How Parliament and the government actually work — the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Speaker, motions, the anti-defection law and how bills and the Budget are passed — is part of the civics syllabus in the Social Science section of the AISSEE (Sainik School) Class 9 paper and the RMS CET. This guide explains it in clear points, with a revision table at the end.
1. Features of the Parliamentary System
Westminster Model: India follows a parliamentary form of government at the Centre and in the States, based largely on the British Westminster system.
Nominal Executive: The President (Union) and the Governor (State) are constitutional heads who act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.
Real Executive: The Prime Minister (Union) and the Chief Minister (State) hold real power as long as they have the confidence of the elected house.
Collective Responsibility: The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha (Article 75(3)) or the State Legislative Assembly. If a no-confidence motion is passed, the whole Council of Ministers must resign.
Prime Minister — "Primus Inter Pares" (First Among Equals): The PM leads the Cabinet. There is no fixed term limit; the PM stays in office as long as the Lok Sabha supports them.
Ministers Must Be Legislators: Every minister must be a member of Parliament (or the State Legislature). A non-member appointed as minister must become a member within 6 months.
2. The Legislature (Parliament of India)
Parliament is made up of the President, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
Lok Sabha (House of the People)
Members are directly elected through Universal Adult Suffrage (Article 326).
Normal term of 5 years, unless dissolved earlier.
Rajya Sabha (Council of States)
A permanent house representing the States and UTs; one-third of its members retire every two years.
Presided over by the Vice-President of India as ex-officio Chairman.
The Lok Sabha Speaker
Presiding Officer: Conducts proceedings, enforces the rules, keeps order and decides whether questions and motions are admissible.
Question Hour (Rule 41): MPs' questions are checked by the Lok Sabha Secretariat and the Speaker; a question must concern a matter of public importance handled by the Ministry concerned.
Removal (Article 94(c)): The Speaker or Deputy Speaker can be removed by a resolution passed by an effective majority (a majority of all the then members) after at least 14 days' written notice; at least 50 MPs must support taking up the resolution.
Article 96: The Speaker cannot preside while a motion for their removal is being considered.
3. The Executive
A. Union Executive
Composition: The President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, Council of Ministers and the Attorney General of India.
President's Address (Article 87): The President addresses both Houses together at the start of the first session after a general election and at the beginning of each year.
Seva Teerth: Key offices — the Prime Minister's Office, Cabinet Secretariat and National Security Council Secretariat — are being brought together at Seva Teerth under the Central Vista Project, along with Kartavya Bhavan 1 and 2.
B. State Executive
Composition: The Governor, Chief Minister, State Council of Ministers and the Advocate General.
Governor (Articles 163 and 164): The nominal head who acts on the advice of the Council of Ministers led by the Chief Minister.
Hung Assembly: When no party has a majority, the Governor invites the leader most likely to win the Assembly's confidence, guided by the Sarkaria (1983) and Punchhi (2007) Commissions.
Floor Test: A majority must be proved on the floor of the Assembly, not judged privately by the Governor (S. R. Bommai case).
4. Parliamentary Motions & Terms
Substantive Motion: A complete, independent proposal for a decision of the House — for example, the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address.
Substitute Motion: Moved in place of an original motion to propose an alternative decision.
Subsidiary Motions: Depend on a main motion; they are Ancillary, Superseding or Amendment motions.
No-Confidence Motion: Moved in the Lok Sabha to test whether the government still has majority support. If passed by a simple majority, the PM and Council of Ministers must resign.
Privilege Motion: Moved when a member believes parliamentary privilege has been breached — for example, by giving false information to the House.
Guillotine: In the Budget session, when debate time runs out, the Speaker puts all remaining Demands for Grants to vote together without discussion.
5. Anti-Defection Law (Tenth Schedule)
Origin: Added by the 52nd Amendment Act, 1985 to stop legislators from switching parties for personal gain (the "Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram" problem).
Grounds for Disqualification:
Voluntarily giving up membership of the party on whose ticket the member was elected.
Voting or abstaining against the party's direction (whip) without permission.
An independent member joining a party after the election.
A nominated member joining a party more than 6 months after taking their seat.
Merger Exception (Para 4): No disqualification if at least two-thirds of a legislature party agree to merge with another party. The 91st Amendment (2003) removed the earlier one-third "split" exception.
Who Decides: The Speaker or Chairman of the House, subject to review by the courts (Keisham Meghachandra Singh case).
6. Legislative & Financial Procedures
Types of Bills
Ordinary Bills: Can start in either House; passed by a simple majority.
Money Bills (Article 110): Can start only in the Lok Sabha, on the President's recommendation. The Speaker certifies whether a bill is a Money Bill. The Rajya Sabha cannot reject or amend it and must return it within 14 days.
Constitutional Amendment Bills (Article 368): Need a special majority — a majority of total membership and two-thirds of members present and voting — in each House.
Stages of the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha
Presentation of the Budget (Part A: economic overview and spending; Part B: tax proposals).
General Discussion.
Recess for scrutiny by Departmentally Related Standing Committees.
Voting on Demands for Grants (the guillotine applies to the remaining demands).
Passing of the Appropriation Bill (allowing money to be drawn from the Consolidated Fund of India).
Passing of the Finance Bill.
7. Quick Revision Summary Table
Concept | Basis | Key Point |
|---|---|---|
Collective Responsibility | Article 75(3) | Council of Ministers is answerable to the Lok Sabha |
Governor & CM Appointment | Articles 163 & 164 | Majority must be proved by a Floor Test |
Removal of Speaker | Article 94(c) | 14 days' notice + 50 MPs + effective majority |
President's / Governor's Address | Article 87 / Article 176 | Sets out the government's policy agenda |
Substantive Motion | Lok Sabha Rules | Independent proposal voted on by the House |
Guillotine | Parliamentary practice | Puts remaining Demands for Grants to vote together |
Anti-Defection Merger | Tenth Schedule (Para 4) | Needs at least two-thirds of the legislature party |
Money Bill | Article 110 | Starts in Lok Sabha; Rajya Sabha gets 14 days |
Read & Practise
Read our Indian Constitution guide and How Elections Work in India, then test yourself with the Indian Constitution and Parliament MCQs.
Free AISSEE Mock Test
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