
• There are indirectly elected by the
people, through their
representatives
• Members are elected by the
‘elected members of the State
Legislative Assembly and Union
Territories’
• The representatives of the Union
Territories are elected by a special
electoral college
LOK SABHA AND RAJYA SABHA
Nomination by the President
Lok Sabha Rajya Sabha
• 2 members are nominated by the • 12 members are nominated by the
President from the Anglo-Indian President – these members are
community, in case he feels that the distinguished people in the fields of
community is not adequately Arts, Science, Literature or Social
represented Service
LOK SABHA AND RAJYA SABHA
Presiding Officer
Lok Sabha Rajya Sabha
• The Speaker who is elected by the • Chairperson – Vice President of
members of the Lok Sabha by a simple India is the ex officio chairperson
majority vote at the first meeting of the
Lok Sabha after elections

Om Birla Venkaiah Naidu

SPEAKER - LOK SABHA
Election
• The Speaker who is elected by the members of the
Lok Sabha by a simple majority vote at the first
meeting of the Lok Sabha after elections
• https://www.indiatoday.in/india/video/bjp-mp-om-
birla-unanimously-elected-as-lok-sabha-speaker-
1551772-2019-06-19
 He allots time for
the discussion of

Presides over the matters

He decides when

REGULATING meetings and for how long

a member will
speak in the
House.

THE BUSINESS
OF THE HOUSE of questions and
Decides the all resolutions.
of an
admissibility adjournment
motion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F
6_LvJ8DT4
REGULATING THE BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

Conducts voting on
Interprets the rules and motions raised in the
procedures of the House. House and declares the
results.

Presides over joint His decisions on

sessions of the two parliamentary matters
Houses. are final.
 Decides whether a bill is a money
bill or not.

POWERS
Signs bills passed by the Lok Sabha
REGARDING before they are sent to the Rajya
Sabha or to the President for his
BILLS consideration.

His/her permission is required for

proposing amendments (changes)
to a bill
DISCIPLINARY FUNCTION

Maintains discipline, order Can order removal of Can settle cases relating
and decorum in the House. unparliamentary words to
from the records of the
May ask a member to withdraw house proceedings Breach of Privilege
from the House for some time Contempt of the house
due to misbehaviour.
Questions regarding
May suspend a member for disqualification of members under
disregarding the Speaker's the Anti-defection Law, it is
authority. referred to the Speaker.
May even suspend or adjourn the
proceeding of the House in case
ofhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDMMrFJs2WE
extreme disorder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAOUmnSs5VA
ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS

He communicates the
All messages, petitions
All orders of the house decision and orders of
and documents are
are executed through the house to concerned
received by the
him authorities and ensures
Speaker obedience of these

Permission of the
Speaker is required to
observe the proceeding
of the house by any
outsider
CONTROL OF PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES

The Speaker is the ex officio chairperson Nominates chairpersons of other

of some of the committees of the House committees
OTHER POWERS - SPEAKER

Nominates He presides over The Speaker does

personnel for conferences of the not vote in the
delegations to presiding officers of House except in
various countries legislatures in India. case of a tie.
PARLIAMENTARY
PROCEDURES

• Quorum
• The minimum number of
members required to be
present before a meeting
is allowed to begin.
• It must be 1/10th of the
total membership .
PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES

• Sessions: This means a period during which the house meets to conduct
its business.
• There are three sessions
• Budget session- Feb to May
• Monsoon session- July to September
• Winter session- November to December
• Maximum gap between two sessions should not be more than six
months
PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES

Adjournment
Adjournment
Motion
PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES

• Adjournment
• Suspension of a sitting house by the Speaker because of unruly
behaviour, lack of quorum, death of a current or ex- member of the
house
PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES

Adjournment motion

It may be proposed by
the members to draw
the attention of the
government to urgent
public matters
PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES

Question hour

The Parliament seeks

It helps to bring
information from the
attention to
government about its
policies and government
inefficiency
performance
PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES

No confidence motion

If a no-confidence
It is a way to keep a motion is passed by a
check on the majority, the
government government has to
resign
 Laws on the Union
List

Legislative functions
Laws on
Concurrent lists

Residuary Powers

Laws on the State

Lists.

Emergency

Ordinances
 LEGISLATIVE FUNCTIONS

Making laws on the Union list Making laws on Concurrent lists

•The parliament makes laws on all the 97 subjects mentioned in the union lists
like defense foreign affairs and communication.
•There are 47 'subjects in the Concurrent list
•Both the State legislatures and the Parliament can make laws on these
subjects
•However, in case of a conflict between the laws created by the centre and
the state on any subject, the law created by the centre will be considered
valid.
 Residuary Powers
• All those subjects which are not included in any
of the three lists- Union, State and
LEGISLATIVE Concurrent, The Parliament makes laws on them.

Making laws on the State Lists

FUNCTIONS
• Under three circumstances the centre can make
laws under the state lists...
• When an emergency has been proclaimed.
• When Rajya Sabha passes a resolution by 2/3rd
majority that a subject in the State list has
assumed national importance.
• When two or more states desire that the
Parliament should legislate on a subject given in
the State list
LEGISLATIVE POWERS/ FUNCTIONS
Emergency
• Any proclamation of emergency by the
President must be approved by the
Parliament within a specific period of
time.
Ordinances
• The president may issue ordinances
when the parliament is not in session.
• However, these ordinances must be
presented before the parliament as soon
as the session starts
• The parliament must give approval do
the ordinances within six weeks
otherwise these ordinances lapses .
 Control over
National Finance

Financial Powers / Functions

Money Bill

Budget

Supplementary
Grant

Vote on Account
FINANCIAL POWER

Money bill can be introduced only in

Parliament exercises control over
national finance. No tax can be
imposed OR money spent by the
government without the approval of
Parliament
Lok Sabha. Once it is passed and sent
to Rajya Sabha, they have to send it
back to the Lok Sabha within 14
days. The Lok Sabha is free to accept
or reject the recommendations
made by the Rajya Sabha.
The budget is the most important
financial role of Lok Sabha. The
annual budget for the coming
financial year is passed in Lok Sabha
after proper scrutiny.

If for some reason the budget is not

If the amount authorized by the
passed in time then a device called
budget for a financial year for any
VOTE ON ACCOUNT may be issued
item is insufficient the government,
authorizing the government to draw
may make additional demands which
money from a fund called the
may be fulfilled by Parliament
consolidated fund of India till the
through a supplementary grant.
budget is passed.
JUDICIAL POWERS

important officials like the

The Parliament possesses the Election Commissioner and the
The judges of the Supreme Court Comptroller and Auditor General
exclusive right did remove the
and the High Court can be
President from office through a may be removed only by a
removed only by a joint session of
special procedure call resolution of parliament which
both Houses of Parliament. has to be passed by 2/3 majority
impeachment.
of members of each house.

Parliament can make

The Parliament may punish a
laws regulating the composition
person for defamation all
jurisdiction and power of the
contempt of the house.
Supreme Court.
 The elected members of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha along
with the elected members off the state legislative assemblies
constitute the Electoral College which elects the President.

ELECTORAL Members of both houses jointly elect the Vice President.

FUNCTIONS The members of Lok Sabha elect the Speaker and the Deputy
Speaker.

The members of Rajya Sabha elect the Deputy Chairperson.

CONSTITUTIONAL FUNCTIONS

Both Houses of Parliament enjoy the power to amend the Constitution

The amendment must be passed by each house by a majority of the total

membership as well as by a two thirds majority of members present and voting.

In some specified matters the amendment requires the ratification or approval of

half of the legislative assemblies of the states.
EXCLUSIVE POWERS
Lok Sabha
• A No- Confidence Motion against the
government can only be moved in the Lok Sabha
• A money bill can be only introduced in the Lok
Sabha. Rajya Sabha only plays an advisory role.
Their recommendations may or may not be
considered by the Lok Sabha.
• Demands for grants are discussed and
voted in the Lok Sabha only.
• Incase of a deadlock over an ordinary bill , The
will of Lok Sabha prevails due to its numerical
strength.
Rajya Sabha
• The Rajya Sabha can declare that a subject in
the state list has assumed national importance
by passing a resolution with two thirds majority
of members present and voting ,so that
Parliament can make laws on that subject.
• The Rajya Sabha can vote to create one or more
All India services common to the union and the
states .
COMMON POWERS- LOK SABHA AND RAJYA SABHA

All bills except money bills may be introduced in either house and the same
procedure is followed for passing bills.
A resolution to impeach the President may be moved in any House of
Parliament
A judge of the Supreme Court or High Court may be removed after an
address passed by both Houses of Parliament
If emergency is proclaimed it needs to be approved by both houses to
continue.
 Question Hour

• The opposition ask questions during questionable to seek

information from the government about its policies and for
performance
• The purpose of the question of are is to obtain information
on matter of public importance auto ventilate a grievance
CONTROL OVER • It keeps the ministers on their toes and is valuable against
slackness on the part of the government

THE • This helps to bring attention to the government inefficiency

EXECUTIVES No Confidence

• An important way to check the government is to move a

motion of no confidence. if the house passes a no confidence
motion by majority the government has to resign

Adjournment motion.

• It is proposed by the members to draw attention Ulster

government two urgent public matters