Parliament: Structure, Functions and Legislative Process Structure: The Indian Parliament is a legislative body responsible for making and overseeing l...
Structure:
The Indian Parliament is a legislative body responsible for making and overseeing laws and policies for the entire country.
It is composed of 543 members, elected directly by the people through general elections every five years.
The Lok Sabha (House of Parliament) houses 530 members, and the Rajya Sabha (House of the People) has 304 members.
The Indian Parliament is a representative body, meaning it is accountable to the people through its representatives in the state assemblies.
Functions:
The primary function of the Parliament is to introduce and debate bills, representing the wishes of the people to the government.
The Parliament also has the authority to make laws, approve the national budget, and establish parliamentary committees to investigate and report on specific issues.
Additionally, the Parliament can approve treaties and international agreements on behalf of India.
The Parliament also holds the power to dissolve itself and call for elections.
Legislative Process:
The process of lawmaking in India is outlined in the Indian Constitution.
The process begins with a bill being introduced in the Lok Sabha.
A bill must receive support of at least three-fourths of the members of the Lok Sabha.
If a bill receives majority support, it is sent to the Rajya Sabha for its consideration.
Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have the power to reject a bill, but they can refer it back to the other house for further discussion and debate.
If both houses agree to the bill, it is then sent to the President for assent.
The President can also give assent to a bill if it is found to be in accordance with the Constitution.
Once the bill is assented to, it becomes a law and is applicable to the entire country.
Examples:
The Constitution of India outlines the structure and functions of the Indian Parliament.
The Indian Penal Code is a piece of legislation passed by the Parliament.
The Right to Information Act empowers the Parliament to make public records accessible to the people