UNION PARLIAMENT

Name the organs or the three branches of the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary
government
Explain what is the federal system of governance? division of powers at the Union and the State level
What is Parliament?  A representative body
 that makes laws
 the country
What is the composition of the Parliament?  Lok Sabha/House of People
 Rajya Sabha/ Council of States
 President

How is the Lok Sabha elected?  Lok Sabha is elected directly

 by the people
 by universal adult franchise
 by secret ballot

How is the Rajya Sabha elected?  Rajya Sabha is elected indirectly

 by the state legislative assemblies.

What is the term of Lok Sabha?  5 years

 Can be dissolved
 Can be extended

What is the term of each member of Lok Sabha?  5 years

What is the term of each member of Rajya Sabha?  6years

What is the term of Rajya Sabha?  It’s a permanent house

 Cannot be dissolved
 Every 2 years 1/3rd members retire

What is the composition of Lok Sabha?  maximum 550 members

 530 elected from the states
 20 elected from the union territories

What is the composition of Rajya Sabha?  maximum 250 members
 238 from the states
 12 are nominated by the President from
specialized fields like arts, science, sports,
literature

What are the qualifications of the candidates for Lok
Sabha?
 Citizen of India
 Should be above the age of 25 years
 Should be of sound mind
 Should not hold office of profit
 Should not be insolvent
 Should have name in electoral roll

What are the qualifications of the candidates for  Citizen of India

Rajya Sabha?  Should be above the age of 30 years
 Should be of sound mind
 Should not hold office of profit
 Should not be insolvent
 Should have name in electoral roll
Q Which house is powerful? Why?
Which house is permanent? Why?
List the exclusive powers of the Lok Sabha
List the exclusive powers of the Rajya Sabha
Explain the equal powers of Lok Sabha and Rajya
Sabha
Who summons or prorogues the Lok Sabha/ rajya
Sabha?
What is the quorum of Lok Sabha/ Rajya Sabha
Who is the presiding officer of Lok Sabha?
Who is appointed as the Speaker
Who is the presiding officer of Rajya Sabha?
Explain the functions of the Speaker
What is a Joint Sitting?
Who summons the joint sitting?
Who presides over the joint sitting?
 Lok Sabha is powerful house.
 Only Lok Sabha introduces money bill
 Only LS passes vote of No confidence
 Rajya Sabha
 It is permanent
 It cannot be dissolved
 Every 2 years the 1/3rd members retire
 Only Lok Sabha introduces money bill
 Only LS passes vote of No confidence
 creates All India Service
 Makes laws during emergencies
 Declares state subject of national
importance
 Elect President/Vice President
 Impeachment to remove President
 pass an ordinary bill
 Pass a resolution
 Ask questions
 amendments
 President
 on the advice of the Prime Minister and
Council of Ministers
 minimum number of members required to
transact any business of the house
 1/10th
 Speaker
 Deputy Speaker
 From amongst themselves
 Ex officio Chairman, Vice President
 Presides of the LS meeting
 Decides whether the bill is a money bill or
not
 Presides over the joint sitting of the houses
 Maintains decorum
 Allows questions
 when a deadlock over the ordinary bill
 President
 Speaker
Explain the Legislative powers of the Parliament  it makes laws on the 97 subjects of union
list
 It makes laws on the 47 subjects of
concurrent list
 It makes laws on Residuary subjects
 Amends the constitution

Explain the financial powers of the Parliament  pass the annual budget
 supplementary budget
 fix salaries and allowances
 taxes
Explain how Parliament controls the executives  asking questions
 passing the vote of no confidence
(government resigns)
 passing censure motion (government
resigns)
 passing adjournment motion(government
resigns)
Explain under what circumstances does the  when vote of no confidence motion is
government resign? passed
 when cut motion is passed
 when censure motion is passed
Q Explain the following terms with reference to Legislature/ Parliament
(i) Summon : call for the meeting of the house
(ii) Prorogue: discontinue a session of parliament without dissolving it
(iii) Adjourn the house: Speaker suspends the house due to disorder or death
(iv) Quorum: minimum number of members required for a business to transact
(v) Session: meeting to transact a business
(vi) Types of Sessions: Budget/Monsoon and Winter
(vii) Question hour: first hour reserved for questions raised by the members
(viii) Starred question: member seeks an oral answer
(ix) Unstarred question : member seeks a written answer
(x) Short notice question : member asks with a short notice to answer
(xi) Resolution: majority opinion expressed by the house on any matter
(xii) impeachment: procedure of removal of president or judges of the Supreme Court /
High Court
(xiii) Adjournment motion: discuss an urgent matter of public importance keeping the
normal agenda aside
(xiv) No confidence motion : members express their lack of confidence in the government
after which the government has to resign
(xv) Cut motion: reduction of the grant after which the government has to resign
(xvi) Censure motion: disapproval of a policy of a minister after which the government
has to resign
(xvii) Money bill: a bill related to the revenue and the expenditure of the money
(xviii) Amendment: changes in the Constitution
(xix) Union List: has 97 subjects on which the Union government makes laws
(xx) Concurrent List: has 47 subjects on which the Union and the State government
makes laws
(xxi) Residuary list : has the subjects that are not in any of the three lists
(xxii) Interpellation: right to ask questions

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CIVICS: UNION EXECUTIVE
nominal head of the country
executive head of the country
the term of office for the President and
Vice President
election of the President
Election of the Vice President
Why is election of the
President indirect?
Why is the President a nominal head?
How is the President removed?
Qualifications for President and Vice
President
Executive powers of the President
Legislative powers of the President.
What’s an Ordinance?
Discretionary powers of the President.
Emergency Powers
Types of Emergencies
President
5 years
 Indirectly
 by Electoral College:
 members of the LokSabha
 members of the RajyaSabha
 members of the Legislative Assemblies of the state
 Indirectly
 members of the LokSabha
 members of the RajyaSabha
 To save time
 To save money
 To avoid being rival to the Prime Minister at the
centre
Because President works on advice of Prime Minister and
Council of Ministers
 By Impeachment
 Resolution passed by both the houses of the
parliament
 On proved misconduct or violation of the
Constitution
 Citizen of India
 Minimum 35 years
 Not to hold office of profit
 President to be a qualified member of Lok Sabha
 Vice President to be a qualified member of Rajya
Sabha
 executive head of the Indian Union
 executive actions are taken in the name of the
President
 makes all the important appointments:
 Prime Minister/ Council of
Ministers/Governors/Judges
 give assent to the bills
 issuing ordinances
 summon and prorogue the house
 President’s address
 temporary law
 by the President
 when the Parliament is not in session
 Works without consulting the Prime Minister
and the Council of Ministers
 appoint the Prime Minister when there’s no
clear majority
Meaning of emergency: situation which requires immediate
attention of the government
 National Emergency: War/armed rebel in country
 Financial Emergency: instability in finance
 Failure of Constitutional Machinery of State
 Who is the real head of the
country?
Who becomes the Prime Minister?
function of the Prime Minister with
reference to the President
function of the Prime Minister with
reference to the Council of Ministers
function of the Prime Minister with
reference to the Nation
function of the Prime Minister with
reference to the legislature/Lok Sabha
Q Who appoints the Union
Council of Ministers?
Ans
Name the categories of the Union
Council of Ministers
Ans
What is the collective responsibility
of the Union Cabinet?
What is the individual responsibility
of the Union Cabinet?
function of the Council of Ministers
with reference to policy making
function of the Council of Ministers
with reference to administration
function of the Council of Ministers
with reference to legislative
Prime Minister
 The leader of the majority party of the Lok Sabha
 appointed by the President
 link between the President and the Cabinet
 advices to issue ordinances
 advice appointments
 advice dissolution of the house
 selects the ministers
 gives portfolios
 presides over Cabinet meetings
 shuffles departments
 he is the real executive
 represents nation
 announces foreign policies
 Opposition supports during national crisis
 ex officio Chairman of Niti Aayog and Atomic
Energy Commission
 Leader of the house
 Comes to the rescue of ministers in case of debate
 Determines agenda with speaker
 spokesperson
 The Prime Minister selects the ministers
 The President appoints
 Cabinet Ministers
 Ministers of State
 Deputy Ministers
 if no confidence motion is passed against one
minister, the entire ministry resigns
 works as a team
 same ideologies
 swim and sink together
 Answerable to the Parliament individually
 Answerable for their own department
 Formulates policies for the country
 Formulates domestic and external policies
 Decides foreign policies
 Cabinet is the policy making body
 Each ministry follows the direction of the Cabinet
 Appointments by the President are on advice of
Cabinet
 Maintains law and administration
 Cabinet is the policy making body
 Prepares and presents bills in the Parliament
 Recommends ordinances
 Presents amendments
 Prepares President’s address
Q Explain the difference between the Council of Ministers and the Cabinet

COUNCIL OF MINISTERS CABINET

1. Is a larger body 1. Is a smaller body
2. It consists of 2. It consists of 15 to 18 seniormost
Cabinet, ministers holding portfolios
Ministers of State
and Deputy Ministers
3. May or may not be consulted by the 3. has to be consulted by the Prime
Prime Minister Minister
4. They rarely meet 4. They frequently meet

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JUDICIARY
meaning of ‘Independence of Judiciary’  not under Executive or Legislature
 to protect ‘democracy’ and
 to remain impartial

How is ‘Independence of Judiciary’ ensured  The President appoints the Judges

by the Constitution  Judges can be removed through Impeachment
 No discussion of conduct of judges in the
Parliament
 Salaries cannot vary to their disadvantage
composition of Judiciary 1) Supreme Court
2) High Courts
3) Subordinate Courts
highest Court of appeal in India Supreme Court
highest Court of appeal in state High Court
composition of Supreme Court  Chief Justice
 33 other Judges
 Ad hoc judges
Qualifications for SC judge  Citizen of India
 High Court judge for at least 5 years
 High Court advocate for at least 10 years
 Distinguished jurist in eye of President
composition of High Court.  Chief Justice
 other Judges
 Additional judges
Qualifications for HC judge  Citizen of India
 Subordinate Court judge for at least 10 years
 High Court advocate for at least 10 years

Who appoints the judges President

term of a Supreme Court Judge till the age of 65 years
term of a High Court Judge till the age of 62 years
How are the judges removed by impeachment
What is the Original Jurisdiction
What is Appellate Jurisdiction?
What is the Advisory Jurisdiction?
What is the Revisory Jurisdiction
What is ‘Judicial Review’?
What is a ‘Writ’?
Writs:
Explain ‘court of record’
Subordinate Courts
Civil Court cases
Criminal Court cases
What is Lok Adalat?
Advantages of Lok Adalat
_______________________GOOD LUCK______________________
 cases that come directly or first instancet
 cases related to Constitution
 cases related to Fundamental Rights
 Cases come from lower court to the higher court
 All civil and criminal cases
 Supreme Court advise the President
 on important question of law
 it is not binding on the President
To revise earlier cases for any error
 To review laws made by the parliament
 to see if according to constitution
 and if not then they are null and void
 orders a particular person
 to do or not to do a particular thing
 to protect the Fundamental Rights
 Habeas Corpus
 Mandamus
 Quo Warranto
 Certiorari
 Prohibition
 cases are printed
 preserved
 for future reference

 Civil Courts with District court as highest
 Criminal Courts with Sessions court as highest
 Marriage
 Divorce
 wills
 theft
 murder
 rape
People’s Court
 Faster
 Cheaper
 Reduces burden of higher courts