The Union Legislature Flashcards
What are the two levels of government in India?
Union government at the central level and state government at the state level
What is the body that governs India at the centre?
The Parliament i.e India’s union Leglislative.
The Parliament consists of ________ and ________
Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and Lok Sabha (House of the People)
What are the members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha called?
Members of Parliament (Mps)
Where are the sessions of Parliament held?
Sansad Bhavan or Parliament House in Delhi
Explain presidential form of government.
The head of State i.e. the president is directly elected by the people and hence wields great power. They head the executive and the executive is not answerable to the legislature.
Why did the makers of the constitution chose the parliamentary form of government?
The makers of the constitution chose the parliamentary form of government since they felt a presidential form would give too much power in the hands of a single individual.
Why is the Lok Sabha known as house of people? What is the maximum strength of the house?
The Lok Sabha is known as house of people because the members are directly elected by the people. The maximum strength of the House is 552 (currently there are 545 members in Lok Sabha)
How is the country divided for elections?
The country is divided into several constituencies based on population. Any number of candidates can stand for elections from a constituency.
Candidates can only contest elections as independent candidates. True/False?
False. Candidates can either be affiliated to parties or contest as independent candidates.
How is voting done?
Through secret ballot, ensuring that only the voter knows for whom they have voted.
Which party is invited by the president to form government? How many members must the party have at least?
The party which gets an absolute majority (more than half the seats) is invited by the president to form government. A party has to have at least 273 members or more to be invited by the president.
What happens if there is no clear majority?
Like-minded parties who are willing to negotiate may form coalition government. Other political parties who oppose the majority party/coalition form the opposition.
What is the term of the Lok Sabha?
The term of the Lok Sabha is 5 years, after which fresh elections are held. But it can be dissolved earlier by the president on advice of the prime minister.
Who is the speaker?
The presiding officer of the Lok Sabha. He/She usually belong to the ruling party. The speaker is elected from among the members of Lok Sabha. He/She is expected to remain impartial. The speaker is the principal spokesperson of the House.
