Parliamentary System & Procedures

Statement 1 is Incorrect: The size of the Legislative Council of a state cannot be larger than one-third of the total membership of the Legislative Assembly. The Constitution sets a limit to ensure the dominance of the lower house (Legislative Assembly) in a bicameral legislature. Statement 2 is Incorrect: The Chairman of the Legislative Council is not nominated by the Governor. The members of the Legislative Council themselves elect the Chairman and Deputy Chairman. This ensures the independence of the Upper House from the executive branch (headed by the Governor).

Statement 1 is incorrect: Department of Economic Affairs prepares the Budget. Statement 2 is correct: As per Article 114 of the Constitution, the government can withdraw money from the Consolidated Fund only after receiving approval from Parliament. Statement 3 is incorrect: Public Accounts include provident fund deposits, judicial deposits, savings bank deposits, departmental deposits, remittances and so on. This account is operated by executive action, that is, the payments from this account can be made without parliamentary appropriation. Such payments are mostly like banking transactions. So, only the second statement is correct.

Statement 1 is correct: The Rajya Sabha has no power either to reject or to amend a Money Bill. This is a provision under Article 110 of the Indian Constitution. Statement 2 is correct. The Rajya Sabha cannot vote on the Demands for Grants. This is the exclusive privilege of the Lok Sabha. Statement 3 is incorrect. The Rajya Sabha can discuss the Annual Financial Statement (Budget), but it does not have the power to vote on the demands for grants. This is also the exclusive privilege of the Lok Sabha.

(A) is incorrect: Direct election of the lower house is a feature of Representative Democracy. Many Presidential systems (such as the USA) also have directly elected legislatures; therefore, this is not the distinguishing factor of a Parliamentary system. (B) is incorrect: The authority to amend the Constitution is a matter of Constitutional Sovereignty. This power exists in various forms of government, including both Parliamentary and Presidential models. (C) is incorrect: The fact that the Rajya Sabha is a permanent house is a Federal feature intended to maintain the representation of the States. It does not define the relationship between the Executive and the Legislature. (D) is correct: As per Article 75(3) of the Constitution, the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. This "Collective Responsibility" is the bedrock of the Parliamentary form of government, as the executive's survival depends on the support of the legislature.

1. Finance Commission: Deals with the distribution of tax revenue between the central government and states, not overall national planning. 2. National Development Council (NDC): This was the apex body for planning at the national level. It is used to formulate and review India's five-year plans. 3. Union Ministry of Rural Development: Implements specific development schemes related to rural areas, not national-level planning. 4. Union Ministry of Urban Development: Implements specific development schemes related to urban areas, not national-level planning. 5. Parliament: While not directly involved in day-to-day planning, the Parliament is used to approve the five-year plans formulated by the NDC. Additionally, Members of Parliament (MPs) can utilize funds allocated for their constituencies through MPLADS (Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme), which contributes to local-level planning.

According to article 124(1), There shall be a Supreme Court of India consisting of a Chief Justice of India and, until Parliament by law prescribes a larger number, of not more than thirty-three other Judges.
Thus, the Constitution vests the authority to increase the number of Judges in the Parliament.

Statement 1 is correct: The Constitution does not mention No-Confidence Motion. Rather, Rule 198 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Lok Sabha specifies the procedure for moving a no-confidence motion. Statement 2 is correct: A no-confidence motion can be moved by any member of the House. It can be moved only in the Lok Sabha and not the Rajya Sabha. The member has to give a written notice of the motion before 10 am, which will be read out by the Speaker in the House. A minimum of 50 members have to accept the motion, and accordingly, the Speaker will announce the date for discussion of the motion.

The Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India contains provisions regarding anti-defection. The Tenth Schedule, also known as the Anti-Defection Law, was added to the Constitution through the 52nd Amendment Act in 1985. It lays down the process by which legislators may be disqualified on the grounds of defection from the political party they were elected under.

The Committee on Estimates is the largest committee in the Indian Parliament with 30 members. All members are drawn from the Lok Sabha (lower house). This committee scrutinizes the functioning of government ministries and departments regarding their expenditure and utilization of funds. Other Parliamentary Committee Sizes in India - Department-Related Standing Committees (DRSCs): These 24 committees, each focusing on a specific ministry or department, have 31 members (21 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha). - Committee on Public Accounts (PAC): This committee has 22 members (15 from Lok Sabha and 7 from Rajya Sabha) and is responsible for scrutinizing government accounts and ensuring proper financial management. - Committee on Public Undertakings (COPU): Similar to the PAC, COPU focuses on the performance of public sector undertakings with 22 members (15 from Lok Sabha and 7 from Rajya Sabha). - Committee on Petitions: This committee addresses petitions from citizens regarding grievances against the government and has 15 members (all from Lok Sabha).

The Indian Parliament has the authority to enact laws applicable throughout the country (or any specific region) to fulfil its obligations under international treaties. This power is enshrined in Article 253 of the Indian Constitution. Unlike some situations where the Parliament might require state consent for legislative actions, Article 253 grants the authority to enact these laws without needing approval from individual states. Also, the Constitution empowers Parliament to make laws on any matter in the state list under five extraordinary circumstances
- Rajya Sabha passes the resolution(Article 249) - During a National Emergency (Article 250, read with Article 352)
- States make a request(Article 252) - To implement international agreements(Article 253) - During the President's rule (Article 356).