The Indian Legislature is the law-making organ of the Union government. At the national level, it is known as Parliament and is established under the Constitution. The Indian Parliament follows a bicameral system, consisting of the President and two Houses: the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. It performs legislative, financial, deliberative and representative functions and also exercises control over the executive.
Composition of the Indian Legislature
The Parliament of India consists of:
- The President
- Lok Sabha (House of the People)
- Rajya Sabha (Council of States)
The President is an integral part of Parliament because a bill passed by Parliament becomes law only after receiving presidential assent, subject to constitutional provisions.
Lok Sabha is the lower and directly elected House. Its members are elected by citizens through universal adult suffrage. It represents the people and normally has a term of five years, unless dissolved earlier. The Lok Sabha has a particularly important role in determining the government because the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to it.
Rajya Sabha is the upper House and represents the States and Union Territories. It is a permanent House and is not subject to dissolution. One-third of its members retire every two years. Members are mainly elected by elected members of State Legislative Assemblies through proportional representation using the single transferable vote. The President also nominates members with special knowledge or practical experience in areas such as literature, science, art and social service.
Functions of the Indian Legislature
1. Legislative Function
The primary function of Parliament is to make laws. It discusses and passes bills relating to matters within the constitutional powers of the Union. Parliament can legislate on the Union List and, under certain circumstances, on matters normally belonging to the State List.
Both Houses generally participate in the ordinary legislative process. However, Money Bills can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha, and the Rajya Sabha has limited powers regarding them.
2. Financial Function
Parliament exercises control over public finance. The Union Budget is presented before Parliament, and government expenditure requires parliamentary authorisation. The Lok Sabha has greater financial authority because it controls Money Bills and demands for grants.
Parliament also examines government expenditure through mechanisms such as the Public Accounts Committee and the Estimates Committee. These mechanisms promote financial accountability.
3. Control over the Executive
India follows a parliamentary system in which the executive is responsible to the legislature. Parliament exercises control over the government through questions, debates, motions, discussions and parliamentary committees.
The Lok Sabha can remove the Council of Ministers by passing a no-confidence motion. Ministers must therefore remain accountable to elected representatives.
4. Deliberative Function
Parliament provides a national forum for discussing important political, economic and social issues. Members raise matters concerning their constituencies and national interests. Parliamentary debates allow different viewpoints to be presented and help shape public opinion.
5. Representative Function
Parliament represents the diverse interests of India's population and different regions. Members bring local and social concerns into national policymaking. The Rajya Sabha, in particular, provides representation to the States within the Union legislative framework.
6. Constitutional Function
Parliament participates in the amendment of the Constitution. Constitutional amendments require special procedures and, for certain provisions affecting the federal structure, ratification by at least half of the State Legislatures.
Conclusion
The Indian Legislature is a central institution of parliamentary democracy. Through the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, it performs law-making, financial, representative, deliberative and constitutional functions. Its control over the executive ensures political accountability, while parliamentary debates and committees provide mechanisms for examining public policies and government expenditure. Thus, the Indian Legislature plays a vital role in maintaining democratic representation, accountability and constitutional governance.
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