Questions 1.
Alok thinks that a country needs an efficient government that looks after the welfare of the people. So, if we simply elected our Prime Minister and Ministers and left to them the task of government, we will not need a legislature. Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
Alok’s thinking is ignorant because a simple election of the Prime Minister and minister will create only a dictatorship and a true representative democracy cannot be materialised:
- A legislature frames the laws and the executives run the government or administration.
- The legislature helps people to hold the council of ministers accountable.
- In the absence of legislature, council of ministers would become unresponsive to the people’s hopes and aspiration.
Questions 2.
A class was debating the merits of a bicameral system. The following points were made during the discussion. Read the arguments and say if you agree or disagree with each of them, giving reasons.
(a) Neha said that bicameral legislature does not serve any purpose.
(b) Shama argued that experts should be nominated in the second chamber.
(c) Tridib said that if a country is not a federation, then there is no need to have a second chamber.
Answer:
(a) This statement is not true because in a large country like India, two houses of legislature are preferred to give due representation to all sections of the society as well as the monopoly of either the chamber can be approached as ‘check and balance’.
(b) The President nominates 12 members in the Rajya Sabha from among the persons who have distinctions in the field of literature, art, social services, etc., who are experienced and possess intellectual depth.
(c) Tridib’s argument is also not true because the second chamber is also required to give representations to all sections of society even though it might not be the federation.
Questions 3.
Why can the Lok Sabha control the executive more effectively than the Rajya Sabha can?
Answer:
- The government is formed by the party who gets the majority in the Lok Sabha.
- The members of the Lok Sabha are directly elected by the poeple.
- The Lok Sabha enjoys the power to remove any executive from the office while the Rajya Sabha cannot remove any executive from the office.
Questions 4.
Rather than effective control of the executive, the Lok Sabha is a platform for the expression of popular sentiments and people’s expectations. Do you agree? Give reasons.
Answer:
Yes, I agree to this view that rather than effective control of the executive, the Lok Sabha is a platform for the expression of popular sentiments and people’s expectations. Its reasons are:
- The members of the Lok Sabha express their views on the bill during discussion.
- These members carry sentiments and expectations of their constituencies’ people to the parliament.
- A debate on a particular bill takes place and opens the path for its modifications, etc. if required.
- Money Bills have to be introduced in the Lok Sabha only.
- The Parliament enjoys the powers to frame laws on the subjects given in the union list and concurrent list if required.
Questions 5.
The following are some proposals for making the Parliament more effective. State if you agree or disagree with each of them and give your reasons. Explain what would be the effect if these suggestions were accepted.
(a) Parliament should work for longer period.
(b) Attendance should be made compulsory for members of Parliament.
(c) Speakers should be empowered to penalise members for interrupting the proceedings of the House.
Answer:
(a) Yes, I agree because the parliament is supposed to ensure a responsible government but in the absence of proper time as well as boycott of sessions and oppositions delay the important bills also remain pending for longer period. Hence, the parliament should work for some longer duration to control the executives through debates, discussions and censures to avoid pendency of bills.
(b) Yes, I agree with the view because:
- The proceedings of the houses get suspended due to lack of quorum.
- Money Bills delays for a longer period.
- It shows an injustice towards the people who have elected them and whatever the constituencies are being represented by them.
(c) Yes, I agree with this view also because:
- A speaker of Lok Sabha is a presiding officer to regulate the business of the House.
- Now-a-days, some members create noisy uproars and disturb the proceedings of ‘ the house.
- Sometimes, members create so much discomfort to compel the speaker to adjourn the House.
- Hence, the precious time of the house is wasted and not utilized in the constructive debates.
Questions 6.
Arif wanted to know that if ministers propose most of the important bills and if the majority party often gets the government bills passed, what is the role of the Parliament in the law making process? What answer would you give him?
Answer:
Because:
- The council of ministers is accountable to the lower house and if a bill does not succeed to be passed by the parliament, it shows the loss of majority of party in the house, hence the government will have to resign.
- A bill is introduced in either of the house in case of non-Money Bill and if Money Bill can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha for the debates and discussions in various stages.
- If any bill does not fulfill the interest of the people, the parliament pressurizes the government to withdraw the bill but if it is in the interest of the people, it pressurizes the government to initiate the bill.
- The Money Bill cannot be denied by the Rajya Sabha, it can delay it only for 14 days and after the 14 days are passed, the bill is deemed to have been passed.
- If, there is a tussle between the two houses, a joint session of parliament resolves the issues.
Questions 7.
Which of the following statements you agree with the most? Give your reasons.
(a) Legislators must be free to join any party they want.
(b) Anti-defection law has contributed to the domination of the party leaders over the legislators.
(c) Defection is always for selfish purposes and therefore, a legislator who wants to join another party must be disqualified from being a minister for the next two years.
Answer:
In all the above three statements, I agree most with the second statement because:
- Party leaders have issued the party-rules as if a member remains absent in the house on a particular day or votes against the instructions of the party, his membership of the party would be terminated.
- If a legislature is free to join any party, he wants, then it will be against the will of voters who have elected them.
Questions 8.
Dolly and Sudha are debating about the efficiency and effectiveness of the Parliament in recent times. Dolly believed that the decline of Indian Parliament is evident in the less time spent on debate and discussion and increase in the disturbances of the functioning of the House and walkouts, etc. Sudha contends that the fall of different governments on the floor of the Lok Sabha is a proof of its vibrancy. What other arguments can you provide to support or oppose the positions of Dolly and Sudha?
Answer:
- On the live telecast of proceedings of the Parliament, the members fight bitterly, which create a wastage of nation’s time and fund.
- Some of the members who do not fulfill their duty honestly, create uproars in the house.
- Dolly views the decline of Parliament because less time is spent in discussions and disturbances are decreased in an unparliamentary any methods.
- The party leaders should restrain own party members from creating such disturbances in the proceedings.
- The presiding officers should take effective action on these misbehavior as well as the members should be made educated to the constructive behavior.
Questions 9.
Arrange the different stages of passing of a bill into a law in their correct sequence:
(a) A resolution is passed to admit the bill for discussion
(b) The bill is referred to the President of India – write what happens next if s/he does not sign it.
(c) The bill is referred to other House and is passed.
(d) The bill is passed in the house in which it was proposed.
(e) The bill is read clause by clause and each is voted upon.
(f) The bill is referred to the subcommittee – the committee makes some changes and sends it back to the house for discussion.
(g) The concerned minister proposes the need for a bill.
(h) Legislative department in ministry of law, drafts a bill.
Answer:
Correct sequence is:
- Legislative department in ministry of law, drafts a bill.
- The concerned minister proposes the need for a bill.
- A resolution is passed to admit the bill for discussion.
- The bill is referred to the subcommittee-the committee makes some changes and sends it back to the house for discussion.
- The bill is read clause by clause and each is voted upon.
- The bill is passed in the house in which it was proposed.
- The bill is referred to other house and is passed.
- The bill is referred to the Pi evident of India.
Though the consent of the President results in the enactment of a bill into a law. But if the President does not sign it, he can withhold or refuse to give assent to the bill (other than Money Bill), passed by the parliament. The president can send the bill back for reconsideration’s. And if it is passed again by the parliament, the President is bound to give his assent to the bill.
But, there is no time limit to send the bill back for reconsideration. Hence, the president can keep the bill pending with him without any time constant.
Questions 10.
How has the system of parliamentary committee affected the overseeing and appraisal of legislation by the Parliament?
Answer:
- The Parliament meets only for sessions, hence it has limited time to consider a bill in depth.
- Parliament committees have been set up since 1983 in the various departments to discuss the particular bill.
- These committees include business advisory committees, estimate committee, the public accounts committee, etc.
- These committees have reduced the burden of Parliament as they gather whole information on the bill and can ask any member to appear before it.
- After that committee sends its report, the Parliament debates on it as well as provide some necessary recommendations and approve it.
- Without the approval of Parliament, no bill can become a law, but any suggestion is rarely rejected
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