Indian Parliament: Composition and Law Making Procedure
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Law Making Process in Indian Parliament
The Indian constitution gives the law-making procedure in Indian Parliament. The primary function of the Indian Parliament is to make, fresh laws and to revise or abrogate existing laws.
Bills passed by the Parliament falls into two categories:
(a) money bills and
(b) non-money or, ordinary or, public bills.
The procedures prescribed by the Constitution for passing the two categories of bills are different.
The procedure of passing ordinary or public bills-An ordinary bill has to pass through different stages before becoming an Act. An ordinary bill may be introduced in either House of the Parliament.
The first stage is the introduction of the firstly reading of the bill. Most such bills are introduced by ministers. They are drafted by technical experts and approved by the Council of Ministers. Ordinary members of the Parliament may also introduce bills. One month’s notice has to be given to the speaker or, the chairman of the Rajya Sabha before the introduction of the bill. Then on a date fixed by the speaker or the chairman, the mover rises on his seat to move the bill. This is the introduction or the first reading of the bill which is a formal affair. No debate usually takes place at this stage. But on an unusual bill, for example, the bill on Preventive Detention in 1954 may be opposed by the opposition at its very introduction. After the introduction, the bill is published in the Gazette of India. The speaker or, the chairman may allow some bills to be Gazette even before the first reading. Such hills do not require a formal introduction in the Parliament.
The next stage in the life of a bill is the Second Reading which usually takes place after an interval of two days after the first reading. At this stage, any of the four courses are adopted.
(1) The bill may be taken for consideration by the House at once.
(2) It may be sent to a select committee of the House.
(3) It may be sent to a joint select committee of the two Houses and
(4) It may be circulated for eliciting public opinion. Very rarely bills are taken up for consideration straight way.
When the 4th course is adopted, the secretariat of the House concerned request the State Governments to publish the bill in the State Gazettes inviting opinions from local bodies and recognized associations.