The Parliamentary System: Legislature and Executive

India’s Parliament and its two Houses, how a bill becomes an act, how Parliament holds the executive to account, and how power is shared between the Union and the states.

Key ideas

Parliament is the President, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha; a two-house legislature is bicameral.
Parliament makes laws, holds the executive accountable and controls public money.
A bill is a draft law; it becomes an act when both Houses pass it and the President gives assent.
A Money Bill can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha.
Question Hour and Standing Committees let MPs check the government’s work.
The President is the nominal head of state; the Prime Minister leads the government in practice, as the Chief Minister does in a state.
Federalism shares power between the centre, the states and local governments through three lists.

Remember

Presiding officers	Lok Sabha: Speaker; Rajya Sabha: Vice President
Sessions	Budget, Monsoon, Winter
Three lists	Union, State, Concurrent (Union law prevails in a clash)
Article 21A	free education, ages 6 to 14 (86th Amendment, 2002)
Right to Education Act	2009
Majority of those voting	more than half: half of 333 is 166.5, so 167

Watch out

Thinking a bill is law once one House passes it: both Houses and the President’s assent are needed.
Taking half and rounding down for a majority: it must be more than half.
Mixing up who chairs each House: the Speaker (Lok Sabha), the Vice President (Rajya Sabha).

Worked example

A bill needs more than half of the members present and voting. If 333 members are present and all vote, (a) what is the least number of “yes” votes needed? (b) Which House must pass it next, and who signs it into law?

Working: half of 333 is 166.5; the next whole number above it is 167

Answer: (a) 167 (b) the other House; the President gives assent