The Indian Parliament is the supreme legislative body of India. It is a bicameral legislature, consisting of the Lok Sabha (the lower house) and the Rajya Sabha (the upper house). The President of India is the head of state, but the Parliament is the supreme legislative body.
The Lok Sabha is directly elected by the people of India. The number of members in the Lok Sabha is determined by the population of each state. The current number of members in the Lok Sabha is 543.
The Rajya Sabha is indirectly elected by the legislative assemblies of the states. The number of members in the Rajya Sabha is 245. Of these, 233 members are elected by the legislative assemblies of the states, and 12 members are nominated by the President of India.
The Parliament is responsible for making laws, approving the budget, and overseeing the government. It also has the power to impeach the President and the Vice President.
The Parliament is a powerful institution, and it plays a vital role in the governance of India.
Membership of Parliament
The membership of the Indian Parliament is made up of elected representatives from the states and union territories. The Lok Sabha has a maximum of 543 members, of whom 542 are elected from single-member constituencies and one is elected from the Anglo-Indian community by the President. The Rajya Sabha has a maximum of 250 members, of whom 238 are elected by the legislative assemblies of the states and union territories, 12 are nominated by the President, and 3 are nominated by the President to represent the Anglo-Indian community.
The members of the Parliament are elected for a term of five years. However, the President can dissolve the Lok Sabha before the expiry of its term. The Rajya Sabha is a permanent body, but one-third of its members retire every two years.
Qualifications for Membership
To be eligible for membership of the Lok Sabha, a person must be a citizen of India, aged 25 years or above, and enrolled as a voter in any constituency in India. To be eligible for membership of the Rajya Sabha, a person must be a citizen of India, aged 30 years or above, and a member of the legislative assembly of a state or union territory.
Functions of Parliament
The Parliament is the supreme legislative body of India. It is responsible for making laws, approving the budget, and overseeing the government. It also has the power to impeach the President and the Vice President.
The Parliament meets in two sessions each year. The first session is held in the month of February or March, and the second session is held in the month of November or December. The Parliament can also be summoned to meet in a special session by the President.
Powers of Parliament
The Parliament has the power to make laws on any subject in the Union List. The Union List includes subjects such as defence, foreign affairs, railways, currency, and banking. The Parliament also has the power to make laws on subjects in the Concurrent List. The Concurrent List includes subjects such as education, forests, and trade and commerce.
The Parliament has the power to approve the budget of the government. The budget is a statement of the government’s estimated income and expenditure for the coming financial year. The Parliament also has the power to oversee the government. It can do this by asking questions to the ministers, passing resolutions, and conducting investigations.
The Parliament has the power to impeach the President and the Vice President. Impeachment is a process of removing a public official from office for misconduct. The process of impeachment is initiated by the House of Representatives. The House of Representatives passes a resolution of impeachment, which is then sent to the Rajya Sabha for trial. If the Rajya Sabha finds the public official guilty, the public official is removed from office.
Conclusion
The Parliament is a powerful institution, and it plays a vital role in the governance of India. It is responsible for making laws, approving the budget, and overseeing the government. It also has the power to impeach the President and the Vice President.