Parliament of India Notes for UPSC

The Parliament of India is the supreme law-making body of the country. According to Article 79, it consists of three parts: the President, the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States). It makes laws, controls the government, passes the budget and represents the voice of the people. For UPSC, "Parliament" is a core topic of Polity: Prelims asks about composition, powers, bills and committees, and Mains asks about the working of Parliament, its reforms and the role of the Rajya Sabha. This note explains everything in simple language with comparison tables.

Lok Sabha: The House of the People

• Strength: the maximum is 550 (530 from states and up to 20 from Union Territories), and at present 543 members are elected. The two Anglo-Indian nominated seats were abolished by the 104th Amendment (2019).
• Election: members are elected directly by the people on the basis of universal adult franchise, through a first-past-the-post system.
• Qualification: a citizen of India, at least 25 years old, and registered as a voter.
• Term: five years, unless dissolved earlier. During a National Emergency, Parliament can extend it by one year at a time.
• Presiding officer: the Speaker, elected by the members, assisted by the Deputy Speaker. The Speaker decides if a bill is a Money Bill and presides over joint sittings.

Rajya Sabha: The Council of States

• Strength: the maximum is 250 (238 representatives of states and Union Territories and 12 members nominated by the President for their expertise in literature, science, art and social service). At present, the strength is 245.
• Election: members from states are elected by the elected members of the state legislative assemblies by the single transferable vote system.
• Qualification: at least 30 years of age.
• Term: six years. It is a permanent House and is not dissolved, but one-third of the members retire every two years.
• Presiding officer: the Vice President is the ex-officio Chairman, and the Deputy Chairman is elected from among the members.

Lok Sabha vs Rajya Sabha

Sessions of Parliament

Parliament usually meets in three sessions: the Budget Session (February to May), the Monsoon Session (July to September) and the Winter Session (November to December). The President summons the sessions, and the gap between two sessions cannot be more than six months. The quorum (minimum members to run a meeting) is one-tenth of the total members. A House can be adjourned (stopped for some time), prorogued (ended by the President) and only the Lok Sabha can be dissolved.

How a Bill Becomes a Law

A bill is a proposal for a new law. An ordinary bill passes through these stages: first reading (introduction), second reading (detailed discussion, often sent to a committee), third reading (final vote), then the same process in the other House, and finally the President's assent. The Rajya Sabha has a maximum of six months to act on a bill passed by the Lok Sabha.

Types of Bills

• Ordinary Bills: can start in either House.
• Money Bills (Article 110): deal only with taxes, borrowing and spending of public money. They start only in the Lok Sabha with the President's recommendation, and the Speaker certifies them.
• Financial Bills (Article 117): have some financial provisions but are not purely Money Bills.
• Constitutional Amendment Bills (Article 368): need special majorities.

When the two Houses disagree on an ordinary bill, the President can call a joint sitting (Article 108), presided over by the Speaker. A joint sitting has been held only three times: for the Dowry Prohibition Bill (1961), the Banking Service Commission Repeal Bill (1978) and the Prevention of Terrorism Bill (2002). It cannot be called for Money Bills or Constitutional Amendment Bills.

The Budget Process

The government presents the Annual Financial Statement (Article 112) in the Lok Sabha, usually on 1 February. The process includes the general discussion, the vote on demands for grants, the Appropriation Bill (to withdraw money from the Consolidated Fund of India) and the Finance Bill (to give effect to tax proposals). A vote on account allows the government to spend for a few months before the full budget is passed, and cut motions let members reduce a demand. The Contingency Fund of India is for unforeseen emergency expenses.

Parliamentary Committees

• Public Accounts Committee (PAC): examines the audit reports of the CAG on government spending. By convention, its chairman is from the opposition.
• Estimates Committee: only Lok Sabha members; suggests economies in administration.
• Committee on Public Undertakings: examines public sector companies.
• Departmentally Related Standing Committees: established in 1993 to scrutinise ministries.
• Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC): a temporary committee with members of both Houses for a special inquiry.

Parliamentary Devices to Control the Government

Question Hour (the first hour of a sitting) allows members to question ministers, and Zero Hour (an Indian innovation) lets them raise urgent matters. Other tools include the adjournment motion, calling-attention notice, censure motion and the powerful no-confidence motion, which can remove the government if it loses majority support in the Lok Sabha. Members enjoy privileges (Article 105) such as freedom of speech inside the House and protection from court action for what they say there, so that they can work without fear. The Anti-Defection Law (Tenth Schedule) disqualifies a member who leaves the party, and the Speaker decides such cases.

Powers and Functions of Parliament

• Legislative: makes laws on Union List and Concurrent List subjects and, in special cases, State List subjects.
• Executive control: the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.
• Financial: approves taxes and the budget.
• Judicial: can impeach the President and remove judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts.
• Electoral and amending: takes part in electing the President and Vice President, and amends the Constitution under Article 368.

Mains Angle: Challenges and Reforms in the Working of Parliament

You can point out that the number of sittings has reduced, many bills are passed with little debate, disruptions waste time and the committees review only a small share of bills. Members also raise concerns on the use of ordinances and the use of the Money Bill route to bypass the Rajya Sabha. The reforms suggested include a minimum number of sitting days, sending more bills to committees, a code of conduct to stop disruptions, wider use of technology for transparency and strengthening the role of the Rajya Sabha as a house of reflection for states. A good conclusion states that a strong Parliament is the base of a healthy democracy.

Role of the Speaker and the Chairman

The Speaker is one of the most powerful and respected office-bearers in a parliamentary democracy. He or she maintains order in the House, decides which members can speak, rules on points of order, decides whether a bill is a Money Bill (and this decision is final), presides over joint sittings, and decides on the disqualification of members under the Anti-Defection Law. The Speaker has only a casting vote, which means voting only in case of a tie. After election, the Speaker is expected to be impartial, even though he or she remains a member of a political party in India. The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, who is the Vice President, plays a similar role in the Upper House, but does not vote unless there is a tie.

How to Study Parliament for UPSC

1. Make a table of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and revise it before every mock test.
2. Draw the path of a bill as a flow chart, showing the three readings and the role of the second House.
3. Learn the committees with their number of members and key features.
4. Follow current affairs such as new bills, joint committees and statistics on the sittings of Parliament, to add examples to Mains answers.

Practice Statements and Common Mistakes

• "A Money Bill can be introduced in the Rajya Sabha." Wrong. Only in the Lok Sabha.
• "The Rajya Sabha can be dissolved." Wrong. It is a permanent House.
• "The Speaker presides over a joint sitting." Correct.
• Do not confuse adjournment (a break), prorogation (end of a session) and dissolution (end of a Lok Sabha).

Quick Revision

• Parliament = President + Lok Sabha + Rajya Sabha (Article 79).
• Lok Sabha: 5 years, age 25; Rajya Sabha: 6 years, age 30, one-third retire every 2 years.
• Money Bill: Article 110; joint sitting: Article 108; budget: Article 112.

Parliament is where the people's will is turned into law. Learn the comparison table, the types of bills and the major committees, and practise a Mains answer on reforms, and you will be able to answer most questions with confidence.

Related Notes to Read Next

Continue your preparation with these related notes from the same subject:

• Indian Judiciary Notes for UPSC
• Panchayati Raj and Local Government Notes for UPSC
• Constitutional Bodies Notes for UPSC
• All Indian Polity and Governance notes

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the composition of the Parliament of India?

Parliament consists of the President, the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States), as stated in Article 79.

What is the maximum strength of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha?

The maximum strength of the Lok Sabha is 550 and of the Rajya Sabha is 250 (238 elected and 12 nominated members).

How are Rajya Sabha members elected?

Rajya Sabha members from states are elected by the elected members of the state legislative assemblies through the system of proportional representation by the single transferable vote.

What is a Money Bill?

A Money Bill deals only with taxes, borrowing and public spending. It can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha, and the Rajya Sabha can only recommend changes within 14 days.

What is a joint sitting of Parliament?

A joint sitting under Article 108 is a combined meeting of both Houses, called by the President to resolve a deadlock on an ordinary bill. It is presided over by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

What is the difference between adjournment, prorogation and dissolution?

Adjournment is a short break in a sitting, prorogation ends a session and is done by the President, and dissolution ends the life of the Lok Sabha and is not applicable to the Rajya Sabha.

What is the Question Hour?

Question Hour is the first hour of a parliamentary sitting during which members ask questions to ministers about government work. It is a key tool of accountability.

What is a no-confidence motion?

A no-confidence motion is moved in the Lok Sabha to test whether the government has the majority. If it is passed, the Council of Ministers must resign.

What does the Public Accounts Committee do?

The Public Accounts Committee examines the CAG’s audit reports to check whether public money has been spent as approved by Parliament. Its chairman is traditionally from the opposition.

What is the Budget Session of Parliament?

The Budget Session is the first and longest session of the year, usually from February to May, in which the Union Budget is presented and passed.

Who can nominate members to the Rajya Sabha?

The President nominates 12 members with special knowledge or experience in fields such as literature, science, art and social service.

What is the Anti-Defection Law?

The Anti-Defection Law, in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, disqualifies a legislator who leaves their party or votes against the party’s direction, with a few exceptions. The Speaker or Chairman decides such cases.