6.9 Summary
Key Points
- A government does three kinds of work, handled by three organs: the Legislature makes laws, the Executive carries them out, and the Judiciary interprets them.
- India has a parliamentary system: the Executive is drawn from the Legislature and is accountable to it. The Prime Minister and ministers are themselves MPs and can govern only while they keep the confidence of the Lok Sabha.
- Parliament has three parts, the President, the Lok Sabha (House of the People, directly elected, term up to 5 years) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States, indirectly elected, permanent). Two houses make it bicameral.
- The President is the head of state (a largely ceremonial, nominal role), while the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers hold the real executive power.
- The Legislature’s functions include making laws, controlling the nation’s money (passing the budget), holding the Executive accountable, representing the people, and constitutional functions (amendments, electing the President/Vice-President).
- A bill becomes a law through several stages: introduction, committee review, debate, voting, passage by the other house, and finally the President’s assent, then it is an Act. The Women’s Reservation Bill (passed 2023 after about 27 years) shows how carefully Parliament weighs major change.
- Parliament holds the government accountable through Question Hour, debates (including by the Opposition), parliamentary committees, control over the budget, and the vote of confidence.
- The states mirror this system: a Vidhan Sabha (with MLAs), a Governor (head of state) and a Chief Minister with a Council of Ministers (real power), the same parliamentary design at the state level.
One Sentence to Remember In India’s parliamentary system the people elect Parliament, Parliament makes the laws and produces the government, and the government must answer to Parliament every day, so that power is always checked, at both the Centre and in the states.