In any country, the parliament is considered an essential part of the constitution of the country. It can also be called the law-making organization of the country as its main job is to make laws for the betterment of the people and also, effectively implement them. The parliament of India is considered the supreme legislative body of India. It is a bicameral legislature, which consists of two main houses, the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha. The head of the parliament is the president, who has full powers to summon and prorogue any house of the parliament or dissolve the Lok Sabha. But he can only use these powers following the advice of the Prime minister of India.
Why do we need Parliament?
Structure of Parliament in India
The Indian Parliament is divided into two cells: the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Both are regarded as two distinct houses, each with its own set of members and workings. They are the two primary bodies that play an important part in the legislature.
The members of parliament can only be chosen through, either the election technique or the nominations, where the president chooses the candidate from either house. On the one side, the members of the Lok Sabha are directly elected through the elections, on the other side, the members of the Rajya Sabha are elected through the members of all state legislative assemblies. In the Lok Sabha, the sanctioned limit of total members is 543, whereas, the Sanctioned limit of Rajya Sabha’s members is 245. It also includes the 12 nominees with skills in art, science, literature, and social service. Here, we will discuss the workings of both houses briefly below:
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha can often refer to the house of the people, as the members of the Lok Sabha are directly elected by the citizens of India. It can also be called the lower house of the parliament, which has 543 members in total. The members of the Lok Sabha are elected based on the universal adult electoral system, according to which anyone who has passed the age of 18 years can vote in the elections, whether they are male or female, whichever caste they belong to. According to the constitution, the maximum strength of the Lok Sabha is 552 members. There are some rules to be eligible for being a member of the Lok Sabha, which everyone has to follow. It is:
- The person must be at least 25 years old before applying for membership. Also, he or she must be a citizen of India.
- The person should not be involved in any kind of criminal activity or be imprisoned.
- The person should not be bankrupted. And should be mentally sound.
The overall elective membership is divided among the states in a way that the number of seats allocated to each state is equal to its population.
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha is called the upper house of the parliament and is not subject to dissolution. It is considered the Council of States. Every two years, one-third of the members get retired and get replaced by new members. Each member of the council is elected for 6 years. The members of the council are selected based on the votes of members of legislative bodies of states. Usually, the maximum strength of the Rajya Sabha is 250 members. Currently, there are 245 members in the Rajya Sabha, from which, 233 members are elected from the state and union territories and the other 12 members are nominated by the President of India. To be a member of the Rajya Sabha, the rules are the same as in the Lok Sabha. But here, the required maximum age for becoming a member of the Rajya Sabha is 30 years.
Why do we need a Parliament?
The need for parliament is because of the following reasons-
- The parliament is an essential part of the constitution of any country. The parliament works as the ultimate authority responsible for making and implementing laws in the country.
- The primary work of the Indian Parliament is to pass the bills and make laws. And also, implement them in the country.
- The parliament has the right to abolish the existing laws, replace and amend the existing laws, and create new laws. Because of this, it becomes an important part of the constitution of any country.
- The parliament plays the most important part in the process of decision-making for the betterment of the country and its people.
- The parliament has the power over the government of any country. It has the right to seek any information from the government and all the decisions related to the governmental money are controlled by the parliament.
- In any country, the parliament is the main forum for any national debate or discussion, or public issues.
- In India, the Parliamentary form of government is adopted, which makes it the prominent and central part of the Indian democratic political system.
- It is also the job of parliament to examine the new laws, comprehend them thoroughly, and also, play an important role in the implementation process.
- Even if the law presented by the President is not approved by the Parliament within six weeks of its reassembly, it will be dissolved automatically.
- The parliament is the main authority to pass the bills and budgets for each financial year.
- In the selection of the president and the vice president, the parliament plays a vital role. and it has the power to remove them through a resolution passed by Rajya Sabha, only if the majority of the members of Lok Sabha agreed.
- It also has the power to remove constitutionally appointed judges from the high court and supreme courts, as well as the chief election commissioner, comptroller, and auditor general.
- Also, it has the right to punishment, if needed.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why do we need a parliament?
Parliament is a legislative body of the government and allows citizens of India for participating in decision- making and be in charge of government and because of which it is most significant symbol of democracy and also primary feature of Constitution.
What do you mean by parliament?
Parliament refers to the supreme legislative body of India and Indian parliament comprises of President and two Houses- Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha.
What is another name for parliament?
Parliament is also known as court, assembly, congress etc.
What is the PM salary in India?
The salary of PM in India is approximately is 19,20,000 rupees annually.