chapter-Legislature

(a)

Explanation- Lawmaking is the one of the important functions of the legislature. It is the centre of all democratic political processes. It is packed with action- walkouts, protests, demonstrations, unanimity, concern and co-operation cooperation.

(b)

Explanation- In most ofdemocraciesdemocracies around the world, the legislatures are losing their central place to the executive. In India too, the cabinet initiates Policy, sets the agenda for governance and carries them through. This has led some critics to remark that the Parliament has decided.

(d)

Explanation- While a Proclamation of Emergency is in operation, the term of the Lok Sabha can be extended by a Parliamentary law for a period not exceeding one year at a time under Article 83(2).

(c)

Explanation- The Tricameral Parliament was the name given to the South African Parliament and its structure from 1984 to 1994. It had three Houses:

(a) A 178-member White "House of Assembly, which was in effect the existing lower house of Parliament. (b) An 85-member (Coloured) "House of Representatives" (c) A 45-member (Indian) "House of Delegates".

(d)

Explanation- The Indian constitution has given the states the option of establishing either a unicameral or bicameral legislature. At present, only five states have a bicameral legislature.

(b)

Explanation- The five Indian states having bicameral legislatures are- Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

(a)

Explanation- The Constitutional subject under that the life of the Lok Sabha can be extended by one year is the Proclamation of Emergency. All the terms and conditions regarding this matter are mentioned in article 83 of the Indian constitution.

(b)

Explanation- According to Article 93 of the Indian Constitution, the House of the People shall, as soon as may be, choose two members of the House to be respectively Speaker and Deputy Speaker thereof and, so often as the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker becomes vacant, the House shall choose another member to be Speaker or Deputy Speaker, as the case may be.

(d)

Explanation- Each of the two houses of the Parliament has different bases of representation. The Rajya Sabha represents the states of India while the Lok Sabha represents the people of India.

(a)

Explanation- Under article 83, (1) The Council of States shall not be subject to dissolution, but as nearly as possible one-third of the members thereof shall retire as soon as may be on the expiration of every second year following the provisions made in that behalf by Parliament by law.

(2) The House of the People, unless sooner dissolved, shall continue for five years from the date appointed for its first meeting and no longer and the expiration of the said period of 5 years shall operate as a dissolution of the House.

(c)

Explanation- For the upper house of the legislature, one method is population representation and the second method is to give equal representation to all the parts of the country irrespective of their size or population. This is known as symmetrical representation.

(a)

Explanation- Article 84 of the Indian constitution says a person shall not be qualified to be chosen to fill a seat in Parliament unless he -

(a) is a citizen of India.

(b) is, in the case of a seat in the Council of States, not less than thirty years of age and, in the case of a seat in the House of the People, not less than twenty-five years of age; and

(c) possesses such other qualifications as may be prescribed in that behalf by or under any law made by Parliament.

(a)

Explanation- In the U.S.A, every state has equal representation in the Senate. This ensures the equapty of all the states.

(d)

Explanation- The number of members to be elected from each state has been fixed by the fourth schedule of the constitution.

(b)

Explanation- Germany has a bicameral legislature. The two houses are known as Federal Assembly i.e. Bundestag and Federal Council i.e. Bundesrat.

(d)

Explanation- Article 86 states that (1) The President may address either House of Parliament or both Houses assembled, and for that purpose require the attendance of members. (2) The President may send messages to either House of Parliament, whether concerning a Bill then pending in Parliament or otherwise, and a House to which any message is so sent shall with all convenient dispatch consider any matter required by the message to be taken into consideration.

(b)

Explanation- The 16 federal states of Germany are represented in the Federal Council. The 69 seats of the Bundesrat are divided among states based on population.

(c)

Explanation- According to German law, all the Federal Council members from one state have to vote as a bloc as per the instructions of the state governments. Sometimes due to coalition government at the state level, they fail to reach an agreement and may have to abstain.

(c)

Explanation- In Rajya Sabha, a state with larger population gets more representatives than states with smaller population get. So, a more populous state like Uttar Pradesh sends 31 members to Rajya Sabha, while a smaller and less populous state like Sikkim has only one seat in the Rajya Sabha.

(b)

Explanation- All members of the Rajya Sabha do not complete their terms at the same time. Every two years, one-third of members of the Rajya Sabha complete their term and elections are held for those one-third seats only.

(a)

Explanation- The Rajya Sabha is a permanent House of the Parliament. The advantage of this arrangement is that even when the Lok Sabha is dissolved and elections are yet to take place, the meeting of the Rajya Sabha can be called and urgent business can be conducted.

(b)

Explanation- Rajya Sabha also has twelve nominated members. The president nominates these members. These nominations are made from among those persons who have made their mark in the fields of literature, arts, social service, science etc.

(d)

Explanation- At present there are 543 constituencies or seats for Lok Sabha and this number has not changed since 1971.

(c)

Explanation- For the purpose of election, the entire country is divided into territorial constituencies of roughly equal population. One representative is elected from each constituency through universal, adult suffrage where the value of the vote of every individual would be equal to another.

(a)

Explanation- No money can be withdrawn from the Consolidated fund of India except under appropriation made by law. The Appropriation Bill is like formal legislation, to give effects to grants already voted by the legislature and expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund of India.

(c)

Explanation- Two Anglo-Indian members are nominated for the Lok Sabha. The President nominates two Anglo-Indian Members to the Lok Sabha if he is satisfied that this community has not been adequately represented in Lok Sabha.

(d)

Explanation- Article 100 of the Indian Constitution deals with the conduct of the business of the hoses of the Parliament that includes voting in Houses, power of Houses to act notwithstanding vacancies and quorum.

(b)

Explanation- The most vital function of the Parliament is to ensure that the executive does not overstep its authority and remains responsible to the people who have elected them.

(b)

Explanation- The government raises resources through taxation. In a democracy, the legislature controls taxation and how money is used by the government.

(d)

Explanation- If the government of India proposes to introduce any new tax, it has to get the approval of the Lok Sabha. The Financial powers of the Parliament, involve the grant of resources to the government to implement its programmes.

(a)

Explanation- The conditions for disqualification of members in the Parliament are mentioned from the Article 101 to Article 104. These articles mentioned different conditions and the methods of the disqualification of the members of the Parliament.

(b)

Explanation- A proposed law requiring the approval of both Houses and the signature of the President to enact.

(d)

Explanation- Purnima Banerji in her speech at Constituent Assembly said that “an upper house could perform the useful function of being a revising body, and its views may count but not its votes, those who could not enter into the rough and tumble of active optics could advise the lower house.”

(c)

Explanation- The Parliament has the power of discussing and enacting changes to the constitution. The constituent powers of both houses are similar. All constitutional amendments have to be approved by a special majority of both houses.

(b)

Explanation- The Parliament also performs some electoral functions. It elects the president and vice president of India.

(d)

Explanation- The judicial functions of the Parliament include considering the proposals for the removal of the president, vice-president and Judges of High Courts and Supreme Court.

(c)

Explanation- The Rajya Sabha is an institutional mechanism to provide representation to the States. Its purpose is to protect the powers of the states. Therefore, any matter that affects the states must be referred to it for its consent and approval.

(d)

Explanation- If the union Parliament wishes to remove a matter from the state pst to either the union pst or concurrent pst in the interest of the nation, the approval of the Rajya Sabha is necessary. This provision adds to the strength of the Rajya Sabha.

(b)

Explanation- The Rajya Sabha cannot initiate, reject or amend money bills. It can only suggest amendments to money bills.

(d)

Explanation- There are powers that only the Lok Sabha exercises. The Rajya Sabha cannot initiate, reject or amend money bills. It is the Lok Sabha, which approves proposals for taxation, budgets and annual financial statements.

(d)

Explanation- The Lok Sabha controls the executive by asking questions, supplementary questions, resolutions and motions and through no-confidence motions. The council of ministers is responsible to the Lok Sabha and not Rajya Sabha.

(b)

Explanation- One of the important functionary which is central to the working of Parliament is the Whip. They are drawn from the party in power and the party or parties in opposition and form vital links in the internal organization of a party inside Parliament. They are important office bearers of the parties in Parliament.

(c)

Explanation- On vital issues or requirements the Lok Sabha estabpshes committees and commissions and considers their reports.

(b)

Explanation- Article 365 of the Indian constitution states where any State has failed to comply with or to give effect to, any directions given in the exercise of the executive power of the Union under any of the provisions of this Constitution, it shall be lawful for the President to hold that a situation has arisen in which the Government of the State cannot be carried on by the provisions of this Constitution.

(d)

Explanation- A bill is a draft of the proposed law. There can be different types of bills- government bills, private member’s bills, non-money bills and amoneymoney bill bills.

(a)

Explanation- When a non-minister proposes a bill, it is called a private member’s Bill. A bill proposed by a minister is described as a government bill.

(d)

Explanation- Article 89 says (1) The Vice-President of India shall be the ex-officio Chairman of the Council of States. (2) The Council of States shall, as soon as may be, choose a member of the Council to be Deputy Chairman thereof and, so often as the office of Deputy Chairman becomes vacant, the Council shall choose another member to be Deputy Chairman thereof.

(b)

Explanation- The preparation of a bill itself involves many considerations such as resources required to implement the law, the support or opposition that the bill is likely to produce, the impact that the law may have on the electoral prospect of the ruling party etc.

(c)

Explanation - The draft of any bill is prepared by the concerned ministry. For example, the law ministry will prepare a bill rising the marriageable age of girls from 18 to 21. The ministry of women and child welfare may also be involved in it.

(b)

Explanation- A large part of the discussion on the bills takes place in the committees. The recommendation of the committee is then sent to the House. That is why committees are referred to as miniature legislatures. This is the second stage in the law-making process.

(d)

Explanation- In the third and final stage, the bill is voted upon. If one house passes a non-money bill, it is sent to the other house where it goes through the same procedure.

(c)

Explanation- If there is a disagreement between the two houses on the proposed bill, an attempt is made to resolve it through Jthe oint Session of Parliament. In the few instances when joint sessions of the Parliament were called to resolve a deadlock, the decision has always gone in favour of the Lok Sabha.

(b)

Explanation: - Article 101(4) of the Constitution provides that if for sixty days a member of either House of Parliament is without permission of the House absent from all meetings thereof, the House may declare his seat vacant.

(d)

Explanation- When both houses pass a bill, it is sent to the president for his assent. The assent of the president results in the enactment of a bill into law.

(c)

Explanation- If the Parliament is active and vigilant, then it can keep a regular and effective check on the executive. There are many ways in which the Parliament can control the executive. But basic to them all is the power and freedom of the legislators as people’s representatives to work effectively and fearlessly.

(d)

Explanation- No action can be taken against a member for whatever the member may have said in the legislature. This is known as Parliamentary privilege. The presiding officer of the legislature has the final powers in deciding matters of breach of privilege.

(b)

Explanation- The main purpose of privileges is to enable the members of the legislature to represent the people and exercise effective control over the executive. This had allowed the expansion of democracy as members can put up issues related to the public without any hesitation.

(d)

Explanation- The legislature in Parliamentary system ensures executive accountabipty at various stages: popcymaking, implementation of law or popcy and during and post implementation stage.

(b)

Explanation- During the law-making process, members of the legislature get an opportunity to deliberate on the policy direction of the executive and how Policies are implemented.

(b)

Explanation- In the Parliament, the meaning of the Government Bill is

(d)

Explanation- Zero Hour where members are free to raise any matter that they think is important (though the ministers are not bound to reply), half–an–hour discussion on matters of public importance, adjournment motion etc. are some instruments of exercising control.

(c)

Explanation- The question hour in the Parliament is considered the most effective method of keeping vigil on the executive and the administrative agencies of the government by putting up questions related to Policy, actions, requirements etc.

(d)

Explanation- Most of the questions aim at exciting information from the government on issues of public interest such as price rise, availability of food grains, atrocities on weaker sections of the society, riots, black-marketing etc.

(a)

Explanation- Article 99 of the Indian constitution states that every member of either House of Parliament shall, before taking his seat, make and subscribe before the President, or some person appointed on that behalf by him, an oath or affirmation according to the form set out for the purpose in the Third Schedule.

(b)

Explanation- The laws are the products of intense bargaining and negotiations amongst the members of the ruling party or coalition of parties and even government and opposition. If the government has a majority in Lok Sabha but not in the Rajya Sabha, then the government will be forced to make substantial concessions to gain the approval of both houses.

(c)

Explanation- The financial resources to implement the programmes of the government are granted through the budget. Preparation and presentation of the budget for the approval of the legislature is the constitutional obligation of the government.

(c)

Explanation- Article 79 of the Constitution says "There shall be a Parliament for the Union which shall consist of the President and two Houses to be known respectively as the Council of States and the House of the People."

(b)

Explanation- Article 105 of the Constitution says,(i) Subject to the provisions of the Constitution and the rules and standing orders regulating the procedure of Parliament, there shall be freedom of speech in Parliament. (ii) No member of Parliament shall be able to any proceedings in any court in respect of anything said or any vote given by him in Parliament or any Committee thereof, and no person shall be so payable in respect of the publication by or under the authority of either House of Parliament of any report, paper, votes or proceedings.

(a)

Explanation- Article 83 states, (1) The Council of States shall not be subject to dissolution, but as nearly as possible one-third of the members thereof shall retire as soon as may be on the expiration of every second year by the provisions made in that behalf by Parliament by law. (2) The House of the People, unless sooner dissolved, shall continue for five years from the date appointed for its first meeting and no longer and the expiration of the said period of 5 years shall operate as a dissolution of the House

(c)

Explanation- A significant feature of the legislative process is the appointment of committees for various legislative purposes. These committees play a vital role not merely in law-making, but also the day-to-day business of the House.

(b)

Explanation- Since 1983, India has developed a system of Parliamentary standing committees. There are over twenty such departmentally related committees. standing committees supervise the work of various departments, their budget, their expenditure and bills that come up in the house relating to the department.

(a)

Explanation- If it is proved that a member of Parliament has ‘defected’, he loses the membership of the house. Besides, such a person is also disqualified from holding any Political office pke ministership, etc.

(d) According to Article 79, the Parliament does not consist of Attorney General of India.

(d) The members of the Rajya Sabha are Indirectly elected and nominated also.

(d) While a proclamation of emergency is in operation

(b) When a Money Bill passed by the Lok Sabha is sent to the Rajya Sabha, it must be returned to the Lok Sabha by the Rajya Sabha within 14 days.

(d) The two members who are nominated to the Lok Sabha by the President belong to Anglo-Indian community.

(d) The Speaker has a casting vote in case of a tie.

(c) The Lower House of the state legislature is the legislative assembly.

(b) A person who is not the member of either House of the Indian Parliament has to become the Member of Parliament within 6 months.

(a)

(b)