Houses of Parliament

Various institutions are required to run a country. Parliament is one of the most important institutions in this regard without which a country can not function. It serves the most important function for a country that is lawmaking. All the parliamentarians meet in the sessions of the parliament to discuss various issues and to make and update the laws. Here, we are going to cover a topic of political science or civics to provide you with a basic idea about this organ of the country.

Here, we will learn about the parliament, its role and functions, what are the names of the two houses of parliament, an explanation of both houses of parliament, etc. along with the other related concepts and important information. Both houses of parliament namely Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha explained in a very crisp manner so it becomes easier for students to understand the topic. These notes will help you to increase your knowledge about the legislative structure of the country.

Parliament

We have a parliamentary system of government in our country which means having a parliament for legislature purposes. It comprises two houses and the President. It is the law-making body of the country whose headquarters are in the capital city of the country. In the parliament, laws are made after great debate and discussions which after passing by the parliament are sent to the President for the final assent. After this assent, any bill becomes an act and is implemented in the whole country. The two houses of the parliament are discussed below.

Role of Parliament

It is one of the important organs of the government which performs legislative functions and it is the most important and supreme authority of making laws in the country. The role of parliament is discussed below:

• They make new laws and modify or repeal the existing laws as per the requirements of the country.

• They exercise their control over the executives and ask them questions about the implementation of the policies and programs of the government.

• No public money can be used without its approval by the parliament.

• This is the body of the highest authority in the country for debate and discussion on any matter. It issues a budget every year.

• They have the authority to amend the constitution as well without changing and affecting the basic structure of the constitution of the country.

• They have the authority to remove and impeach the judges, the President or the Vice President, and other officials, etc.

Houses of Parliament

Our country follows a bicameral legislature which means the presence of two houses for legislative purposes. We have a bicameral legislature at the center but at the state level, both bicameral and unicameral structure of legislature is followed. Most of the States have unicameral structures whereas some states have a bicameral structure as well. Let's check out the two houses of the Parliament as the center level. The two houses of parliament are mentioned below:

Rajya Sabha

It is one of the two houses of India and is also known as the upper house of India. The term " Rajya Sabha '' is not mentioned in the Constitution of India because it is an Indian term. Our Constitution says it as the council of States because it represents the states and the Union territories of the country. It is also called the permanent house of the Parliament because it can not be dissolved, unlike the Lok Sabha. It's one-third members retire after every 2 years on a rotational basis. All members are elected for 6 years of the time period. It is mentioned before the Lok Sabha in the Constitution thus, termed as the upper house. 250 is the maximum strength of this house as per the Constitution of India from which 12 members are nominated by the President of India. A person should be of minimum 30 years of age or more to become a member of the house.

Lok Sabha

It is known as the House of People as mentioned in the Constitution of India. It is also considered as the lower house. The members are elected by the citizens of the country through elections. The political party which scores the maximum votes and seats wins the elections and becomes the ruling party for the tenure of 5 years. The maximum strength as per the Constitution can be 552. The speaker serves as the chairperson of this house which is generally chosen from the ruling party.

Which House is Stronger?

The Lok Sabha has more powers in the following matters:

• The ordinary bill is passed by both the houses and then sent for assent to the President but if any deadlock arises between the two then the President can call a joint session. Due to the maximum strength of the lower house, the decision will come in the favor of the lower house. Thus, the voice of the people is ignored here if a deadlock happens because of Rajya Sabha. That's why only a few joint sessions have occurred in India.

• The money bill is a kind of bill which can be introduced in the Lok Sabha only and the Rajya Sabha has to approve it and can delay up to 14 days only or can suggest changes that are not binding on the lower house.

Difference Between Lok and Rajya Sabha

Conclusion

We have learned about the parliament and its related topics. We learned what are the names of the two houses of parliament, what are the features of these two houses, the role of parliament and which house is stronger, etc. Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha explained in a very easy way in this article which will help you in the chapter of Class 9 Polity namely working of institutions. This article will help you to have a better understanding and basic knowledge of these two houses and will be beneficial for both Class 9 and other lower or upper-class students. You can find out notes of other subjects and their various topics on our website which will surely help you to understand better to get better results.