Parliament of India (or Sansad): chambers, powers, elections

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:47

There are more than 200 sovereign countries in the world, each of which has its own system of legislation, its own authorities and administrations. Despite the limited number of legislative systems, the traditions and historical development of individual countries make it possible to form a special management model. One of these countries is India, the state structure of which has its own nuances.

State structure of the country

India is a state that appeared on the world stage as an independent country at the beginning of the twentieth century. India is a federal republic with separate self-governing entities called "states". Each of them has its own leader, its own set of laws and restrictions. In addition, there is a common constitution for all, which was adopted by the Constituent Assembly in November 1949.

India is a parliamentary republic, where the main body of government is a bicameral parliament. There is also a president of the country, who has a number of other, morelimited powers.

Government system

Legislative power in the country is in the hands of the president and parliament. At the same time, the Parliament of India (or Sansad) consists of two chambers: the upper and lower. Each of the chambers has a certain number of seats for elected positions and its own nuances of government. The upper chamber in the state language is called the Rajya Sabha, and the lower chamber is the Lok Sabha.

The Houses of Parliament of India include members of several parties. The most numerous of them:

• People's Democratic Alliance - 295 seats.
• Indian National Congress - 132 seats.
• Left Alliance - 41st place.

The rest of the parties, in general, have another 65 mandates. In addition, two deputies to the state parliament are personally appointed by the President of India.

Creating new legislation comes from the cabinet and is then tested in both houses of parliament. Only after that the project passes to the president's approval and is introduced as changes to already existing codes or the Constitution. At the same time, the Lower House specializes in financial laws, and the Upper House specializes in almost everything else.

Financial laws drafted by the Lok Sabha are reviewed by the Upper House and submitted back to the Lower House for approval, as amended, within two weeks. At the same time, adjustments can be introduced into the project, or they can be ignored. The law in this case is still considered adopted.

The executive power inIndia is exercised by the President and the Government. The government is formed from the vast majority of members of parliament, as well as members of regional parties, elected for a limited term. The government is responsible to the People's Chamber.

Presidential power

The President of India is elected by electors from among the deputies of both houses of Parliament and the legislative bodies of the federal subjects of each state. The term of office of the president is five years, with possible subsequent re-election.

The President of the country (currently Ram Nath Kovind) has the power to veto new laws, has the power to restrict the activities of the parliament, as well as to introduce presidential rule. In this case, all power passes into the hands of federal governors.

If the President violates the existing regulations or uses these powers for personal purposes, the Houses of Parliament have the right to submit a resolution. At the same time, the process is considered by the chamber that did not bring charges. If, as a result of the investigation, the allegations are confirmed, the President is removed from office.

In the event of the death of the President, his place is replaced by the Vice President, who is also elected by the deputies of both chambers. He is also Chairman of the Council of States. At the same time, at the time of the election, the vice president cannot be a member of the lower or upper house of parliament, or the legislative body of any federation.

Functions of Parliament

The powers of the Parliament of India extend to the legislativepower. Together with the President of the country, the Lower and Upper Chambers have the right to amend legislation, repeal existing and develop new acts. At the same time, the Lok Sabha is responsible for improving the financial code of the country, while the Rajya Sabha is responsible for improving all other codes of laws.

In addition to the legislative branch, the Parliament exercises control over the executive, being the guarantor of the rights and freedoms of the people of India.

Council of States

The upper house of the Rajya Sabha has about 250 members elected by the federal subjects. The number of deputies from each state depends on the population counted in the census.

The Council of States is the representative of the federal government. The Chamber is not subject to complete dissolution, but its composition is constantly updated. A third of deputies are re-elected every two years.

The President of the country retains the right to fill 12 mandates of the Upper House of Parliament. The remaining members are appointed only as a result of elections.

People's Chamber

Up to 550 people can enter the Lower House of the Lok Sabha. In this composition, 530 deputies are elected by direct vote according to the number of candidates from each subject of the federation, 20 deputies are also appointed during the elections from the allied countries. In addition, the President of India has the right to appoint two members to the House of the People as delegates of the Anglo-Indian organization, if he considers it necessary.

The People's Chamber has a legislative function in relation to federal competence without the right to create new civil societies. There are clauses in Indian legislation according to which the Lower House is subject to dissolution. In the event of martial law, the powers of the Lok Sabha are extended for a period not exceeding one year.

Council of Ministers

According to the law, the Council of Ministers must be part of the government under the President. This is a body that provides support to the head of state in the performance of his constitutional functions. The Council of Ministers is responsible only to the Lower House of Parliament.

The head of the Council of Ministers, supported by the Parliament of India, is personally appointed by the president. It may be the leader of one of the leading parties or the chairman of the party coalition with the majority of seats in government. The rest of the members are chosen by the Prime Minister on the recommendation of members of the lower party in Parliament.

India's electoral system

In the electoral system of India, a large role is assigned to campaigns for the election of deputies of the Lower Party of Parliament, as well as bodies carrying out legislative activities of the country. Depending on the composition of these bodies, the main apparatus of the government and its central part are formed. At the same time, a multi-party system that does not allow political monopoly is very important.

According to an article of the Constitution, parliamentary elections in India are held by open voting, in which all citizens of the country have the right to participate. Exceptionsare only the mentally ill, as well as criminals who are punished on the territory of organizations for deprivation of liberty. Persons who have reached the age of majority, as well as those who have resided in the territory of the constituency for at least six months, are called upon to vote by all. It is forbidden to deprive a citizen of the right to vote on the basis of race, gender or religion.

Candidates for the People's Chamber and legislative bodies come from the same list of persons. Citizens of India have the right to act as a possible deputy both on behalf of one of the parties and independently. In order to participate in the elections on one's own behalf, it is necessary that at least one voter proposes a candidate, and the other one supports it. Candidates for Parliament are subject to a strict ban on the maximum amount spent on the election campaign. Exceeding its limit threatens to exclude a person from the number of elected deputies.

The elections are monitored by an independent Electoral Commission. This is a body appointed specifically to ensure the transparency of the electoral process.

The election commission consists of the chief commissioner for elections and two commissioners subordinate to him. Their term of office lasts six years, after which other persons are appointed to this position.

Multi-party system in India

The Parliament of India, consisting of two chambers - Upper and Lower, exists as a multi-party system where monopoly is not welcome. This is an important point, since mostdeputies formed a common government apparatus.

The legal system of India was greatly influenced by the period when the country was a colony of the United Kingdom. Some points have been preserved that are still relevant for the apparatus of government of the former colonial country.