State Legislature : Organization, Powers and functions, with special reference to Jharkhand

<2/”>a >Articles 168 to 212 in Part VI of the Constitution deal with the organisation, composition, duration, officers, procedures, privileges, powers and so on of the State Legislature.In most of the States, the Legislature consists of the Governor and the Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha). This means that these State have unicameral Legislature. In a Six States( Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh.), there are two Houses of the Legislature namely, Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) and Legislative council (Vidhan Parishad) besides the Governor.Where there are two Houses, the Legislature, is known as bicameral.Five States have the bicameral, legislature. The Legislative Assembly is known as lower House or popular House. The Legislative Council is known as upper House.

There is a Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) in every State. It represents the people of State. The members of Vidhan Sabha are directly elected by people on the basis of universal Adult Franchise. They are directly elected by all adult citizens registered as voters in the State. All men and Women who are 18 years of age and above are eligible to be included in the voters’ List.

There are certain qualifications prescribed by the Constitution for being elected as an M. L. A. The candidate must:

  • be a citizen of India;
  • have attained the age of 25 years;
  • have his/her name in the voters’ list;
  • not hold any Office of Profit; and
  • not be a government servant.

Subject to the provisions of ARTICLE 333, the Legislative Assembly of each State shall consist of not more than five hundred, and not less than sixty, members chosen by direct election from territorial constituencies in the State.

The Legislative council or Vidhan Parishad is partly elected and partly nominated. Most of the members are indirectly elected in accordance with the principle of Proportional Representation by means of single transferable vote system. Different categories of members represent different interests. The composition of the Legislative Council is as follows:

i. One-third members of the Council are elected by the members of the Vidhan Sabha.
ii. One-third of the members of the Vidhan Parishad are elected by the electorates consisting of members of Municipalities, District Boards and other local bodies in the State;
iii. One-twelfth members are elected by the electorate consisting of graduates in the State with a standing of three years;
iv. One-twelfth members are elected by the electorate consisting of teachers of educatioal institutions within the State not lower in standard than a secondary school who have teaching experience of at least three years;
v. The remaining, i.e. about one-sixth members are nominated by the Governor from amongst the persons having special knowledge in the sphere of literature, science, arts, co-operative movement and social service.

The State Legislature is empowered to make laws on State List and Concurrent List. The Parliament and the Legislative Assemblies have the right to make the laws on the subjects mentioned in the Concurrent List. But in case of contradiction between the Union and State law on the subject the law made by the Parliament shall prevail.

State legislature has exclusive powers over subjects enumerated in List II of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution and concurrent powers over those enumerated in List III. Financial powers of legislature include authorisation of all expenditure, Taxation and borrowing by the State Government. Legislative assembly alone has power to originate Money bills. Legislative council can make only recommendations in respect of changes it considers necessary within a period of fourteen days of the receipt of money bills from Assembly. Assembly can accept or reject these recommendations.

State legislatures, apart from exercising the usual power of financial control, use all normal parliamentary devices like questions, discussions, debates, adjournments and no-confidence motions and resolutions to keep a watch over day-to-day work of the executive. They also have their committees on estimates and public accounts to ensure that grants sanctioned by legislature are properly utilised.,

The State Legislature is the legislative body of a state in India. It is unicameral in most states, with the exception of Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha, which have bicameral legislatures. The State Legislature is responsible for making laws for the state, and for overseeing the executive branch of the state government.

The State Legislature is composed of elected members, who are known as legislators. The number of legislators in a state legislature varies from state to state. The term of office for a legislator is five years.

To be eligible to be a member of the State Legislature, a person must be a citizen of India, and must be at least 25 years old. A person is disqualified from being a member of the State Legislature if he or she is a member of the Union or a state government, or if he or she is an undischarged insolvent.

The State Legislature is elected through a system of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote. This system ensures that all sections of the Population are represented in the legislature.

The State Legislature meets in sessions. The first session of a newly elected legislature is called the budget session. The budget session is held every year, and is when the state government presents its budget for the next financial year. The budget session is followed by the monsoon session, which is held during the monsoon season. The monsoon session is when the legislature discusses important issues affecting the state. The budget session and the monsoon session are the two most important sessions of the State Legislature.

The State Legislature has a Quorum of one-tenth of its total membership. This means that for a meeting of the legislature to be valid, at least one-tenth of the total number of legislators must be present.

The State Legislature is presided over by a Speaker. The Speaker is elected by the members of the legislature. The Speaker is responsible for maintaining order in the legislature, and for presiding over the proceedings of the legislature.

The State Legislature has a Deputy Speaker, who is elected by the members of the legislature. The Deputy Speaker acts as the Speaker in the absence of the Speaker.

The State Legislature has a number of committees, which are responsible for studying and reporting on various matters. The most important committees of the State Legislature are the Public Accounts Committee, the Estimates Committee, and the Committee on Public Undertakings.

The State Legislature has a number of powers and functions. The most important powers and functions of the State Legislature are:

  • To make laws for the state.
  • To control the executive branch of the state government.
  • To approve the budget of the state.
  • To impeach the Governor of the state.
  • To dissolve the state government.

The State Legislature is an important institution in the Indian Democracy. It is responsible for making laws for the state, and for overseeing the executive branch of the state government. The State Legislature is a powerful institution, and its decisions have a significant impact on the lives of the people of the state.

Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was formed on 26 November 2000, from the southern portion of Bihar. The state has a population of over 33 million people, and its capital is Ranchi.

The State Legislature of Jharkhand is unicameral, and is known as the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly. The Assembly has 81 members, who are elected from single-member constituencies. The term of office for an MLA is five years.

The State Legislature of Jharkhand is responsible for making laws for the state, and for overseeing the executive branch of the state government. The Assembly has a number of powers and functions, including the power to:

  • Make laws for the state.
  • Control the executive branch of the state government.
  • Approve the budget of the state.
  • Impeach the Governor of the state.
  • Dissolve the state government.

The State Legislature of Jharkhand is an important institution in the state’s democracy. It is responsible for making laws for the state, and for overseeing the executive branch of the state government. The Assembly is a powerful institution, and its decisions have a significant impact on the lives of the people of Jharkhand.

The State Legislature is the legislative body of a state in India. It is unicameral in most states, but bicameral in some states, such as Bihar, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. The State Legislature is responsible for making laws for the state, and for overseeing the executive branch of the state government.

The State Legislature is composed of elected members. The number of members in the State Legislature varies from state to state. In most states, the number of members is proportional to the population of the state. The members of the State Legislature are elected by the people of the state.

The State Legislature is headed by the Speaker. The Speaker is elected by the members of the State Legislature. The Speaker is responsible for presiding over the meetings of the State Legislature.

The State Legislature has the power to make laws for the state. The laws made by the State Legislature are called state laws. State laws are supreme within the state, and they override any laws made by the central government that conflict with them.

The State Legislature also has the power to oversee the executive branch of the state government. The State Legislature can pass laws to control the executive branch, and it can also impeach the chief minister and other members of the executive branch.

The State Legislature is an important part of the government of a state. It is responsible for making laws for the state, and for overseeing the executive branch of the state government.

Here are some frequently asked questions about the State Legislature:

  1. What is the State Legislature?
    The State Legislature is the legislative body of a state in India. It is unicameral in most states, but bicameral in some states, such as Bihar, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. The State Legislature is responsible for making laws for the state, and for overseeing the executive branch of the state government.

  2. How is the State Legislature organized?
    The State Legislature is composed of elected members. The number of members in the State Legislature varies from state to state. In most states, the number of members is proportional to the population of the state. The members of the State Legislature are elected by the people of the state.

  3. Who is the head of the State Legislature?
    The State Legislature is headed by the Speaker. The Speaker is elected by the members of the State Legislature. The Speaker is responsible for presiding over the meetings of the State Legislature.

  4. What are the powers of the State Legislature?
    The State Legislature has the power to make laws for the state. The laws made by the State Legislature are called state laws. State laws are supreme within the state, and they override any laws made by the central government that conflict with them.

  5. What are the functions of the State Legislature?
    The State Legislature has the following functions:

  6. To make laws for the state

  7. To oversee the executive branch of the state government
  8. To impeach the chief minister and other members of the executive branch
  9. To approve the budget of the state
  10. To elect the members of the Rajya Sabha

  11. What are the challenges faced by the State Legislature?
    The State Legislature faces the following challenges:

  12. Corruption

  13. Lack of transparency
  14. Lack of accountability
  15. Lack of coordination between the different branches of the state government
  16. Lack of financial Resources

  17. What are the reforms needed in the State Legislature?
    The State Legislature needs the following reforms:

  18. To increase Transparency and Accountability

  19. To improve coordination between the different branches of the state government
  20. To increase financial resources
  21. To improve the quality of legislation
  22. To make the legislative process more efficient
  1. The State Legislature of Jharkhand is a unicameral body consisting of how many members?
    (A) 81
    (B) 90
    (C) 100
    (D) 120

  2. The Legislative Assembly of Jharkhand is elected for a term of how many years?
    (A) 5 years
    (B) 6 years
    (C) 7 years
    (D) 8 years

  3. The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Jharkhand is elected by the members of the Assembly from amongst themselves.
    (A) True
    (B) False

  4. The Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Jharkhand is elected by the members of the Assembly from amongst themselves.
    (A) True
    (B) False

  5. The Chief Minister of Jharkhand is appointed by the Governor of Jharkhand on the advice of the Council of Ministers.
    (A) True
    (B) False

  6. The Council of Ministers of Jharkhand is headed by the Chief Minister.
    (A) True
    (B) False

  7. The maximum strength of the Council of Ministers of Jharkhand is not to exceed how many percent of the total number of members of the Legislative Assembly?
    (A) 15%
    (B) 20%
    (C) 25%
    (D) 30%

  8. The Governor of Jharkhand can dissolve the Legislative Assembly on the advice of the Chief Minister.
    (A) True
    (B) False

  9. The Governor of Jharkhand can also dissolve the Legislative Assembly on his own if he is satisfied that the Government of the State cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.
    (A) True
    (B) False

  10. The Legislative Assembly of Jharkhand has the power to make laws on all matters except those which are specifically reserved for the Union Parliament.
    (A) True
    (B) False