1 Mark Questions
Question 1 : Why is the Rajya Sabha called a ‘Permanent House’?
Answer : Rajya Sabha is called a ‘Permanent House’ because it is not subject to dissolution, 1/3rd of its members retire every two years and are replaced by new members.
Question 2 : State the minimum number of times the Lok Sabha must meet in a year.
Answer : The Lok Sabha should meet at least twice a year. According to Constitutional Provisions, the interval between two consecutive sessions cannot be more than 6 months.
Question 3 : Name the two types of authority in a Federal set-up in India.
Answer : The two types of authority in an Indian Federal set-up are:
- The Union Government
- The State Government
Question 4 : What is meant by the term Universal Adult Franchise?
Answer : Universal Adult Franchise means that, every person above the age of 18 years is entitled to vote and is not to be disqualified on the basis of caste, creed, religion or sex and gender.
Question 5 : How is the Speaker of the Lok Sabha elected?
Answer : The Speaker of the Lok Sabha is elected, from amongst its own members.
Question 6 : When can the Vice-President cast a vote in the Rajya Sabha?
Answer : The Vice-President has the right to vote only in case of equality of votes i.e., a tie or deadlock. The vote of the Vice-President is a tie-breaking vote.
Question 7 : Name the law making body of the Union Government.
Answer : The Parliament is the authorised law making body of the Union Government.
Question 8 : What is the difference in the term of office between the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha?
Answer : The term of office of the Lok Sabha is 5 years, whereas that of the Rajya Sabha is 6 years.
Question 9 : Name the Bill which cannot originate in the Rajya Sabha.
Answer : A Money Bill cannot originate in the Rajya Sabha.
Question 10 : Name the main constituents of the Indian Parliament.
Answer : There are three main constituents of the Indian Parliament.
- The President
- The Lok Sabha
- The Rajya Sabha
Question 11 : Mention any one circumstance when the Parliament can make law on a State subject.
Answer : The Parliament can legislate on subjects included in the State List, during the proclamation of an National Emergency.
Question 12 : A Legislative Assembly has 230 members. How many members need to be present in order to enable the House to attract its business?
Answer : The minimum number of members required to be present in order to enable the House to transact its business is termed as ‘Quoram’, which is 1/10th of the total strength. In this case of an Assembly having the above strength, 23 members would need to be present.
Question 13 : Mention any one situation when both the Houses of Parliament meet for joint sessions.
Answer : Whenever the two Houses differ on an issue (Bill) other than those related to financial matters, the President calls for a joint session of both the House to discuss and to resolve the deadlock.
Question 14 : Mr Gurudev was nominated by the President to the Rajya Sabha. Mention any one criterion on which the President would have nominated him.
Answer : The President nominates 12 members to the Rajya Sabha from among persons having special knowledge or practical experience in matters such as literature, science, art and social science. Mr. Gurudev must have been selected on the above criterion.
Question 15 : What happens to the ruling government when a Vote of No-confidence is passed against it?
Answer : The passage of No-confidence means that the Parliament has lost its faith on the Government and the Government has to resign as a result.
Question 16 : How many members constitute the Rajya Sabha?
Answer : The total strength of the Rajya Sabha is 250 out of which 238 are elected and 12 are nominated by the President.
Question 17 : How are the members elected to the Rajya Sabha?
Answer : The members of the Rajya Sabha are elected by the Members of Legislative Assemblies on the basis of proportional representation with a ‘Single Transferable Vote.’
Question 18 : How many members can the President nominate to the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha?
Answer : The President can nominate 2 members from the Anglo-Indian community to the Lok Sabha and 12 members to the Rajya Sabha.
Question 19 : Explain the term ‘Quorum’.
Answer : Quoram refers to the minimum number of members required to be present in order to enable the House to transact its business.
Question 20 : Mention one advantage of Lok Sabha in that its members are elected directly by the people and therefore, can better address the concerns of the common people.
Answer : The main advantage of Lok Sabha is that its members are elected directly by the people and therefore, can better address the concerns of the common people.
Question 21 : What is the term of office of a Rajya Sabha member?
Answer : The term of office of a Rajya Sabha member is 6 years.
Question 22 : What is meant by Constituency?
Answer : Constituency is a territorial area which elects its representatives either to the Lok Sabha or to the Legislative Assembly.
Question 23 : Name the body that elects the members of the Rajya Sabha.
Answer : The members of the Rajya Sabha are elected by the members of State Legislative Assembly.
Question 24 : What is the maximum gap allowed between two Parliamentary sessions?
Answer : According to the Constitution, the gap between two Parliamentary sessions should not exceed 6 months.
Question 25 : What is meant by the term ‘Question Hour’ in the context of Parliamentary procedures in India?
Answer : In the context of Parliamentary procedures in India, Question Hour represents the first hour of every working day of the House, in which the members can ask questions from the government on matters of public interests.
Question 26 : Who is the ex-officio Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha?
Answer : The Vice-President is the ex-officio Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha.
Question 27 : An adult Indian citizen holding an office of profit under the State Government wishes to contest for the election of the Lok Sabha. Is he/she eligible? Give a reason to justify your answer.
Answer : No, he/she is not eligible. According to Constitution, a member of Parliament cannot hold any office of profit under Central or State Government.
Question 28 : Mention one privilege of a Member of Parliament.
Answer : The Right to Freedom of Speech is applied to a broader view to the MPs. They cannotbe questioned in a Court of Law in regard to the speech made by them in the Parliament.
Question 29 : What is the normal term of the Lok Sabha?
Answer : The normal term of the Lok Sabha is 5 years.
Question 30 : What is the procedure adopted for resolving a deadlock between the two Houses of Parliament with regard to an ordinary Bill?
Answer : The procedure so adopted, is the call for a joint sitting by the President to resolve the deadlock.
Question 31 : What is the constitutional provision with regard to the representation of the Anglo-India community in the Lok Sabha?
Answer : The President can nominate 2 members from the community, if he/she feels that the community is not adequately represented.
2 Marks Questions
Question 32 : Explain the tenure of the members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
Answer : Lok Sabha – The Constitution provides for a fixed term of 5 years for the Lok Sabha. However, it can be dissolved earlier by the President or can be extended for one year at a time of proclamation of an emergency by the Parliament.
Rajya Sabha – The tenure of the Rajya Sabha is 1 year more than the Lok Sabha i.e., 6 years. Besides it, 1/3rd of the total members retire every 2 years.
3 Marks Questions
Question 33 : Discuss the relationship between the two Houses of the Parliament with reference to the Money Bill.
Answer : A Money Bill cane originate in the Lok Sabha only. After the Bill gets passed by the Lok Sabha, it is then sent to Rajya Sabha for recommendations, which it must send back within 14 days. The Bill then comes to the Lok Sabha again, which is upon them to either accept or reject any of the recommendations. In financial matters, the Rajya Sabha has only an advisory role.
Question 34 : Discuss the relationship between the two Houses of the Parliament with reference of a Non-money Bill.
Answer : A Non-money Bill may originate in either House. On disagreement between the two Houses, the Bill is referred to a joint sitting of both the Houses. In such cases, both the Houses are placed on an equal footing, however due to larger strength, the will of the Lok Sabha prevails in the joint sitting.
Question 35 : What is the maximum strength of the Lok Sabha provided by the Constitution? How are members of the Lok Sabha elected?
Answer : According to Constitutional Provisions, the strength of the Lok Sabha should not exceed above 552 members. The members of the Lok Sabha are elected directly by the people on the basis of Universal Adult Franchise.
Question 36 : With reference to the Union Parliament, answer the following questions. The two Houses of the Parliament enjoy co-equal powers in many spheres. Explain it by giving three examples.
Answer : The two Houses of Parliament enjoy co-equal powers in the following subjects:
- Emergencies proclaimed by the President, have to be approved by both the Houses of Parliament.
- Impeachment of the President.
- Constitutional Amendments.
Question 37 : Mention three Legislative powers of Union Parliament.
Answer : The Legislative powers of the Parliament are exclusive in following subjects:
- Matters in the Union List.
- Matters in the Residuary List
- Ordinance power of the President must be approved by the Parliament.
- In matters of the Concurrent List, if both the Parliament and State Legislatures make law on a subject, the Parliament law will ultimately prevail.
- The Union Parliament can legislate in subjects of the State List during proclamation of an Emergency.
Question 38 : Mention three Financial powers of the Union Parliament.
Answer: The financial powers of the Union Parliament are as follows:
- The Budget of the Union is passed by the Parliament.
- The salaries and allowances of MPs and Ministers are determined by the Parliament.
- No taxes can be imposed unless approved by the Parliament.
Question 39 : Mention two ways in which the Lok Sabha can control the Executive.
Answer : The Lok Sabha can control the Executive via Interpellation and can also pass a resolution in matters of public interest. Other methods to control the Executive is through the vote of No-confidence, Adjournment Motion or via Monetary Control.
Question 40 : Explain three reasons to justify why the Lok Sabha is considered to be more powerful than the Rajya Sabha.
Answer : The members of the Lok Sabha are elected directly by the people. It enjoys superiority over Rajya Sabha in the following matters:
- Motions of No-confidence can only be introduced and passed in the Lok Sabha.
- Money Bills can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha and they enjoy superior position, in financial matter.
- In case of a deadlock, the will of the Lok Sabha prevails due to its larger strength.
Question 41 : Mention three functions of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
Answer : The three functions of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha are as follows:
- The Speaker decides whether a Bill is a Money Bill or not.
- He/She appoints Chairman of all the Parliamentary Committees.
- He/She after consulting the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, nominates the personnel for Parliamentary delegations to various countries.
Question 42 : Mention the judicial powers of the Parliament.
Answer : Judicial powers of the Parliament are as follows:
- The Parliament can remove the judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts.
- The Parliament can punish a person for its contempt of or for obstructing the work of the Parliament.
- The Parliament has the right to remove the President through impeachment process and also has the right to remove the Vice-President.
Question 44 : Mention three instances when the Parliament can make laws on the subject entered in the State List.
Answer : The instances when the Parliament can make laws on the subject entered in the State List are:
- Rajya Sabha, under Article 249, may pass a resolution which authorises the Parliament to make law on a subject mentioned in the State List which it considers of national importance.
- The Parliament can legislate on matters on State List, during proclamation of a National Emergency.
- When two or more states by resolution request the Parliament to legislate on a subject given on State List. The act made by the Parliament would be applicable to consenting states only.
4 Marks Questions
Question 48 : Explain the composition of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
Answer : Composition of the Lok Sabha – The Constitution provides for a maximum strength of 552 members, out of which 530 are elected from the states and 20 from the Union Territories on the basis of Universal Adult Franchise. President nominates 2 members from Anglo-Indian community.
Composition of the Rajya Sabha – Out of the total strength of 250, 238 members are elected indirectly by the States and the UTs and 12 members are nominated by the President.
Question 49 : With reference to the Indian Parliament explain the following powers to make laws on the subject mentioned in the:
a) Union List
b) Concurrent List
Answer : a) Union List – The Parliament has exclusive powers to make laws with respect to matters mentioned in the Union List. If emergency is proclaimed throughout the country or in any state, then all the lists will come under the centre and Parliament will make laws on all the subject lists.
b) Concurrent List – On subjects mentioned in Concurrent List, both the Parliament and the State Legislatures can legislate. If a conflict occurs between State and Centre, then Centre will be overruled on the State law.
Question 50 : Discuss the relationship between the two Houses of the Parliament with reference to the following Control over Executive.
Answer : The Parliament exercises control over the Executive using various instruments/controls.
Some of them are:
- Interpellation – The Parliament can ask questions to the Governments about its policies and performance.
- Vote of No-Confidence – If a Government does not follow the provisions of Constitution, the Parliament can show No-Confidence to the Government.
- Adjournment Motion – To bring matters of urgent public importance, the Parliament can bring Adjournment Motion.
- Censure Motion – It can bring Censure Motion over the policies of the Government.
- Monetary Control – The Parliament can bring cut motion during the budget session to disapprove any monetary policy of the Government. It also examines the report of Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG).
Question 51: Explain any three of the Rajya Sabha’s power in India’s Federal set-up.
Answer : The powers of the Rajya Sabha in India’s Federal set-up are as follows:
- Rajya Sabha can authorise the Parliament to make law on subject mentioned in State List by passing a resolution with 2/3rd majority.
- The Rajya Sabha may declare that the creation of new All India Services be made in the national interest.
- If the Lok Sabha is dissolved before or after emergency proclamation, the Rajya Sabha takes over the functions of the Parliament.
Question 56 : What are the qualifications necessary to become a member of the Rajya Sabha?
Answer : The qualifications for membership of the Rajya Sabha are as follows:
- He/She should be an Indian citizen.
- He/She should be at least 30 years of age.
- He/She should have his/her name in the electoral roll in some part of the country.
- He/She should not be an insolvent.
- He/She should not hold any office of profit under the Central or the State Government.
- He/She should not be a proclaimed criminal.
- He/She should be of a sound mind.
6 Marks Questions
Question 57 : Describe the Legislative and Financial Powers of the Rajya Sabha.
Answer : Legislative powers of the Rajya Sabha are as follows:
- The Parliament enjoys exclusive right to make laws on subjects enumerated in the Union List and Residuary List. The Rajya Sabha by passing a resolution can authorise the Parliament to legislate on subjects mentioned in the State List.
- All orfinances must be approved by both the Houses of the Parliament.
- If the Lok Sabha is in a dissovled state, the Rajya Sabha takes over the functions of the Parliament during the Emergency proclamation.
Financial powers of the Rajya Sabha are as follows:
Rajya Sabha enjoys only an advisory role in financial matters. A Money Bill after being passed from the Lok Sabha comes to the Rajya Sabha which they have to return within 14 days with or without recommendation. It is upto the Lok Sabha to accept or reject all or any of the recommendation.
7 Marks Questions
Question 58 : What are the functions of the Lok Sabha’s Speaker?
Answer : The role of the Speaker may be categorized under the following heads:
a) The Business of the House
- The Speaker presides over the meeting of the House.
- All Bills passed by the House must be signed by the Speaker before being sent to the Rajya Sabha or President.
- He decides on the qualifications of the motions, resolutions and questions.
- Speaker is the sole authority to decide whether a Bill is a Money Bill or not.
b) Administrative Functions
- He receives all the petitions, documents in the House and communicates the decisions to concerned authority.
- He regulates the admission of visitors and press correspondents to the galleries of the House.
c) Disciplinary Functions
- The responsibility to maintain order in the House lies with the Speaker and he may take actions against members who become unruly.
- The case related to contempt or breach of privileges are decided by the Speaker.
- In matters relating to defection, the Constitution says that the Speaker’s decision shall be final and in this regard, he is not answerable to any Court of Law.
d) Parliamentary Committees
- He is the ex-officio Chairman to many of the Committees.
- He appoints the Chairman of all the Committees and directs the rules and procedures to be followed.
e) Miscellaneous Functions
- He presides over the joint sitting of the Parliament.
- He nominates personnel for Parliamentary delegation to various countries, after consultation with the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.