Exam-useful questions from this chapter, grouped by marks, each with a full model answer. Try writing the answer yourself first, then check it against this one.
1 1-Mark Questions
Q. What is a legislature?
Answer: A legislature is the organ of government made up of the people’s elected representatives, which makes laws and holds the executive accountable to the people.
Q. What does a bicameral legislature mean?
Answer: A legislature with two Houses is called a bicameral legislature. India’s Parliament has two Houses, the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha.
Q. Why is the Rajya Sabha called the permanent House?
Answer: Because all its members do not retire together. Only one-third of members change every two years, so this House is never fully dissolved.
Q. Where can a money bill be introduced?
Answer: A money bill can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha. It is sent to the Rajya Sabha only after being passed there.
Q. Why are parliamentary committees called miniature legislatures?
Answer: Because a large part of the discussion on bills takes place in these committees, and their recommendation is then sent to the House, so they work like a small legislature.
Q. What is parliamentary privilege?
Answer: It is the protection that means no legal action can be taken against a member for anything said in the House. The presiding officer of the House takes the final decision on any breach of this privilege.
Q. Which constitutional amendment brought the anti-defection law, and in which year?
Answer: It came through the 52nd Amendment to the Constitution in 1985. It was later modified again by the 91st Amendment.
Q. What is Zero Hour?
Answer: Zero Hour is the time when members can raise any matter they consider important, even if it is not on the day’s fixed agenda. During it, a minister’s reply is not compulsory.
2 2-Mark Questions
Q. Write two differences between Question Hour and Zero Hour.
Answer: 1. In Question Hour members ask ministers fixed questions and ministers must reply, while in Zero Hour a minister’s reply is not compulsory.
2. The subject of Question Hour is notified in advance, while in Zero Hour members can raise any matter immediately.
Q. On what basis are Rajya Sabha seats divided, and why did India not adopt the American system?
Answer: In India, Rajya Sabha seats are divided in proportion to each State’s population, and this number is fixed by the Constitution’s Fourth Schedule. In the USA, every state gets equal seats in the Senate. India did not choose that route because then Uttar Pradesh, with a population of 1998.12 lakhs, would have got the same number of seats as Sikkim, with a population of only 6.10 lakhs, and the framers of the Constitution wanted to prevent exactly this discrepancy.
Q. In which two situations can the Lok Sabha be dissolved before completing five years?
Answer: 1. When no party or coalition is in a position to form the government.
2. When the Prime Minister advises the President to dissolve the Lok Sabha and hold fresh elections.
Q. Who are the nominated members of the Rajya Sabha, and who nominates them?
Answer: The Rajya Sabha has 12 nominated members, nominated by the President. They are people who have made a special contribution in the fields of literature, science, art and social service.
Q. Why is a Joint Session called, and what has been its outcome so far?
Answer: When the two Houses disagree on a bill and reach a deadlock, a Joint Session of Parliament is called to resolve it. In India, every time this has happened, the decision has gone in favour of the Lok Sabha, because its members far outnumber those of the Rajya Sabha.
Q. How is the Rajya Sabha’s power limited in the case of a money bill?
Answer: The Rajya Sabha can neither introduce nor reject a money bill. It can only suggest amendments, and whether the Lok Sabha accepts them or not is entirely up to the Lok Sabha. If the Rajya Sabha takes no action within 14 days, the bill is deemed to have been passed.
Q. What is defection?
Answer: Defection is deemed to have occurred when a member does any one of the following:
1. Remains absent from the House when the party leadership asks them to be present,
2. Votes in the House against the party’s instructions,
3. Voluntarily leaves the membership of their party.
Q. Write two differences between a Standing Committee and a Joint Parliamentary Committee.
Answer: 1. Standing committees are a permanent arrangement running since 1983, with over twenty departmentally related committees, while a Joint Parliamentary Committee is set up for a particular purpose.
2. A Joint Parliamentary Committee has members from both Houses of Parliament, and it is formed for joint discussion on one bill or to investigate a financial irregularity.
Q. Write three special features of Germany’s bicameral system.
Answer: 1. Germany’s two Houses are called the Bundestag (Federal Assembly) and the Bundesrat (Federal Council).
2. The Bundesrat’s 69 seats are divided among the 16 federal states on the basis of population, and its members are not elected, they are appointed by the state governments.
3. They vote as a bloc on the state government’s instructions, and on subjects where the federal states are responsible for enforcing federal regulations, the Bundesrat can also veto legislation.
3 4-Mark Questions
Q. Explain the differences between the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
Answer: 1. Election: the Lok Sabha is directly elected by the people, the Rajya Sabha is elected by the elected members of the Legislative Assemblies.
2. Representation: the Lok Sabha represents the people of the whole country, the Rajya Sabha represents the States of India.
3. Term: the Lok Sabha is elected for 5 years and can be dissolved earlier, while Rajya Sabha members are elected for 6 years and the House is never dissolved.
4. Nomination: the Rajya Sabha has 12 nominated members, the Lok Sabha has none.
5. Money bill: this can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha cannot reject it.
6. Accountability: the Council of Ministers is responsible only to the Lok Sabha, which is why the power to remove the government also rests only with it.
Q. Explain any four functions of the Parliament.
Answer: 1. Legislative function: Parliament makes laws for the country, although the bureaucracy drafts the actual bill and the Cabinet decides its subject and timing.
2. Financial function: the government cannot impose a new tax and cannot spend money without a budget. Parliament’s approval is needed for the budget and the annual financial statement.
3. Control of the executive: through Question Hour, debate, financial control and the no-confidence motion, Parliament keeps the government accountable.
4. Debating function: Parliament is the country’s highest forum of debate, where members can speak on any matter without fear, and these discussions are the very heart of democratic decision making.
Q. Why can the Lok Sabha control the executive more effectively than the Rajya Sabha can?
Answer: 1. The Council of Ministers is responsible only to the Lok Sabha, not to the Rajya Sabha.
2. A no-confidence motion can be moved only in the Lok Sabha, and once passed the entire government must resign. The Rajya Sabha can criticise the government but cannot remove it.
3. Final power over money bills and the budget rests with the Lok Sabha, meaning government spending runs on its approval alone.
4. The real reason behind all this is that the Lok Sabha is directly elected by the people. In our democracy, the people are the final authority, so the powers of removing the government and controlling finances were given to their directly elected representatives.
Q. Write the special powers of the Rajya Sabha.
Answer: 1. The Rajya Sabha is the institution that represents the States, so every matter affecting the States is sent to it for consent.
2. If Parliament wishes to move a State List subject to the Union List or Concurrent List in the national interest, the Rajya Sabha’s approval is necessary.
3. The Rajya Sabha can give Parliament the power to make laws on State List subjects.
4. A proposal to remove the Vice President can be moved only in the Rajya Sabha.
But the book also notes that, going by experience, Rajya Sabha members represent their party more than they represent their State.
Q. What effect has the system of parliamentary committees had on Parliament’s legislative work?
Answer: 1. Parliament sits only during sessions and has very little time, so committees have considerably lightened its burden.
2. Detailed scrutiny of bills now happens in committees, along with studying demands for grants, examining departmental expenditure, and investigating cases of corruption.
3. Many important bills have been referred to committees, and Parliament has approved them with only occasional alterations.
4. The other side is that the real decision has shifted into committees. Legally no budget is passed and no bill becomes law without Parliament’s own approval, but in practice Parliament rarely rejects committee suggestions.
Q. State both the good and the bad outcomes of the anti-defection law.
Answer: Good outcomes:
1. A member elected on one party’s ticket switching to another party is now legally restricted.
2. If defection is proved, the member loses membership of the House and is also disqualified from any political office such as a ministership, so the cost of defecting has gone up.
Bad outcomes:
3. Twenty years of experience shows this law has not succeeded in curbing defection.
4. It has given additional power to party leaders and presiding officers of the House over members, forcing MPs to follow the party’s instructions rather than vote by their own judgement.
Q. Give arguments in favour of having two Houses of Parliament.
Answer: 1. In a large, highly diverse country like India, two Houses ensure every section of society and every geographical region gets representation.
2. A second House makes it possible to reconsider every decision, because every bill passed by one House also goes to the other House.
3. This can stop a decision taken in haste, because the other House discusses it afresh.
4. In a federal structure, the second House becomes the voice of the States, as the Rajya Sabha represents India’s States and its consent is needed on matters concerning the State List.
4 6-Mark Questions
Q. Explain the complete process of a bill becoming law.
Answer: 1. Meaning of a bill: a bill is a draft of proposed law. One brought by a minister is a Government Bill, one brought by any other member is a Private Member’s Bill.
2. Preparation: first the Cabinet approves the policy behind the law, then the concerned ministry drafts it. A bill raising the marriageable age of girls from 18 to 21 would be prepared by the law ministry, with the ministry of women and child welfare also involved.
3. First stage, introduction: the bill is introduced in the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha. A money bill can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha.
4. Second stage, committee: detailed discussion on the bill happens in a parliamentary committee, which sends its recommendation to the House. These committees are called miniature legislatures.
5. Third stage, voting: the House votes on the bill. If passed, it goes to the other House, where the same procedure is repeated.
6. Deadlock: if the two Houses do not agree, a Joint Session is called, and so far the decision has always gone in favour of the Lok Sabha. If the Rajya Sabha does not act within 14 days on a money bill, it is deemed to have been passed.
7. President’s assent: a bill passed by both Houses goes to the President, and it becomes law as soon as the President gives assent.
Q. By what means does Parliament control the executive? Explain in detail.
Answer: Background: the executive is drawn from the party or coalition with a Lok Sabha majority, so there is always a risk that parliamentary democracy could slip into Cabinet dictatorship. Parliament prevents this through four instruments.
1. Deliberation and debate: Question Hour comes every day, and ministers must answer searching questions in it, this is the most effective method of vigil and it records the highest attendance. In Zero Hour, members can raise any matter, though a minister’s reply is not compulsory. Besides these, there are also the half-an-hour discussion and the adjournment motion.
2. Approval or refusal of laws: no bill can become law without Parliament’s approval. In 1977 the Janata Party and in 2000 the NDA government had a Lok Sabha majority but not a Rajya Sabha majority, so they had to make major concessions. The Lok Pal Bill never became law, and the 2002 Prevention of Terrorism Bill was rejected by the Rajya Sabha.
3. Financial control: presenting the budget is the government’s constitutional obligation. The Lok Sabha can ask why money is needed before granting it, and can investigate misuse on the basis of reports from the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Public Accounts Committee. Government policy is reflected in the budget, so financial control is really policy control.
4. No-confidence motion: this is the most powerful weapon. While the government has a majority this power stays fictional, but after 1989 several governments fell after losing the confidence of the House, because they could not retain the support of their coalition partners.
Limitations: control is effective only when the House has adequate time, members participate in debate, and there is a willingness to compromise. Over the last two decades, session and debate time has fallen, quorum is often not met, and opposition boycotts strip the House of this very power.
Q. Has the Parliament really declined? Give arguments for and against this statement.
Answer: Arguments for decline:
1. The Cabinet initiates policy, sets the agenda for governance and carries it out.
2. The bureaucracy drafts bills, and no major bill reaches Parliament without Cabinet approval, so Parliament often only stamps its approval.
3. Sessions have declined over the last two decades and time spent on debate has fallen.
4. Quorum is often not met, and opposition boycotts strip the House of its own power to control through discussion.
5. Real scrutiny now happens in committees, and Parliament rarely rejects their suggestions.
Arguments against decline:
6. Even a very strong Cabinet must retain a majority in the Lok Sabha, and its leader must answer to Parliament’s satisfaction.
7. The power to choose and dismiss the government still rests with Parliament, and several governments have fallen after 1989 for losing the House’s confidence, which itself proves the House’s vitality.
8. Under pressure, governments have had to roll back decisions, such as the fertilizer price hikes of 1998 and 2002.
9. Parliament remains the country’s most open forum of debate, and by its very composition it is the most representative of all organs of government.
Conclusion: Parliament’s role has certainly changed, but its democratic power has not vanished. The shortfall lies less in the institution and more in how it is being run.
Q. If ministers propose most of the important bills and the majority party gets them passed, what role is left for Parliament in law-making?
Answer: 1. Approval is never automatic: no bill can become law without Parliament’s approval, and this approval is the product of intense bargaining among the ruling party, its coalition partners and the opposition.
2. The other House is a real obstacle: if the government has a Lok Sabha majority but not a Rajya Sabha majority, it must make major concessions. This happened in 1977 and 2000, and the 2002 Prevention of Terrorism Bill was rejected by the Rajya Sabha.
3. Real scrutiny happens in committees: a large part of the discussion on a bill takes place in a parliamentary committee, and changes are made there.
4. Debate carries the issue to the public: debate on a bill in the House tells the country what the law is really for, and under this very pressure the government has sometimes withdrawn its proposals, such as the fertilizer price hike.
5. In coalition politics, a bill must be acceptable to all coalition partners, so the government cannot act arbitrarily even with a majority.
6. Conclusion: Parliament may not write the bill, but it can block it, change it, and demand an account of it from the government. This is exactly why law-making is not merely a legal procedure, it is a political course of action too.
5 Case Studies
(A) 1 mark What does the Rajya Sabha represent?
Answer: The Rajya Sabha represents the States of India, and its purpose is to protect the powers of the States.
(B) 2 marks What is the special power of the Rajya Sabha discussed in the passage?
Answer: If the Union government wants to move a State List subject to the Union List or Concurrent List, the Rajya Sabha’s approval is necessary for that. The Lok Sabha does not have this power.
(C) 3 marks What does the criticism in the passage’s last sentence mean, and what problem does it create?
Answer: The criticism is that, in practice, Rajya Sabha members follow their political party’s line more than their State’s interest. This creates a problem because the very purpose for which the Rajya Sabha was created, carrying the States’ voice to the Centre, is left incomplete. The House remains the States’ House on paper, but debate inside it runs on party-political lines.
(A) 1 mark Since which year has the system of departmentally related standing committees developed?
Answer: Since 1983.
(B) 2 marks Why does Parliament need committees?
Answer: Parliament sits only during sessions, so it has very little time. Work such as law-making and examining expenditure needs deep study, which is not possible for the whole House, so this work is entrusted to committees.
(C) 3 marks State one advantage and one risk of the committee system.
Answer: Advantage: Parliament’s burden was lightened, and bills and expenditure began to be examined in much greater depth, since a large part of the discussion on bills now takes place in committees.
Risk: the real decision shifts into committees. Legally Parliament’s approval is necessary, but in practice Parliament rarely rejects committee suggestions, so its own role shrinks toward merely stamping approval.