The Union Parliament

Grade 10
Class Notes
 Chapters and Concepts Covered

1 The Union Parliament

The two
Introduction to
Houses of the
the Parliament
Parliament

The Union
Parliament

Powers and
functions of Parliamentary
the Parliament procedures
 Parliament of India
• It is the supreme law-making body of the country.
• Article 79 of the Indian constitution states that there shall
be a Parliament for the Union, which shall contain the
President and the two Houses to be known respectively as
the House of the People (Lok Sabha) and the Council of
States (Rajya Sabha).

Rajya Sabha vs. Lok Sabha

Rajya Sabha Lok Sabha

Maximum strength: 250 Maximum strength: 550

Current strength: 245 Current strength: 543

Members are elected indirectly

Members are elected for
for a term of six years. 1/3rd of the
five years.
members retire every two years.

238 members are elected

Members are directly elected by
indirectly, and 12 members
the adult citizens.
are nominated by the President.

Qualifications: Indian citizen; Qualifications: Indian citizen;

minimum age of 30 years; minimum age of 25 years; sound
sound mind; should not hold a mind; should not hold a
government office government office

The Vice President of India

The Speaker presides over the
(Chairman) presides over the
House and conducts its
House and conducts its
proceedings.
proceedings.
 Presiding Officers of the House
• Presiding Officer of the Rajya Sabha: Chairman
• The Vice President of India acts as the Chairman of the
Rajya Sabha.
• Presiding officer of Lok Sabha: Speaker
• The Speaker is elected by the members of the Lok Sabha.

Functions of the Speaker

(Lok Sabha)

Proceedings of the House:

1 Presides over the
meetings of the House;
decides if a bill is a money
bill; admits important
Administrative powers: motions; and calls for
Receives all the documents; 2 votes on bills
communicates decisions;
and regulates the admission
of visitors in the House Disciplinary powers:
Maintains decorum; can
3 suspend a member for
misconduct; and has the final
say in the disqualification of a
member under anti-defection
Parliamentary committees: law
Appoints and guides
the chairperson and 4
members of the
Miscellaneous powers:
parliamentary committees
Presides over the joint
sitting of the Parliament;
nominates members for
5 parliamentary delegations;
and presides over the
conference of speakers of
state legislatures
 Freedom of speech: No proceedings
can be initiated against the MPs for
anything they say in the Parliament.

Privileges of
the Members
of the
Parliament
Freedom of movement: No MP can
be kept in detention during an
ongoing session of the Parliament.
The detention can only happen with
the prior permission of the Chairman
or Speaker of the House.

Parliamentary procedures: Formalities

observed by the Parliament in the course of
its functioning

Quorum:
Minimum number of
Casting vote:
Oath: members that
The Speaker
Newly elected should be present in
of the House casts
members take an the House for it to
their vote in case of a
oath of allegiance to transact business;
tie of votes
the Constitution. 1/10th of the total
over a bill.
membership of the
House
 Parliamentary Procedures

Zero hour:
Question hour: Resolution:
The time
The first hour of It is a motion
immediately after
every working day of presented to the
the question hour
the House is reserved House on a matter of
when members can
for questions by general public
raise important
the members. importance.
issues

Starred questions:
They demand an oral answer from the
concerned minister.
These questions have an asterisk
(*) on them.

Question Hour: Unstarred questions:

Types of They demand a written answer
Questions from the concerned minister.

Short-notice questions:
Members have the provision of asking
such a question on the short notice of
fewer than 10 days.

Did You Know?

The President addresses a joint sitting of the Parliament after

every general election.
They also address both the Houses at the beginning of the first
session (budget session) of every year.
 Motion: Used by the House to express
its views on public matters

Motion of Thanks: Motion for

Used to discuss the Substantive Motion:
Impeachment/
President’s Resolution that
Removal:
address after the expresses
Moved by the House to
general elections or the opinion of the
remove the President,
the beginning of House
Vice President, or
every fiscal year on a particular issue
Supreme Court judges

Privilege Motion: Calling Attention

Moved Motion: Used by a Adjournment
by a member if they member to draw the Motion: Used to
feel a minister has attention of a discuss a matter of
committed a breach minister on an issue urgent public
of privilege of and seek their importance
the House statement

The Parliament of India can make

laws on subjects of the union,
concurrent, and residuary lists.

Legislative
Powers of the
Parliament
It can also make laws on subjects in the
state list if/upon:
• The President declares an emergency
• The Rajya Sabha declares a subject to
be of national importance
• The request of two or more states
 Financial Powers of the
Parliament

The Union Parliament is

1 the custodian of public
funds in India. The
government cannot
Annual budget: It is the spend a single rupee
account of the probable without its approval.
income and the expenditure 2
for the next year. The
Parliament can reject the
annual budget presented by Consolidated Fund of India:
the Union Finance Minister. The government meets all its
3 expenditure from this fund. It
needs parliamentary
approval to withdraw money
from this fund.
Supplementary demands:
The Finance Minister can ask
for the approval of 4
additional funds in the latter
half of the financial year. Salaries and allowances:
These are called The Parliament decides the
supplementary demands. salaries of its own members
5 and the judges of the
Supreme Court and high
courts.

Judicial Powers of the Parliament

It can impeach the It can remove the It can condemn any

President of India for judges of the person if they are
any violation of the Supreme Court and found guilty of
Constitution. high courts, CEC, and defaming any House
CAG of India. of the Parliament.
 Electoral Powers of the Parliament

The elected
members of both the
Houses of the
Parliament (along The Vice President of The Lok Sabha elects
with the state India is elected by its Speaker and the
legislative the members of both Rajya Sabha elects
assemblies and UTs the Houses. its Chairman.
of Delhi and
Puducherry) elect the
President of India.

Simple majority: Approval from more

than 50% of the members of each
House of the Parliament

Constitutional Special majority: Majority of the total

Amendment: membership of each House and a
Only the majority of two-thirds of the
Parliament can members of each
House present and voting
initiate a
constitutional
amendment Special majority + Approval
by half the states: Majority of the total
membership of each House
and a majority of two-thirds of the
members of each House present and
voting + Approval by half the states
 Did You Know?
• The Parliament also exercises its control over the Union
Council of Ministers.
• The Council of Ministers remains in power as long as it
enjoys a majority in the Lok Sabha.
• If the Lok Sabha passes a no-confidence motion, the entire
Council of Ministers along with the Prime Minister has to
resign.

Rajya Sabha vs. Lok Sabha

Basis of Comparison Explanation

Can originate in any House; however, the
Ordinary bills Lok Sabha’s view is likely to prevail over
the Rajya Sabha in case of a deadlock.

Can only originate in the Lok Sabha; the

Money bills Rajya Sabha can only delay
it for 14 days but cannot amend it.

The Union Council of Ministers remains in

Control over the Executive power as long as it enjoys
a majority in the Lok Sabha.

Impeachment and
President and Both the Houses have equal powers.
Vice President’s election

Only the Rajya Sabha can declare a

subject on the state list as a subject of
Functions on subjects national importance, thereby
of state list empowering the Parliament to make
laws on that subject.
 Anti-defection law: Tenth Schedule
introduced through the 52nd Amendment
to the Indian constitution

Members will not lose

An elected member Independent
their membership if
of a political party candidates will also
2/3rd members of a
will lose their lose their seats if
political party decide
membership if they they join a political
to merge their party
switch parties after party after the
with another political
the election. election.
party.

Speakers of the Lok

Sabha, state
Nominated members The decision to
legislative
are disqualified if disqualify a member
assemblies, and the
they join a political of the House on the
Deputy Chairman of
party after six grounds of defection
the Rajya Sabha can
months of their lies with the presiding
leave a political party
nomination. officer of the house.
without
disqualification.

Important Questions

Question 1: Mention any two judicial and two financial powers of the
Parliament. (3 marks)
Question 2: Why is the Rajya Sabha called a permanent house?
(1 mark)
Question 3: List the circumstances under which the Parliament can
make laws on subjects on the state list. (3 marks)