Union Parliament Flashcards
Define Federalism
Federalism is the system of government in which the power is divided between a central authority and various constituent units of the country.
What is a federal system of government?
- In a federal system of government, all the administrative powers are divided between the central and state government.
- Both are supreme within their respective spheres, according to the constitution.
Define the term parliament
Parliament is a body of people’s representatives who have the supreme power of governance in a democratic country.
What does the union Legislature comprise?
- The president
- Parliament:
- Loksabha
- Rajya Sabha
What is the Lok Sabha also known as? Why?
- The lok sabha is also known as the House of the people
- This is because the members of the lok sabha are directly elected by the general electorate (people of India)
Term of Lok Sabha :
- 5 yrs
- Can be dissolved before the expiry of normal term by President on advice of Prime Minister, or by vote of no confidence
When can the term of the Lok Sabha be extended and for how much time?
-during the proclamation of emergency the period of the look sabha may be extended by the parliament for one year at a time.
-the new lok sabha must be elected six months after the emergency is lifted.
What is the maximum strength of the lok sabha?
550, 530+20
On what basis are the number of lok sabha seats allotted?
The allotment of members to the various states is made on population basis.
Qualifications for membership
- They should be an Indian citizen.
- They should be at least 25 years of age for Lok Sabha or 30 years old for Rajya Sabha.
- They should have their name in the electoral rolls in some part of the country.
- They should not be insolvent.
- Should not hold any office of profit under the government.
- Should not be proclaimed criminal.
-Should not be of unsound mind.
What are parliamentary procedures?
Formalities with the legislatures have to observe in the Parliament as well as in state legislatures are called parliamentary procedures.
Who summons each house of the Parliament?
The president of India
There are a minimum of _____ sessions in an year and the maximum interval between two consecutive sessions should be less than ______
2, 6 months
When are the sessions normally held?
Normally, three sessions are held in a year,
1. The budget session ( February to May)
2. The monsoon session (July to August)
3. The winter session (November to December)
Define quorum
The quorum means that the minimum number of members required to be present in order to enable the house to transact it’s business
What are the minimum number of members required for the house to transacts its business?
1/10th of total membership
What and when is question? hour
The first hour on every working day of the Lok Sabha is reserved for questions. Every working day of the Lok Sabha - - > to 11 a.m.
Why is there a need of question hour?
The question hour is intended to keep the functioning of the government opened to scrutiny by the members of the Parliament.
What is interpellation?
The right of the members to ask questions from the government is known as interpellation.
What is the notice period that a member has to give for a question?
10 days
Who are all the questions address to before being admitted
All questions are addressed to the chair before being admitted.
What are starred questions?
Questions which a member wishes to have an oral answer on the floor of the house are known as starred questions.
What are unstarred questions?
-Questions to which answers are given in written form are known as unstarred questions
- no supplementary questions can be asked.
What are short notice questions?
Short note is questions are questions that relate to a matter of urgent importance.
They are asked with the notice shorter than 10 days.
It is up to the Minister to accept a to not accept a short notice question.
When does Zero Hour begin?
It begins at 12 o’clock after the question hour and continuous till lunch break which is at 1:00 p.m.
What is a motion?
A motion is a formal proposal made by a member stating that the house should take up some particular matter which is of public importance.
What is meant by an adjournment motion?
An adjournment motion means a proposal to lay aside all other business and take up a ‘definite matter of urgent importance.’
Give examples of subjects on which ajournment motions are allowed on
Railway accident resulting in the death of many people. Are there in the quality. Some natural calami like flood or tornado. Communal tension, etc.