A PROJECT ON-

PARLIAMENTARY FORM OF
GOVERNMENT

Submitted to:
Submitted by:
Dr.S.P Singh
Nishant Kumar

(Faculty of Political Science)

No. 949, 1stSemester

Roll

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The present project on the topic PARLIAMENTARY FORM OF GOVERNMENT has been
able to get its final shape with the support and help of people from various quarters. My sincere
thanks go to all the members without whom the study could not have come to its present state. I
am proud to acknowledge gratitude to the individuals during my study and without whom the
study may not be completed. I have taken this opportunity to thank those who genuinely helped
us.
With immense pleasure, I express my deepest sense of gratitude to DR.S.P SINGH Faculty of
POLITICAL SCIENCE, Chanakya National Law University for helping me in my project. I am
also thankful to the whole Chanakya National Law University family that provided me all the
material I required for the project.
I have made every effort to acknowledge credits, but I apologies in advance for any omission that
may have inadvertently taken place.
Last but not least I would like to thank Almighty whose blessing helped me to complete the
project.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Aims and Objectives:

The aim of the project is to present a detailed study of the topic.
Scope and Limitations:
Though the topic PARLIAMENTARY FORM OF GOVERNMENT is an immense project and
pages can be written over the topic but because of certain restrictions and limitations I was not
able to deal with the topic in great detail.
.Sources of Data:
The following secondary sources of data have been used in the project1

Books

Websites

Method of Writing and Mode of Citation:

The method of writing followed in the course of this research paper is primarily analytical. The
researcher has followed Uniform method of citation throughout the course of this research paper.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. PRESIDENT OF INDIA
3. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRESIDENTIAL AND PARLIAMENTARY FORMS OF
GOVERNMENT
4. LOK SABHA
5. RAJYA SABHA
6. MERITS OF PARLIAMENTRY SYSTEM
7. DEMERITS OF PARLIAMENTARY GOVERNMENT
8. REASON TO ADOPT OF PARLIAMENTARY GOVERNMENT
9. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INDIAN AND BRITISH (ENGLAND) PARLIAMENT
SYSTEM
10. CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION
The Parliament of India, also popularly known as Sansad, is the supreme legislative
body in India. The Parliament comprises the President of India and the two HousesLok
Sabha (House of the People) and Rajya Sabha (Council of States). The President has the power
to summon and prorogue either House of Parliament or to dissolve Lok Sabha.1
In India, the legislature at the central level is called Parliament. The Indian Parliament is
bicameral. It consists of two houses. The lower house is called the Lok Sabha or the House of the
people. The upper house is called the Rajya Sabha or the council of States.
The President of India is an integral part of the Indian Parliament. The two houses of Parliament
are constituted in different ways. They do not enjoy equal powers. The first elected Parliament
came into being in April 1952.
Lok Sabha, as the name itself signifies, is the body representative of the people. It consists of
members of directly elected by the people. The maximum strength of Lok Sabha has been fixed
at 552. Out of these, 530 members are elected by the people from different states and to 20
members are elected from the union territories. Besides, the President has the power to nominate
two members of the Anglo Indian community in the Lok Sabha if it does not have adequate
representation. The term of Lok Sabha is five years.
1 "Our Parliament". Indian Parliament (parliament.nic.in). Retrieved 19 August 2013.

The Minimum qualifying age for membership of the house is 25 years. The Lok Sabha elects its
Speaker and Deputy Speaker from among its own members. The speaker presides over its
meetings.
Rajya Sabha is the Upper House of Parliament. Its maximum strength can be 250 members. Of
these 12 members are nominated by the President of India, the remaining 238 members are
representatives of various states and union territories. The elected members from each state are
elected by the members of Legislative Assembly of that state. The members from union
territories are elected according to the procedure laid down by the Parliament.
The members nominated by the President are the people who are eminent in the fields of art,
literature, science or social service. No members of Rajya Sabha can be under 30 years of age.
Rajya Sabha is a parliament house. It is never dissolved as a whole. Each member of the Rajya
Sabha is elected for 6 years, one third; of its members retire, after every two years. The vice
President of India is the ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha. It (Rajya Sabha) also elects a vicechairman from among its members. He or she presides over the meeting of the Rajya Sabha in
case the Chairman is not present. The Parliament has the power to legislate on all subjects that
are under the Jurisdiction of the central government. It passes ordinary and financial bills. The
Lok Sabha exercises more powers in respect to money bills than the Rajya Sabha. The
Parliament has also the power to amend the Constitution. It is also essential that the ordinance
promulgated by the President is approved by the Parliament as soon as it meets. The
proclamation of emergency by the President must by approved by the Parliament.
The Parliament also exercises control over the executive. It is the place where the government
has to give an account of its policies. The Parliament house is one of the most important
buildings in New Delhi. This magnificent building has the brightest clusters of architectural
gems. It is a place which is visited by the people from inside as well as outside the country.

PRESIDENT OF INDIA

Similar to most Commonwealth countries, India also includes the Head of State (the President of
India in India's case) as a component of Parliament. The President of India is elected, from a
group of nominees, by the elected members of the Parliament of India (Lok Sabha and Rajya
Sabha) as well as of the state legislatures (Vidhan Sabhas), and serves for a term of five years.
Historically, ruling party (majority in the Lok Sabha) nominees have been elected and run largely
uncontested. Incumbents are permitted to stand for re-election, but unlike the president of the
United States, who can be elected just twice, incumbents can be elected for any number of terms.
A formula is used to allocate votes so there is a balance between the population of each state and
the number of votes assembly members from a state can cast, and to give an equal balance
between State Assembly members and National Parliament members. If no candidate receives a
majority of votes there is a system by which losing candidates are eliminated from the contest
and votes for them transferred to other candidates, until one gains a majority. Pranab Mukherjee
is the current President of India.2

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRESIDENTIAL AND PARLIAMENTARY FORMS OF

GOVERNMENT:-

(1) In the Parliamentary system the Prime Minister and Chief Minister are totally dependent
upon their respective Legislatures in the matter of selection of Ministers. On the other hand,
they are expected to select men of vision, integrate, honest having professional knowledge
and practical experience. They are also supposed to give adequate representation to the
privilege as well as to the neglected sections of society. In case of the Centre, for instance,
Prime Minister has to select her or his entire team from a small pool of 446 Members of
Parliament, who, in turn are elected in most cases due to their popularity or on account of
their loyalty to the party or on sectarianism or casteism or Nawabism. The Prime Minister
2 Presidentofindia.nic.in. Retrieved 2013-08-14

may be able to pick up such able and experienced ministers only if he or she is left free to
make the selection from wherever deserving hands are available, and is not tied down to the
small groups of Members of Parliament who consist largely of professional politicians and
sycophants.
Under the Presidential system, on the other hand, the President is not hampered by such
considerations. He is not tied to or subordinate to the legislature. He is free to choose his
cabinet of ministers from outside the members of the legislature. In this way, he can induct
really competent, experienced and deserving people into the government. He can choose
freely men of vision and integrate having professional knowledge and practical experience.
(2) In the Parliamentary system for the reasons listed above, the ministers are not able to
provide effective leadership. As they do not have the requisite expertise. They have to
depend largely on the civil servants, their secretaries and under-secretaries. They become
mere puppets in the hands of the officers, and thus democracy degenerates into bureaucracy.
Some illiterate members/ministers are elected on the basis of casteism having no educational
background; therefore, they do not have knowledge of the changes of the world. They
depend on bureaucracy.
The Presidential system suffers from no such disadvantages. The ministers have the
necessary expertise, and so are not dominated by the civil servants. They know their
business, and can see to it that their policies and programs are faithfully carried out.
President can change his minister at anytime. He is not answerable to anybody.
(3) As the ministers are chosen from party men in the Parliamentary form, the party is
deprived of capable persons needed to keep the organization united, homogenous, strong and
viable. As a result of this drain of talent from the party to government, the party organization
grows weak, and indiscipline and infighting, are the result.
The Presidential system is largely free from these drawbacks, as well as from rivalry and
friction between the party bosses and the ministerial wing. The party and the government
thus work in harmony.
(4) The politics of defection is the worst fault of the Parliamentary form. Defections become
the order of the day. This result in corruption, nepotism, casteism, regionalism, and often
short lived coalition government are formed. Defection leads to multiplication of political
parties, political instability comes in the way of constructive work. This generates the

pressure groups, which always blackmail the ruling party as well as opposition party.
Similarly, these groups also help the bureaucracy in its effort to derail the system. This evil is
unheard of in the other system.
In Presidential system of Government, one man almost all men because he possess the
mandate to do which he thinks fit and go ahead. No one can assert pressure on him.
(5) The legislators and M.P's are not free to vote according to their conscience in the
Parliamentary system. They must obey the party-whip or face expulsion.
The Presidential system is superior in this respect.

LOK SABHA3

The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of
the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult franchise. As of 2009, there
have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India. The Constitution limits the Lok
Sabha to a maximum of 552 members, including not more than 20 members representing people
from the Union Territories, and two appointed non-partisan members to represent the AngloIndian community (if the President feels that the community is not adequately represented). Each
Lok Sabha is formed for a five-year term, after which it is automatically dissolved, unless
extended by a proclamation of emergency. In such cases, the term may be extended by one-year
increments. The 15th Lok Sabha was formed in May 2009 and is the latest. An exercise to
redraw Lok Sabha constituencies' boundaries has been carried out by the Delimitation
Commission based on the Indian census of 2001. This exercise, which was supposed to be
carried out after every census, was suspended in 1976 following a constitutional amendment to
avoid adverse effects of the family planning program which was being implemented.[6] Today,

3 http://loksabha.nic.in/visited at 22 September 2013

the Lok Sabha has its own TV channel, Lok Sabha TV, head-quartered within the premises of
Parliament.
History of lok sabha
The country got its debut Lok Sabha April 1952, after the first General Elections were
successfully concluded. The Indian Congress (INC) stormed into power in the first Lok Sabha
elections with 245 seats in its kitty. With this, India's grand old party managed to secure 45 per
cent of the total votes polled. An electoral participation of 44.87 per cent was reported from
across India. Jawaharlal Nehru became the first elected Prime Minister of the country, his party
clearly beating rivals by winning 75.99% (47,665,951) of the votes cast. The Lok Sabha, which
was constituted on April 17, 1952, lasted its full term till April 4, 1957.
Qualifications of lok sabha
As per Article 84 of Indian Constitution, the qualification for being a member of Lok Sabha is
that he/she should be a citizen of India and has taken an oath given under Third Schedule of the
Constitution. Also he/she must be at least 25 years of Age.
However, a member can be disqualified of being a member of parliament:

if he/she holds office of profit;

if he/she is an undischarged insolvent;

if he/she is of unsound mind;

if he/she gives up as a citizenship of India or under allegiance or adherence to a foreign

State;

if he/she is violating party discipline (as per Tenth schedule of the constitution);

disqualified under Representation of People Act.

Election
The members of lok Sabha are directly elected by their constituencies through direct election by
First past the post system.However, two Anglo-Indians are nominated to the Lok Sabha, if the

President of India feels that there is lack of representation of Anglo-Indians. But, they are not
entitled to vote in Presidential elections as per Article 55 of the Indian Constitution.
Powers
Lok Sabha has certain powers that make it more powerful than the Rajya Sabha.

Motions of no confidence against the government can only be introduced and passed in
the Lok Sabha. If passed by a majority vote, the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers
resigns collectively. The Rajya Sabha has no power over such a motion, and hence no real
power over the executive. However, the Prime Minister may threaten the dissolution by the
Lok Sabha and recommend this to the President, forcing an untimely general election. The
President normally accepts this recommendation unless otherwise convinced that the Lok
Sabha might recommend a new Prime Minister by a majority vote. Thus, both the executive
and the legislature in India have checks and balances over each other.

Money bills can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha, and upon being passed, are sent to
the Rajya Sabha, where it can be deliberated on for up to 14 days. If not rejected by the
Rajya Sabha, or 14 days lapse from the introduction of the bill in the Rajya Sabha without
any action by the House, or recommendations made by the Rajya Sabha are not accepted by
the Lok Sabha, the bill is considered passed. The budget is presented in the Lok Sabha by
the Finance Minister in the name of the President of India.

In matters pertaining to non-financial (ordinary) bills, after the bill has been passed by the
House where it was originally tabled (Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha), it is sent to the other
house, where it may be kept for a maximum period of 6 months. If the other House rejects
the bill or a period of 6 months elapses without any action by that House, or the House that
originally tabled the bill does not accept the recommendations made by the members of the
other house, it results in a deadlock. This is resolved by a joint session of both Houses,
presided over by the speaker of the Lok Sabha and decided by a simple majority. The will of
the Lok Sabha normally prevails in these matters, as its strength is more than double that of
the Rajya Sabha.

Equal Powers with the Rajya Sabha in initiating and passing any Bill for Constitutional
Amendment (by a majority of the total membership of the House and at least two-thirds
majority of the members present and voting).

Equal Powers with the Rajya Sabha in initiating and passing a motion for the
impeachment of the President (by two-thirds of the membership of the House).

Equal Powers with the Rajya Sabha in initiating and passing a motion for the
impeachment of the judges of the Supreme Court and the state High Courts (by a majority of
the membership of the House and at least two-thirds majority of the members present and
voting).

Equal Powers with the Rajya Sabha in initiating and passing a resolution declaring war or
national emergency (by two-thirds majority) or constitutional emergency (by simple
majority) in a state.

If the Lok Sabha is dissolved before or after the declaration of a National Emergency, the
Rajya Sabha becomes the sole Parliament. It cannot be dissolved. This is a limitation on the
Lok Sabha. But there is a possibility that president can exceed the term to not more than 1
year under the proclamation of emergency and the same would be lowered down to six
month if the said proclamation ceases to operate.

RAJYA SABHA
he Rajya Sabha (RS) or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India.
Rajya means "state"4 and Sabha means "assembly" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250
members,5 12 of whom are nominated by the President of India for their contributions to art,
literature, science, and social services. The remainder of body is elected by the state and
4 "our parliament". Indian parliament. Retrieved 11 may 2013.
5 http://rajyasabha.nic.in/ visited at 20 september 2013

territorial legislatures. Members sit for six-year terms, with one third of the members retiring
every two years.
The Rajya Sabha meets in continuous sessions and, unlike the Lok Sabha, the lower house of
Parliament, is not subject to dissolution. The Rajya Sabha has equal footing in all areas of
legislation with Lok Sabha, except in the area of supply, where the Lok Sabha has overriding
powers. In the case of conflicting legislation, a joint sitting of the two houses is held.
However, since the Lok Sabha has twice as many members as the Rajya Sabha, the former
would normally hold the greater power. Only three such joint-sessions have been held; the
latest one for the passage of the 2002 Prevention of Terrorism Act.
The Vice President of India (currently, Hamid Ansari) is the ex-officio Chairman of the
Rajya Sabha, who presides over its sessions. The Deputy Chairman, who is elected from
amongst the RS's members, takes care of the day-to-day matters of the house in the absence
of the Chairman. The Rajya Sabha held its first sitting on 13 May 1952. The salary and other
benefits for a member of Rajya Sabha are same as for a member of Lok Sabha.
Qualifications
For anyone to become a member of the Rajya Sabha, he/she must be at least 30 years of age.
Other qualifications are same as in becoming a member of the Lok Sabha. Also, any member
can be disqualified in the same manner as for members in the Lok Sabha.
Elections
He candidates are elected by the Legislative Assembly of States and Union territories by
means of Single transferable vote through Proportional representation.
However twelve members are nominated by the President of India having special knowledge
in various areas like Arts, Science etc. However they are not entitled to vote in Presidential
elections as per Article 55 of Indian Constitution.
Functions

Any bill (non-financial), in general, has to be approved by Rajya Sabha even if approved
by Lok Sabha.

Equal Powers with the Lok Sabha in initiating and passing any Bill for Constitutional
Amendment (by a majority of the total membership of the House and at least two-thirds
majority of the members present and voting).

Equal Powers with the Lok Sabha in initiating and passing a motion for the impeachment
of the President (by two-thirds of the membership of the House).

Equal Powers with the Lok Sabha in initiating and passing a motion for the impeachment
of the judges of the Supreme Court and the state High Courts (by a majority of the
membership of the House and at least two-thirds majority of the members present and
voting).

Equal Powers with the Lok Sabha in initiating and passing a resolution declaring war or
national emergency (by two-thirds majority) or constitutional emergency (by simple
majority) in a state.

The house is not subject to dissolution which is a limitation for Lok Sabha.
Legislation on a subject in the State list
Under Article 249 of Indian Constitution, if resolution is adopted by two-thirds majority of
members present in the house and voting that the parliament should make laws with respect
to a subject in the State list, then it is lawful for the Parliament of India to make laws with
respect to that subject.

MERITS OF PARLIAMENTRY SYSTEM

1. Harmony between Executive and Legislature: In a Parliamentary for a government
there is close harmony and cooperation between the executive a legislature. As ministers
belong to the ruling party or parties enjoying majority sup the legislature, they do not face
much difficulty in getting the support and approval of the legislature for the policies and
programmes of the government. There is thus less of confrontation between the executive
and the legislature.

2. Responsible and Clean: While the Council of Ministers as a whole is responsible to the
legislature, the individual ministers are also individually responsible to it for their respective
acts of omission and commission. Being conscious of this, they try to remain 'clean'. The
opposition, being the watchdog of the government, will expose a corrupt / inefficient
government.
3. People's Government: The Parliamentary executive has been acclaimed as the real
government of people because the members of the legislature, as representatives of people,
draw the attention of the House to the problems of people. Further, during elections, political
parties raise various issues of people. The government is significantly influenced by public
opinion.
4. Quick Decision Making: Lord Bryce has praised the Parliamentary form of government
for its capacity to take quick decisions. As the ruling party enjoys majority support in the
legislature, it can take swift decisions to meet any contingency.
5. Flexible: There is a lot of flexibility in the Parliamentary system of government to cope
with changing situations and even emergencies. The system, being flexible, can easily adapt
itself to any new reality. One Cabinet may be replaced by a new one without much
controversy to tackle any serious situation. As Neville Chamberlain failed to lead Britain
during the Second World War, he was replaced by Winsten Churchill as the Prime Minister
of Britain.
6. Conducive to National Integration: While trying to address the concerns of different
regions and cultures of the nation, the Parliamentary form of government helps in promoting
national integration
7. Educational Value: The policies and programmes of the government as well as various
problems of people are discussed on the floor of the legislature through speeches and
questions and answers. The ministers, being the members of the legislature, have to respond
to the issues raised by the members of the legislature.
Further, at the time of elections, several important and critical issues are discussed by
different political parties while trying to get the votes of people. All this helps in increasing
people's political consciousness and moulding the public opinion. Thus, the Parliamentary
form of government has great value from the point of view of people's political education.

DEMERITS OF PARLIAMENTARY GOVERNMENT

1. Weak Separation of Powers: In this system, the principle of separation of powers is
violated. As the ministers are the members of the ruling party or coalition, they dominate
policy-making though, in principle, policy-making is the domain of the legislature.
2. Cabinet Dictatorship: The Council of Ministers, with the support of the majority in the
lower house of the legislature, tends to be authoritarian and irresponsible. Being assured of
the support of the majority, it does not care for the feelings and views of opposition.
It has also little respect for the legislature as the majority is bound to supp the government.
Thus, the Cabinet Government is reduced to party government, and parliamentary
democracy is turned into Cabinet Dictatorship. Lord Herbert is, to so extant, right in
criticizing the Cabinet system as 'the New Despotism'.
3. Failure to Take Prompt Decision: As the Council of Ministers does not enjoy a fixed
tenure, it is not able to adopt any bold, long-term policy. The problem is compounded I in a
coalition government which is often unstable. The coalition partners tend to fight among
themselves. As a result, they fail to adopt any bold policy.
According to Dicey, I government fails to take prompt, bold and effective steps during a
crisis or a war. The Prime Minister takes time to persuade his colleagues in the Cabinet to
take a decision. Similarly, it is not easy for the government to persuade the legislature to take
a prompt decision to manage a crisis. This stands on the way of taking quick decision even in
I emergency situation.
4. Partisanship: In a Parliamentary system, political parties are guided morel partisan
motives than by national or people's interests. The ruling party and the opposition I pee each
other as enemies. While the ruling party seldom sees any merit in the criticism the
opposition, the opposition often opposes the government for the sake of opposition.
5. Government by Amateurs: The Parliamentary government lacks competence and
effectiveness, because the ministers are mostly amateurs. As the ministers have to be
appointed from among the members of the legislature, the scope for appointing talented and
competent people as ministers is limited.
Many times, important considerations in appointing ministers are not skill, competence and
talent but caste, religion, community faction and influence in the party.

6. Control by Bureaucracy: While the Cabinet is powerful, more powerful is the

bureaucracy. The ministers, being mostly amateurs, depend upon civil servants for expert
advice and guidance. The civil servants exercise real powers in the name of minister. They
do not come out to the front. They are not accountable to the legislature.
It is the ministers who are held responsible for the decisions taken by civil servants in the
name of ministers. This leads to irresponsibility and redtapism. Ramsay Muir has aptly
observed, "Bureaucracy thrives upon the cloak of ministerial responsibility."
The Parliamentary form of government, no doubt, has certain lacunae. In particular, it is
handicapped by immense partisanship, lack of expertise, and difficulty in taking prompt
decisions during crises, but its main merit is accountability.
The government is responsible to the legislature, particularly to the lower house which is the
popular chamber. In I words, the Parliamentary government is relatively more democratic
then the Presidential government.

REASON TO ADOPT OF PARLIAMENTARY GOVERNMENT

India has adopted parliamentary system of government which is based on universal adult
franchise. The Governmentof India is of a democratic form which means it is a government
`by the people, for the people and of the people`. In this parliamentary system of
government, parliament is supreme and there is fusion of Executive and Legislative powers.
The President is the constitutional head of the Executive. All the executive powers are
exercised by the Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister as head. After independence,
the whole political scenario changed with the Congress in Power. The Constitution of India
being the supreme law of the land came into force on 26 January1950. The preamble of the
Constitution defines India to be a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic. The
parliamentary system of India is a replica of the Westminster-style. The first general election
was held under the Constitution during 1951-52.Parliament occupies a prominent position in
the structure of the Government of India. It is the representative institution of the people. It is
through the Parliament, the sovereign will of the people finds expression. Article 79 of the
Constitution of India states that there shall be a Parliament for the union and the government
will be responsible to legislature and the legislature is in turn responsible to the people who
are the ultimate sovereign. The composition of the parliament consists of the president and

the two Houses- the Lok Sabha or the House of the Parliament and the Rajya Sabha or the
council of States. The continuation of a President or the Head of the State in the
Parliamentary form of government symbolises its true character. The President though does
not participate in the discussions of the two Houses, yet he exercises several powers and
performs important functions. The president of India is elected by an Electoral College
consisting of the elected members of the two Houses of the parliament and the Legislative
Assemblies of the state. The Rajya Sabha which is another essential part of the parliament
consists of not more than 250 members. Of these, 233 members represent states and union
territories and 12 members are nominated by the President. Members to the Rajya Sabha are
elected by the elected members of Legislative Assemblies of the concerned states. The Rajya
Sabha is not subject to dissolution in contrast to the Lok Sabha and one third of its members
retire every second year .However, in the Indian Polity, the Lok Sabha is composed of
representatives of the people chosen by direct election on the basis of universal adult
franchise. As present, the Lok Sabha consists of 545 members with two members nominated
by the President to represent the Anglo-Indian Community. The term of the Lok Sabha is for
five years and gets dissolved under circumstance of failure of the leading party to prove clear
majority or a no-confidence motion. Article 74 (1) of the Constitution provides that there
shall be a Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister to aid and advise the President
who shall, in exercise of his functions, act in accordance with such advice. India is a
bicameral parliament consisting of the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha
(Council of States). The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha,
the House of the People. The Council of Ministers comprises Cabinet Ministers, Minister of
States and Deputy Ministers. It is the Prime Minister who communicates all decisions of the
Council of Ministers relating to administration of affairs of the Union and proposals for
legislation to the President. Each department has an officer designated as secretary to the
Government of India to advise Ministers on policy matters and general administration. The
Cabinet Secretariat has important coordinating role in making decision at highest level and
operates under direction of Prime Minister. Government of India has certain departments that
carry on their duties under the supervision of several ministries. The Central Ministry is part
of the Executive branch of Government India. Depending on the federal character of the
political system of India, Indian Government Departments are divided into Central

government departments and State Government department. The central ministry work
independently and the State governments work under the supervision of the Central
Government. There are certain departments including Departments of Agriculture, Home
Affairs, Commerce and Industry, External Affairs, Corporate Affairs, Defence, Information
and Broadcasting, Civil Aviation, Human Resource Development, Railways, Environment
and Forests, Finance and Company Affairs, Health and Family Welfare, Heavy Industries and
Public Enterprises, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Power, Labour, Tourism,Women and Child
Development, Youth Affairs and Sports and several others constitute the Indian Government
Departments. These departments work for public welfare.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INDIAN AND BRITISH (ENGLAND) PARLIAMENT

SYSTEM
Major differences between Indian and British or England Parliament system,
1. The head of the state in England is hereditary monarchy, while India is headed by an
elected president.
2. In England Queen is not a part of parliament, while in India president is a part of
Parliament.
3. The house of Lords in England comprises hereditary barons,While in India 238 member of
Rajay Sabha are elected by the state legislature assemblies and 12 are nominated.
4. In England the house of lords performs certain judicial functions, while Rajaya Sabha has
no such powers in India.
5. In England Ministers are invariably appointed form among th members of house of
commons, in India they may be appointed even from Rajya Sabha.
There is a natural tendency to compare the Parliament of India with the British parliament.
But our Parliament and parliamentary institutions and procedures are not a copy of the
Westminster system. There are fundamental differences between their system and our
system.
British Parliament has grown through some three hundred years of history. In Britain, it can
be the only institution which exercises sovereign powers and on which there are no limits
because there is no written constitution.

In our system, we have a written constitution and powers and authorities of every organ of
Government and every functionary are only as defined and delimited by the constitutional
document.The power of Parliament itself is also clearly defined and delimited by the
constitution. Within its own sphere, Parliament is supreme.
Also, Parliament is the representative institution of the people. But it is not sovereign in the
sense in which the British Parliament is sovereign and can | do or undo anything. The point is
that in the sense of constitutional sovereignty, their powers are not limited by a constitutional
document.
Where as ours are Also, our constitutional document provides for fundamental rights of the
individual and they are justifiable in courts of law. And any law passed by Parliament which
abridges if any of the fundamental rights can be declared ultra wires by the courts.
The courts adjudicate the disputes and for doing so, they can interpret the constitution and
the laws. Also Parliament has the constituent powers and within certain limitations it can
suitably; amend the constitution.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRESIDENTIAL AND PARLIAMENTARY FORMS OF

GOVERNMENT:(1) In the Parliamentary system the Prime Minister and Chief Minister are totally dependent
upon their respective Legislatures in the matter of selection of Ministers. On the other hand,
they are expected to select men of vision, integrate, honest having professional knowledge
and practical experience. They are also supposed to give adequate representation to the
privilege as well as to the neglected sections of society. In case of the Centre, for instance,
Prime Minister has to select her or his entire team from a small pool of 446 Members of
Parliament, who, in turn are elected in most cases due to their popularity or on account of
their loyalty to the party or on sectarianism or casteism or Nawabism. The Prime Minister
may be able to pick up such able and experienced ministers only if he or she is left free to
make the selection from wherever deserving hands are available, and is not tied down to the
small groups of Members of Parliament who consist largely of professional politicians and
sycophants.
Under the Presidential system, on the other hand, the President is not hampered by such
considerations. He is not tied to or subordinate to the legislature. He is free to choose his

cabinet of ministers from outside the members of the legislature. In this way, he can induct
really competent, experienced and deserving people into the government. He can choose
freely men of vision and integrate having professional knowledge and practical experience.
(2) In the Parliamentary system for the reasons listed above, the ministers are not able to
provide effective leadership. As they do not have the requisite expertise. They have to
depend largely on the civil servants, their secretaries and under-secretaries. They become
mere puppets in the hands of the officers, and thus democracy degenerates into bureaucracy.
Some illiterate members/ministers are elected on the basis of casteism having no educational
background; therefore, they do not have knowledge of the changes of the world. They
depend on bureaucracy.
The Presidential system suffers from no such disadvantages. The ministers have the
necessary expertise, and so are not dominated by the civil servants. They know their
business, and can see to it that their policies and programs are faithfully carried out.
President can change his minister at anytime. He is not answerable to anybody.
(3) As the ministers are chosen from party men in the Parliamentary form, the party is
deprived of capable persons needed to keep the organization united, homogenous, strong and
viable. As a result of this drain of talent from the party to government, the party organization
grows weak, and indiscipline and infighting, are the result.
The Presidential system is largely free from these drawbacks, as well as from rivalry and
friction between the party bosses and the ministerial wing. The party and the government
thus work in harmony.
(4) The politics of defection is the worst fault of the Parliamentary form. Defections become
the order of the day. This result in corruption, nepotism, casteism, regionalism, and often
short lived coalition government are formed. Defection leads to multiplication of political
parties, political instability comes in the way of constructive work. This generates the
pressure groups, which always blackmail the ruling party as well as opposition party.
Similarly, these groups also help the bureaucracy in its effort to derail the system. This evil is
unheard of in the other system.
In Presidential system of Government, one man almost all men because he possess the
mandate to do which he thinks fit and go ahead. No one can assert pressure on him.

(5) The legislators and M.P's are not free to vote according to their conscience in the
Parliamentary system. They must obey the party-whip or face expulsion.
The Presidential system is superior in this respect.

CONCLUSION
Governments have been classified on the basis of relationship of the political executive with
the legislative branch. If the executive is answerable and responsible to the legislature it is
called Cabinet form of Government or Parliamentary form of government. In such a system
of government, there exists a very close relationship between the executive and the
legislature. England is the traditional home of Parliamentary democracy.
Characteristics: A study of its characteristic features will provide a very clear idea about
the form of government.
Nominal head of the state: Under this form of government the head of the state is nominal
or titular. The person holding the post may have great stature but he does not exercise his
power independently although the administration of the state runs in his name and
theoretically all the power belong to him under the constitution. His powers are exercised by
the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister. Thus there exists dual executive in
this system, the nominal and the real. The President in India or the king in England is the
symbols of nominal head of the executive where as the Prime Minister is the real head of the
executive.
Close collaboration between the Executive and the legislature; In this system the
executive and the legislature work in close cooperation. The members of the Council of
Minister are also members of the legislature. In fact the Council of Ministers is drawn from
legislature. The President Summons the legislature and gives his consent to the bills passed
by the legislature to make them Acts. The bills passed by the legislature are in fact drafted

and initiated by the Ministers. The President of India promulgates ordinance during the
recess of the legislature. The ordinance has all the force and effect of law.
Responsibility of the executive: The executive in a Parliamentary system is responsible to
the legislature for all its actions. The ministers are answerable to the parliament and
responsible to the Lok Sabha. The Council of Minister remains in office as long as they
enjoy the support and confidence of the Lok Sabha. The legislature has the right to seek
detailed information about the working of the government from the ministers, which they
cannot refuse to provide.
Collective Responsibility: The responsibility of the Council of Ministers has to be
collective. As a general rule every important piece of departmental policy is taken to commit
the whole cabinet. Everyone in the Council of Ministers share the responsibility for the
lapses of a single minister. Besides this the principle offers no scope to individual ministers
to differ from the decisions taken in the Council of Ministers or cabinet in particular. In other
words the minister who does not agree to the decisions of the cabinet must tender his
resignation, so that he can oppose that on the floors of the legislature.
Political Homogeneity: The members of the Council of Ministers should belong to a single
political party and remain committed to a definite political ideology, to remain a
homogenous body. Identity of approach and views in policy formulation is better expected
from a homogenous body or group of members. The presence of different political parties in
the cabinet is not conducive to its harmonious working because of conflicting political
ideologies and programmes.
Leadership of Prime Minister: The accepted norm of the parliamentary form of
government is the leadership of the Prime Minister. H.J. Laski says that Prime Minister is
central to formation, central to growth and central to the death of the Council of Ministers.
This is rightly so. The process of forming the Council of Minister begins with the
appointment of the Prime Minister. The President appoints his nominees as ministers and
distributes portfolios among them on his recommendation. He can dismiss any minister any
time without assigning any reason. His resignation leads to the resignation of the Council of
Minister as a whole automatically. After every cabinet meeting he meets the President on
behalf of the Council of Ministers to inform him of the decisions taken.

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EDUCATION (2013 )
Websites

http://www.parliamentofindia.nic.in/

http://presidentofindia.nic.in/

http://india.gov.in/govt/parliament.php

http://rajyasabha.nic.in/

http://loksabha.nic.in/

M LAXMIKANTH, MCGRAW HILL