Compare the powers of the two houses of the union parliament with reference to the following:
(a) Financial power
(b) Control over the executive
(c)Legislative powers
Answers
The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India. The Parliament is composed of the President of India and the houses. It is bicameral with two houses: the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of the People). The President has the power to summon and prorogue either House of Parliament or to dissolve Lok Sabha.
Parliament makes laws and holds the Government to account for its policies, actions, and spending. The functions of Parliament include: forming a Government (Executive) from among its members
one of the major functions of the parliament are as follows: 1. Legislative Functions 2. Financial Control 3. Providing and exercising control over Cabinet 4. Critical Assessment of the Work of the Cabinet 5. Role of opposition 6. An organ of information 7. Constitutional Functions 8. Judicial Functions 9. Elective functions.
1. Legislative Functions:
The Parliament makes laws on all subjects listed in the Union List. It can also make laws on subjects listed under the Concurrent List. In case there is any conflict or overlapping in the provisions existing in the Union and State enactment, the Union law prevails. In cases when an emergency has been declared, the Union Parliament can also make laws on subjects that fall within the State List.
2. Financial Control:
Union Parliament has exclusive powers to provide ways and means through which revenue has to be raised for public services. To that end it imposes taxes and also ensures that the money sanctioned for expenditure to various departments of the government has been spent for the authorized purposes.
3. Providing and exercising control over Cabinet:
Our Parliamentary system blends the legislative and the executive organs of the State in as much as the executive power is wielded by a group of Members of the Legislature who command majority in the Lok Sabha.
To be more specific the government functions through various Ministries under the charge of different Ministers. The Parliament provides the Ministers and holds them responsible to the elected representatives of the people. The Ministers could be Member of either of the two Houses of the Parliament. The actual execution of government policies as decided by the Parliament is carried out by the bureaucracy headed by a Secretary of the Department.
Lok Sabha (Lower House) and Raj Sabha (Upper House) are the two houses of the Parliament. The powers of Raj sabha are very limited as compared to the Lok Sabha :
A. Financial Powers : Lok Sabha is very much powerful with regard to the financial powers. Money bills are introduced only in Lok Sabha and Raj sabha has to return the money bill before 14 days.
B. Control over the executive : The control of Raj Sabha over executive is also very limited. Actually the council of ministers are responsible only to Lok Sabha. Lok Sabha can remove the government from office by passing no-confidence motion which is introduced only in Lok Sabha.
C. Legislative Powers : With regard to the legislative powers, Lok Sabha is again very strong. The bill passed by the Lok Sabha, is sent to the Raj Sabha which can not hold it for more than 40 days and after 40 days the bill stands automatically passed by the Raj sabha.