Parliament

Flagship anchor

Parliament is the supreme legislative organ of the Union and the institution to which the executive is accountable. It is established by Part V, Chapter II of the Constitution (Art 79 to 122) and consists of the President and two Houses: the Rajya Sabha (Council of States, the Upper House) and the Lok Sabha (House of the People, the Lower House). India follows a bicameral, parliamentary system in which the Lok Sabha is directly elected by universal adult franchise and the Council of Ministers is responsible to it, while the Rajya Sabha is a permanent, continuing chamber that represents the States and is never fully dissolved. For CAPF this is a static-fact goldmine: the strengths and constitutional caps of each House, the tenure rules, the qualifications and minimum ages, the sessions and devices (Question Hour, Zero Hour, adjournment, prorogation), the legislative process and the precise difference between a money bill (Art 110), a financial bill, and an ordinary bill, the joint sitting (Art 108), and the special powers each House holds alone. The NCERT Class XI text "Indian Constitution at Work", Chapter 5 (Legislature), and Laxmikanth's chapter on Parliament are the standard references.

Composition and tenure (the spine)

The President nominates 12 members to the Rajya Sabha for their special knowledge or practical experience in literature, science, art and social service (Art 80). The Rajya Sabha being a continuing chamber means a bill pending in it does not lapse on the dissolution of the Lok Sabha, whereas most bills pending in or originating in the Lok Sabha lapse.

Membership: qualifications, disqualifications and anti-defection

Sessions and key parliamentary terms

Parliamentary devices and motions (compare)

The legislative process

An ordinary bill (not a money bill) may be introduced in either House and must be passed by both Houses and receive the President's assent (Art 111) to become law. A bill passes through three readings: the first reading (introduction), the second reading (clause-by-clause consideration, often after committee scrutiny), and the third reading (passing). A constitution amendment bill follows Art 368, and a money bill follows the special procedure in Art 109 and Art 110.

A money bill is certified as such by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, whose decision is final and cannot be questioned in any court (Art 110(3) and Art 110(4)). A joint sitting (Art 108) is summoned by the President to resolve a deadlock on an ordinary or financial bill, is presided over by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha (in his absence the Deputy Speaker, then the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha; the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha never presides), and is decided by a simple majority of the total number of members present and voting. A joint sitting is not available for a money bill or a constitution amendment bill.

Money bill versus financial bill (the highest-yield confusion)

• A money bill (Art 110) deals only with matters listed in Art 110: imposition, abolition, remission, alteration or regulation of any tax; borrowing by the Government; custody of the Consolidated Fund or the Contingency Fund; appropriation of money out of the Consolidated Fund; declaring expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund; receipt of money on account of the Consolidated Fund or the public account; or matters incidental to these. It can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha, only on the President's recommendation, and is certified by the Speaker.
• A financial bill contains provisions dealing with matters under Art 110 and other matters. Financial Bill (I) under Art 117(1) is like a money bill in its introduction (Lok Sabha only, President's recommendation) but is treated like an ordinary bill in all other respects. Financial Bill (II) under Art 117(3) merely involves expenditure from the Consolidated Fund and can be introduced in either House.
• The key test: every money bill is a financial bill, but not every financial bill is a money bill. The Speaker's certificate is conclusive only for a money bill.

Special powers of each House

Parliamentary committees (high-frequency)

These three financial committees (PAC, Estimates, COPU) are the core of legislative financial control; the PAC works closely with the CAG (Art 148). See constitutional and statutory bodies.

Important Articles

Static facts to memorise

Security and human-rights angle (CAPF-distinctive)

• Parliament has the exclusive power to legislate on defence, the armed forces, the deployment of any armed force in aid of the civil power, and the Central Bureau of Intelligence and Investigation (Union List entries). Statutes such as the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, and the National Security Act, 1980, are enacted by Parliament.
• Under Art 33, Parliament may restrict or abrogate the Fundamental Rights of members of the armed forces, paramilitary forces, police and intelligence organisations to ensure discipline; under Art 34 it may indemnify acts done in the maintenance of order under martial law.
• Parliamentary control of the Budget (Art 112) and the demands for grants is how elected, civilian control over the security establishment is exercised. No money can be drawn from the Consolidated Fund of India without an appropriation made by law (Art 114), and the CAG's audit reports are scrutinised by the Public Accounts Committee.
• Members enjoy parliamentary privileges (Art 105), including freedom of speech in the House, which secures uninhibited debate on security and human-rights matters.

How CAPF asks it

Parliament questions are crisp and factual: single-correct on strengths and ages, "how many statements are correct" on bill procedure, Article-to-subject matching, and assertion-reason on the Lok Sabha's financial dominance.

Authored practice

Common confusion

• Money bill (Art 110) versus financial bill (Art 117): every money bill is a financial bill, but not every financial bill is a money bill; the Speaker's certificate is conclusive only for a money bill.
• Prorogation versus adjournment versus dissolution: adjournment is by the presiding officer within a session; prorogation ends a session and is by the President; dissolution ends the Lok Sabha only.
• Question Hour versus Zero Hour: Question Hour is the first hour and is regulated; Zero Hour follows it and is an unregulated Indian innovation.
• Lapsing of bills: a bill pending in the Lok Sabha lapses on dissolution; a bill pending in the Rajya Sabha (and not passed by the Lok Sabha) does not lapse.
• Joint sitting: presided over by the Speaker, never the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha; not for money bills or amendment bills.
• Rajya Sabha's two unique powers: Art 249 (legislate on a State subject) and Art 312 (new All-India Service); both require a two-thirds resolution.

Memory hook

• "79 to 122" brackets the whole chapter; remember the 80-81 pair: 80 Rajya Sabha, 81 Lok Sabha.
• "108-109-110-111-112": joint sitting, money-bill procedure, money-bill definition, assent, Budget, in numerical order.
• "25 and 30": Lok Sabha minimum age 25, Rajya Sabha 30 (the Upper House needs older members).
• "12-12-14-50": 12 nominated members; 12 sessions (no, ignore), use instead: the Rajya Sabha must return a money bill in 14 days, and 50 members are needed to admit a no-confidence motion.
• "RS = 249 + 312" for the Rajya Sabha's two exclusive powers.

Night before

• Parliament = President + Rajya Sabha + Lok Sabha (Art 79).
• Lok Sabha cap 552 (543 elected); Rajya Sabha cap 250 (245 working: 233 + 12).
• Lok Sabha term 5 years (Art 83); Rajya Sabha permanent, members serve 6 years, one-third retire every 2 years.
• Minimum age 25 (Lok Sabha) and 30 (Rajya Sabha); quorum one-tenth (Art 100); six-month gap rule (Art 85).
• Money bill (Art 110): Lok Sabha only, Speaker certifies, Rajya Sabha returns in 14 days with only recommendations.
• Joint sitting (Art 108) presided over by the Speaker; not for money or amendment bills.
• A no-confidence motion lies only in the Lok Sabha; the Rajya Sabha alone uses Art 249 and Art 312.
• 104th Amendment (2019) ended the Anglo-Indian nomination.

Glossary

• Bicameralism: a legislature with two chambers (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha).
• Continuing chamber: a House that is never wholly dissolved (the Rajya Sabha).
• Universal adult franchise: the right of every adult citizen to vote, the basis of Lok Sabha elections.
• Single transferable vote: the preferential method used to elect Rajya Sabha members.
• Quorum: the minimum members required to conduct business, one-tenth of the House (Art 100).
• Prorogation: the formal end of a session by the President.
• Dissolution: the end of the life of the Lok Sabha.
• Adjournment sine die: closing a sitting without fixing a date to reconvene.
• Money bill: a bill confined to the matters in Art 110, certified by the Speaker.
• Financial bill: a bill dealing with revenue or expenditure that goes beyond Art 110 matters.
• Joint sitting: the combined meeting of both Houses to resolve a deadlock (Art 108).
• Cut motion: a motion to reduce a demand for grant.
• No-confidence motion: a motion expressing the Lok Sabha's lack of confidence in the government.
• Zero Hour: the unregulated period after Question Hour, an Indian innovation.
• Anti-defection law: the Tenth Schedule rules disqualifying members for defection.
• Parliamentary privilege: the special rights and immunities of the Houses and members (Art 105).

Related notes

• union executive
• judiciary
• federalism and centre state relations
• state government
• constitutional and statutory bodies
• citizenship and emergency provisions
• amendments and basic structure
• syllabus index