The Parliamentary System: Legislature and Executive — Class 8 Social Studies
"Democracy means government of the people, by the people, for the people." — Abraham Lincoln
1. About the Chapter
This chapter explores how India is GOVERNED — through the Parliamentary System with:
- Legislature (Parliament): makes laws
- Executive (Prime Minister + Council of Ministers): implements laws
- Judiciary (Supreme Court, High Courts): interprets laws
Indian Constitution Structure
India follows a Westminster-style PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY (like UK), unlike PRESIDENTIAL system of USA.
2. India's Parliament — Structure
Two Houses
- Lok Sabha (House of the People) — Lower House
- Rajya Sabha (Council of States) — Upper House
Plus
- President of India — Constitutional head; signs bills
Lok Sabha (Lower House)
- 543 elected MPs (Members of Parliament)
- Elected DIRECTLY by people every 5 years
- Constituencies across India
- Presiding officer: Speaker
- Has MORE POWER than Rajya Sabha in money matters
- Government's confidence comes from Lok Sabha majority
Rajya Sabha (Upper House)
- 245 members max
- 233 elected by State Legislative Assemblies
- 12 nominated by President (eminent people from arts, science, etc.)
- 6-year terms (1/3 retire every 2 years)
- Presiding officer: Vice President
- Permanent body (cannot be dissolved)
President
- Head of State (not head of government)
- Elected by ELECTED MPs + ELECTED MLAs (electoral college)
- Term: 5 years
- Signs bills into law
- Can dissolve Lok Sabha
- Acts on advice of Council of Ministers
- Current: Smt. Droupadi Murmu (15th President, since 2022)
3. The Executive
Prime Minister (PM)
- Head of Government (real power)
- Leader of party/coalition with majority in Lok Sabha
- Appointed by President
- Forms Council of Ministers
Council of Ministers
- PM + Cabinet Ministers + State Ministers + Deputy Ministers
- Cabinet: top 25-30 ministers handling key portfolios
- Each minister responsible for one ministry (Defence, Finance, External Affairs, etc.)
- Collectively responsible to Parliament
Civil Services
- IAS, IPS, IFS — administrative backbone
- Permanent bureaucracy that implements government decisions
- Politically neutral
4. How a Law is Made (Bill → Act)
Step 1: Drafting
Bill drafted by relevant ministry (e.g., Health Ministry drafts health bill).
Step 2: Cabinet Approval
Cabinet approves the draft.
Step 3: Introduction in Parliament
Minister introduces in Lok Sabha (or Rajya Sabha for some bills).
Step 4: First Reading
Introduction; no debate.
Step 5: Second Reading
Detailed discussion. Possibly sent to Standing Committee for review.
Step 6: Third Reading
Final discussion and voting. Simple majority needed.
Step 7: Other House
If passed in Lok Sabha, sent to Rajya Sabha. Both must pass.
Step 8: President's Assent
President signs the bill. Now becomes an ACT (law).
Step 9: Implementation
Government implements the law through its agencies.
Joint Session
If houses disagree on Bills, President can call JOINT SESSION (Lok Sabha + Rajya Sabha) to break deadlock (Article 108).
5. Types of Bills
Money Bills (Article 110)
- Concern taxes, government spending
- Introduced ONLY in Lok Sabha
- Rajya Sabha can only DELAY 14 days, not reject
- Speaker certifies as Money Bill
Ordinary Bills
- Any other bill
- Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha must pass
- Can be introduced in either house
Constitutional Amendment Bills
- Change to Constitution
- Need SPECIAL MAJORITY (2/3 in each house)
- Some need ratification by half of state assemblies
Financial Bills
- Less strict than Money Bills but involve money matters
6. Powers of Parliament
Legislative
- Make laws on subjects in Union and Concurrent Lists
- Repeal or amend existing laws
Financial
- Approve government budget
- Levy taxes
- Approve spending
Executive Control
- Question Hour: MPs question ministers
- Zero Hour: urgent matters
- No-confidence motion
- Adjournment motions
Constituent
- Amend Constitution (Article 368)
Electoral
- Elect Lok Sabha Speaker
- Elect Rajya Sabha Vice-Chairman
- Participate in Presidential election
Judicial
- Impeach President, Judges of Supreme Court
7. Parliamentary Sessions
Three Sessions per Year
- Budget Session: February-May (longest)
- Monsoon Session: July-September
- Winter Session: November-December
Question Hour
- First hour of each day
- MPs question Cabinet ministers
- Crucial for accountability
Zero Hour
- Between Question Hour and regular agenda
- Urgent matters of public importance
Sittings
- Lok Sabha: ~70-80 days per year
- Rajya Sabha: ~60-70 days per year
8. Cabinet Form of Government
Key Features
Collective Responsibility:
- ALL ministers responsible TOGETHER to Parliament
- If government loses confidence, ALL ministers resign
Individual Responsibility:
- Each minister also responsible for their ministry
- Wrong-doing can be punished
Cabinet Secrecy:
- Cabinet discussions confidential
- 30 years before being public
Majority Rule:
- PM's party must have Lok Sabha majority
- Coalition governments common
Cabinet Committees
- Cabinet Committee on Security
- Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs
- Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
- Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs
9. State Governments
Mirror of Centre
Each State has:
- Governor: Head of State (like President)
- Chief Minister: Head of Government (like PM)
- Council of Ministers: State Cabinet
- Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha): like Lok Sabha
- Some states have Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad): like Rajya Sabha
Bicameral States (have both Houses)
- Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, UP, Telangana, Bihar
State subjects
Police, agriculture, public health, local government, etc. (State List)
10. Federal Structure
Centre vs States
Powers divided by Constitution's Seventh Schedule:
Union List: defence, foreign affairs, currency, railways, banking State List: police, agriculture, health, education (originally) Concurrent List: education (now), criminal law, marriage, social security
Centre's Special Powers
- Can legislate on Concurrent List
- Article 249: Rajya Sabha can permit Parliament to legislate on State List
- Emergency provisions
State Autonomy
- States can frame their own constitutions (within limits)
- States manage their own affairs (within State List)
- Centre cannot interfere arbitrarily
Union Territories
- Directly administered by Centre
- Some have legislatures (Delhi, Puducherry, J&K)
11. Important Personalities
President of India (Current 2026): Smt. Droupadi Murmu
- 15th President
- First tribal woman to hold office
- Sworn in 25 July 2022
Prime Minister: Shri Narendra Modi
- 14th PM
- Since May 2014
- Re-elected 2019 and 2024
- Third consecutive term
Lok Sabha Speaker
- Presides over Lok Sabha
- Currently: Shri Om Birla (since 2019, re-elected 2024)
Rajya Sabha Chairman
- Vice President of India
- Currently: Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar (since 2022)
12. The Judiciary
Three-tier Court System
- Supreme Court (Delhi)
- High Courts (in states)
- District Courts and lower courts
Supreme Court
- Constitutional Body (Article 124)
- Chief Justice of India (CJI) + up to 33 judges
- Court of last appeal
- Guardian of Constitution
- Judicial review power
Independence of Judiciary
- Judges cannot be easily removed
- Salaries protected
- Decisions binding on government
13. Worked Examples
Example 1: PM vs President
What's the difference?
- PRESIDENT: Constitutional Head (titular). Smt. Murmu. Elected by electoral college.
- PM: Head of Government (real power). Shri Modi. Leader of majority party in Lok Sabha.
Example 2: Lok Sabha vs Rajya Sabha
What's the difference?
- Lok Sabha: Lower House. Directly elected. 543 MPs. 5-year terms. Controls finance.
- Rajya Sabha: Upper House. Indirectly elected by states. 245 max. 6-year staggered terms. Permanent body.
Example 3: Bill becomes law
Steps?
- Drafted by Ministry → Cabinet approval → Introduced in Parliament → Three readings → Both Houses pass → President's assent → Becomes Act.
Example 4: Money Bill
What's special?
- Only in Lok Sabha. Rajya Sabha can only delay 14 days. Speaker certifies as Money Bill.
14. Common Mistakes
-
President has real power
- President is CONSTITUTIONAL head. Real power with PM.
-
PM is directly elected
- WRONG. PM is leader of majority party in Lok Sabha. Indirectly chosen.
-
All bills need Rajya Sabha approval
- Money Bills only need Lok Sabha (Rajya Sabha can only delay).
-
Cabinet has 100 ministers
- Cabinet itself is 20-30 senior ministers. Council of Ministers includes all (~70-80 max).
-
Parliament always in session
- Three sessions per year. Total ~70-100 days only.
15. Conclusion
India's Parliamentary System is a beautiful piece of constitutional architecture:
- Lok Sabha represents people directly
- Rajya Sabha represents states
- President is Constitutional head
- PM and Cabinet run the government
- Judiciary protects the Constitution
Born from years of freedom struggle and constitutional drafting (1946-49), India's democracy has:
- Held 17+ general elections
- Peaceful transfers of power
- Survived massive challenges (wars, emergencies, economic crises)
- Continued to deepen democratic culture
Every Indian — including Class 8 students — is a STAKEHOLDER in this system. By learning HOW it works, you become an INFORMED citizen. By participating (voting, debating, peaceful protest), you make it stronger.
The Constitution is YOUR document. Read it. Understand it. Defend it.
