Parliament of India (Articles 79-122, Part V of the Constitution)
Composition of Parliament
The Parliament consists of:
The Lok Sabha (Lower House/House of the People)
The Rajya Sabha (Upper House/Council of States)
The President of India
Functions of Parliament
The Parliament performs multiple functions categorized as follows:
Legislative Functions
Legislates on matters in the Union List and Concurrent List.
Can legislate on the State List under Articles 249, 252, and 253.
Can amend or override state legislature laws.
Executive Functions
Can remove a cabinet through a vote of no-confidence.
Can oppose financial bills proposed by the government.
Adjournment motion is used to bring public emergency matters to attention.
Appoints committees to review the functioning of government departments.
Ministers are accountable to Parliament for their actions.
Financial Functions
Approves tax imposition.
Reviews and approves the Union Budget.
Plays a crucial role in the passage of money bills.
Two key committees oversee expenditures:
o Public Accounts Committee
o Estimates Committee
Electoral Functions
Both houses participate in electing the President and Vice President.
Can remove a President by passing a resolution.
Amendment Powers
Responsible for amending the Indian Constitution.
Amendments require approval from both houses.
Judicial Functions
Can remove the President for constitutional violations.
Can impeach the President.
Has the authority to remove judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts.
Can punish members for breaches of privilege while in office.
Other Functions
Has the power to increase, decrease, or alter state and union territory boundaries.
Discusses matters of national and international importance before making decisions.
Major Organs of the Parliament
Lok Sabha (House of the People)
Maximum Strength: 552 members
o 530 represent states.
o 20 represent Union Territories.
o 2 Anglo-Indian members (Nomination ended in 2020 via the 95th
Amendment).
Representation of States:
o Members are directly elected from constituencies.
o Voting age was reduced from 21 to 18 via the 61st Amendment Act.
Representation of Union Territories:
o Members are directly elected.
o Governed by the Union Territories Act 1965.
Duration:
o 5-year term, unless dissolved earlier by the President.
o Can be extended by 1 year during a National Emergency.
Rajya Sabha (Council of States)
Maximum Strength: 250 members
o 238 elected by State Legislative Assemblies.
o 12 nominated by the President based on expertise in art, literature, science,
or social service.
Representation of States:
o Indirect election by State Legislative Assemblies.
o Proportional representation system using a single transferable vote.
o Seat allocation is based on population.
Representation of Union Territories:
o Only Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, and Puducherry have representation.
o Indirect election through proportional representation.
Duration:
o Permanent body, not subject to dissolution.
o 1/3rd of its members retire every 2 years.
o Members can be re-elected/re-nominated.
Presiding Officers
Lok Sabha
Speaker and Deputy Speaker elected from its members.
Powers of the Speaker:
o Maintains order and interprets rules.
o Final authority on Money Bills (Art. 110).
o Presides over Joint Sittings (Art. 118(4)).
o Casting vote in case of a tie.
o Decisions are immune from court scrutiny (Art. 122).
First Speaker: G.V. Mavalankar (1952-1956).
First Female Speaker: Meira Kumar (2009-2014).
Rajya Sabha
Chairman (Vice-President of India) and Deputy Chairman.
Chairman’s Role:
o Similar to the Lok Sabha Speaker, but no Money Bill authority.
First Chairman: Dr. S. Radhakrishnan (1952-1962).
Parliamentary Privileges
Individual Privileges:
o Freedom from arrest in civil cases.
o Freedom of speech within Parliament (Art. 121 limits discussion on judiciary).
Collective Privileges:
o Right to publish proceedings.
o Control over internal affairs.
o Power to punish breaches of privilege.
Key Bills & Amendments
SC/ST Quota Extension Bill (126th Amendment, 2019)
Ended Anglo-Indian nominations after Jan 2020.
US Presidents Who Addressed Indian Parliament
President Year
Dwight Eisenhower 1959
Jimmy Carter 1978
Bill Clinton 2000
Barack Obama 2010
