Class 8th L-6-The Parliamentary System: Legislature and Executive

 Class 8th 

L-6-The Parliamentary System: Legislature and Executive

Chapter Notes:

Introduction-

-India became independent in 1947; citizens gained the right to govern themselves.

-The Constitution of India (1950) laid the foundation of governance.

Universal Adult Franchise: Every adult citizen has the right to vote, irrespective of caste, gender, class, or religion.

-Parliament represents the people and makes laws with their consent.

-First Lok Sabha: 1952; Current (18th) Lok Sabha: 2024.

Composition of the Indian Parliament of India

Bicameral Legislature: Two houses + President.

-Lok Sabha (House of the People / Lower House) - directly elected.

-Rajya Sabha (Council of States / Upper House) - indirectly elected by state legislatures.

-President - part of the Parliament.

-Representation based on population of states.

-Speaker presides over Lok Sabha; Vice President is Chairperson of Rajya Sabha.

Union Executive

Composed of:

-President - Head of State (nominal executive).

-Vice President - also Chairperson of Rajya Sabha.

-Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister - real executive authority.

Council of Ministers:

-Chosen from MPs (both houses).

-Collectively responsible to Lok Sabha.

-Assisted by civil servants (bureaucrats).

Legislative Functions of Parliament

(a) Constitutional Functions

-Elects the President and Vice President.

-Amends the Constitution.

-Ensures federalism, separation of powers, and protection of Fundamental Rights.

(b) Lawmaking

-Main function: Passing laws.

-Bill → Act → Law (steps: introduction, reading, committee stage, voting, President's assent).

-Example: Right to Education Act (2009).

-Money Bills can only be introduced in Lok Sabha.

(c) Executive Accountability

-Government is answerable to Parliament.

-Question Hour: MPs question ministers.

-Parliamentary Committees review ministries' work.

(d) Financial Accountability

-Parliament approves the annual budget.

-Ensures government spends public money responsibly.

-Executive Functions of Parliament

(a) President

-Head of State; performs constitutional duties.

-Gives assent to bills, summons Parliament, appoints PM and ministers.

-Uses discretionary powers during crises (e.g., hung Parliament).

(b) Prime Minister and Council of Ministers

-Real executive authority.

-Key functions:

-Lead Council of Ministers.

-Advise the President.

-Formulate policies and run ministries.

-Collectively responsible to Lok Sabha.

Differences: Legislature vs Executive

Legislature

-Composition:- President, Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha

-Role :- Makes laws, supervises Executive

-Bills:- Can introduce some bills

-Accountability :- Questions Executive

-Finance :- Sanctions expenditure

-Executive

-Composition:- President, Vice President, PM & Council of Ministers

-Role :- Implements laws, runs government

Bills: Introduces most bills

Accountability :- Answers to Legislature

Finance :- Prepares budget

Judiciary - Role of Checks and Balances

-Independent organ of government.

-Interprets laws, safeguards Constitution, protects Fundamental Rights.

-Ensures laws and executive actions do not violate the Constitution.

-Maintains checks and balances between Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary.

State Legislature & Executive

-Each state has a Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha); some have Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad).

-Head of State: Governor (appointed by President).

-Real executive: Chief Minister and Council of Ministers.

-States legislate on State List; both Centre & States on Concurrent List.

Challenges to Legislatures

-Absenteeism of members.

-Disruptions & reduced debate quality.

-Low productivity of sessions.

-Presence of MPs with criminal cases.

Importance of Parliament

-Represents people's voice.

-Protects democratic values.

-Ensures accountability of government.

-Strengthens unity through federalism.

-Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee: "Governments will come and go, but democracy must endure."

The Big Questions (Page 139) Q1. What is India's parliamentary system, and how is it structured? Answer: India follows a Parliamentary system of government inspired by the British model. The Parliament consists of: President Lok Sabha (House of the People) - Lower House, directly elected by citizens. Rajya Sabha (Council of States) - Upper House, indirectly elected by State Legislatures. It is a bicameral legislature where laws are made, debated, and passed. Q2. What are the key functions of the Parliament? Answer: The main functions of the Parliament are: Constitutional Functions - e.g., election of President & Vice President, amendments. Lawmaking - framing new laws and modifying old ones. Executive Accountability - keeping a check on government through Question Hour, debates, committees. Financial Functions - approving the annual budget and controlling government expenditure. Q3. What are the roles of the legislature and the executive in India's Parliamentary democracy? Answer: Legislature (Parliament): Makes laws, debates policies, approves budget, and supervises the Executive. Executive (President, Vice President, Prime Minister & Council of Ministers): Implements and enforces laws, runs the government, formulates policies, and remains answerable to the Legislature. Legislature = law-making, Executive = law-implementing. Free worksheets, NCERT Solutions, Learning material & more @ www.onepointlearning.com Q4. How are the legislature and the executive organised at the union and state levels? Answer: Union Level: Legislature → Parliament (Lok Sabha + Rajya Sabha + President). Executive → President (nominal head), Prime Minister & Council of Ministers (real executive). State Level: Legislature → Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly). Some states also have Vidhan Parishad (Legislative Council). Executive → Governor (nominal head), Chief Minister & Council of Ministers (real executive).

Questions and activities (Page 161-162) 1. Find out how many representatives from your state are in each House of the Parliament. Answer: The number of representatives depends on the population of the state. Example: Uttar Pradesh 80 Lok Sabha MPs, 31 Rajya Sabha MPs. 2. What makes the Indian Parliament the "voice of the people"? How does it ensure that different opinions are heard? Answer: The Indian Parliament is called the "voice of the people" because it represents India's diverse population through elected representatives. Universal Adult Franchise: Every citizen 18+ can vote, making Parliament the direct expression of people's will. Bicameral Structure: Lok Sabha represents the people, Rajya Sabha represents the states. Diverse Representation: Reserved seats for SCs, STs, and inclusion of many parties and regions.

How different opinions are heard. (One Point Learning) Debates & Question Hour let MPs raise issues. Translation in 18 languages ensures inclusivity. Committees review bills with cross-party input. Media & public engagement keep Parliament open to citizens. Thus, Parliament ensures that all voices-regional, social, and political-are heard in democracy. 3. Why do you think the Constitution made the Executive responsible to the Legislature? Answer: The Indian Constitution makes the Executive responsible to the Legislature to ensure that the government is accountable to the elected representatives of the people and to prevent the abuse of power. This system, known as parliamentary democracy, means the Executive (the Council of Ministers) is drawn from the Legislature (Parliament) and must maintain its confidence. Here's why this is important: i. Accountability: The Executive is accountable to the Legislature, meaning they have to answer for their actions and policies. This is achieved through mechanisms like questions in Parliament, debates, and votes of no confidence. ii. Democratic Control: By being responsible to the Legislature, the Executive is ultimately responsible to the people who elected the members of the Legislature. This ensures that the government is responsive to the needs and expectations of the citizens. iii. Checks and Balances: This system creates a system of checks and balances where the Legislature can scrutinize and oversee the Executive's work. This prevents the Executive from becoming too powerful and potentially authoritarian. iv. Policy Alignment: The Executive's dependence on the Legislature for support ensures that policies are aligned with the needs and priorities of the people as reflected by their elected representatives. v. Preventing Abuse of Power: If the Executive loses the confidence of the Legislature, it can be removed from power. This is a crucial safeguard against the abuse of power and ensures that the government remains accountable to the people. 4. Why do you think we have chosen the system of bicameral legislature at the Union level? Answer: India is a large and diverse country with many states and regions. A bicameral legislature (Lok Sabha + Rajya Sabha) ensures better representation: Lok Sabha represents the people directly (population-based). Rajya Sabha represents the states and protects their interests. It allows wider debate and prevents hasty passing of laws. Strengthens federalism and creates a system of checks and balances in lawmaking. 5. Try to track the journey of a recent bill passed by the Parliament. Identify in which House it was introduced. Were there any major debates or disagreements? How long did it take for the bill to become a law? Use newspaper archives, government websites, and Lok Sabha debates, or ask your teacher for help. Answer: Here's a well-organized answer tracing the journey of a recent bill passed by Parliament, suitable for Class 8 learning: Example: The Women's Reservation Bill (Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023) a. Where was the Bill introduced? → Introduced in the Lok Sabha on 19 September 2023, during the special session of Parliament. b. What happened next? One Point Learning → Lok Sabha passed it on 20 September 2023 with overwhelming support-454 votes in favor, only 2 against. It was then sent to the Rajya Sabha, which passed it the very next day (21 September 2023), unanimously-214 votes in favor, none against. c. President's assent & notification → The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, gave assent on 28 September 2023, and it was gazette-notified the same day, thus becoming a formal Act. d. Duration of the entire process → From introduction to President's assent, the process took just 9 days-remarkably fast for a constitutional amendment. e. Why was it able to pass so quickly? → The bill enjoyed wide political consensus and was supported across party lines. It addressed a longstanding demand for women's representation, making it both timely and widely accepted. The discussions occurred during a focused special session, allowing faster passage.

Class VIII - The Parliamentary System: Legislature and Executive - 

1. TOPICS TO BE COVERED 

A. Understanding Parliament

- Why we need Parliament, Bicameral System - Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha, Composition and Powers

B. Legislature in Action

- Role of Parliament - Law making, Control over Executive, Representation of people

C. Executive - The Parliamentary Executive

- Political Executive - Prime Minister & Council of Ministers, Permanent Executive - Bureaucracy, Relation between Legislature and Executive

2. TARGETED LEARNING OUTCOMES (TLOs) 

By the end of the lesson, student will be able to:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:

- Define Parliamentary System and differentiate between Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha

2. Critical Thinking & Analysis:

- Analyze how Parliament controls the Executive through Question Hour, No-Confidence Motion etc.

3. Application & Connection:

- Relate the functions of Parliament to real life examples like making of a law

4. Values & Citizenship:

- Appreciate the importance of accountability, representation and democratic participation in a Parliamentary democracy

Prepared by - Vineeta Arya ma’am 

                        TGT S.SC