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Laxmikanth Ch 17: Parliament (CAPF Digest)
Original digest of Parliament: the two Houses, composition and tenure, the legislative procedure, Money versus Ordinary Bills, and the devices of parliamentary control
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At a glance
PaperPaper ISubjectPolityImportanceHigh
Book DigestPolityLaxmikanthParliamentLok SabhaRajya SabhaMoney Bill
Parliament (Articles 79 to 122) is the supreme legislative organ of the Union, made up of the President and the two Houses, the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of the People).
- Maximum strength 250: up to 238 representing the States and Union Territories (elected indirectly by the elected members of the State assemblies through proportional representation with a single transferable vote) and 12 nominated by the President for distinction in literature, science, art and social service.
- A permanent body, not subject to dissolution; one-third of members retire every two years, so each member's term is six years.
- The Vice-President is the ex-officio Chairman.
- Maximum strength 552: up to 530 from the States and up to 20 from the Union Territories. (The earlier provision for two Anglo-Indian nominated members lapsed after the 104th Amendment 2019.)
- Directly elected by universal adult franchise from territorial constituencies.
- Normal term five years, but can be dissolved earlier; the term can be extended by one year at a time during a National Emergency.
- Presided over by the Speaker.
- Sessions: Budget, Monsoon and Winter; the maximum gap between two sessions cannot exceed six months.
- Quorum: one-tenth of the total membership of a House.
- Question Hour, Zero Hour (an Indian innovation, not in the rules), motions (adjournment, no-confidence, censure), calling attention, and parliamentary committees are the instruments of control over the executive.
- An Ordinary Bill can start in either House; if the two Houses disagree, the deadlock is resolved by a joint sitting (Article 108) presided over by the Speaker.
- A Money Bill (Article 110): can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha and only on the President's recommendation. The Rajya Sabha can only make recommendations and must return it within 14 days; the Lok Sabha may accept or reject them. The Speaker certifies whether a Bill is a Money Bill, and that decision is final. There is no joint sitting for a Money Bill (the Lok Sabha is decisive).
- The Budget (annual financial statement, Article 112), the Consolidated Fund, the Contingency Fund and the Public Account regulate Union finances; no money can be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund except under appropriation made by law.
- Members enjoy privileges (freedom of speech in Parliament, immunity from court proceedings for anything said) under Article 105.
- Anti-defection: the Tenth Schedule (52nd Amendment 1985) disqualifies members for defection, decided by the presiding officer.
CAPF angle: examiners reliably test the difference between the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha (directly versus indirectly elected, dissolvable versus permanent), the special features of a Money Bill (Lok Sabha only, Speaker certifies, no joint sitting), the joint-sitting provision for ordinary Bills (Article 108), and the nominated-member numbers. The accountability the Lok Sabha exercises over the executive (no-confidence motion, Question Hour) is the democratic-control frame within which decisions on internal security and central-force deployment are debated and reviewed.
- Rajya Sabha: max 250, permanent, one-third retire every two years, six-year term, 12 nominated.
- Lok Sabha: max 552, five-year term, directly elected, presided by the Speaker.
- Money Bill (Article 110): Lok Sabha only, President's recommendation, Speaker certifies, no joint sitting.
- Joint sitting for ordinary Bills: Article 108, chaired by the Speaker.
Next: ch 18 judiciary. Previous: ch 16 president and union executive. Full subject page: parliament.