civics class 10 icse

Name the organs or the three branches of the government

Legislature, Executive and Judiciary

Explain what is the federal system of governance?

division of powers at the Union and the State level

What is Parliament?

A representative body that makes laws the country

What is the composition of the Parliament?

Lok Sabha/House of People; Rajya Sabha/ Council of States; President

How is the Lok Sabha elected?

Lok Sabha is elected directly by the people by universal adult franchise by secret ballot

How is the Rajya Sabha elected?

Rajya Sabha is elected indirectly by the state legislative assemblies.

What is the term of Lok Sabha?

5 years; Can be dissolved; Can be extended

What is the term of each member of Lok Sabha?

5 years

What is the term of each member of Rajya Sabha?

6years

What is the term of Rajya Sabha?

It’s a permanent house; Cannot be dissolved; Every 2 years 1/3rd members retire

What is the composition of Lok Sabha?

maximum 550 members; 530 elected from the states; 20 elected from the union territories

What is the composition of Rajya Sabha?

maximum 250 members; 238 from the states; 12 are nominated by the President from specialized fields like arts, science, sports, literature

What are the qualifications of the candidates for Lok Sabha?

Citizen of India; Should be above the age of 25 years; Should be of sound mind; Should not hold office of profit; Should not be insolvent; Should have name in electoral roll

What are the qualifications of the candidates for Rajya Sabha?

Citizen of India; Should be above the age of 30 years; Should be of sound mind; Should not hold office of profit; Should not be insolvent; Should have name in electoral roll

Which house is powerful? Why?

Lok Sabha is powerful house; Only Lok Sabha introduces money bill; Only LS passes vote of No confidence

Which house is permanent? Why?

Rajya Sabha; It is permanent; It cannot be dissolved; Every 2 years the 1/3rd members retire

List the exclusive powers of the Lok Sabha

Only Lok Sabha introduces money bill; Only LS passes vote of No confidence

List the exclusive powers of the Rajya Sabha

creates All India Service; Makes laws during emergencies; Declares state subject of national importance

Explain the equal powers of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha

Elect President/Vice President; Impeachment to remove President; pass an ordinary bill; Pass a resolution; Ask questions; amendments

Who summons or prorogues the Lok Sabha/ rajya Sabha?

President on the advice of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers

What is the quorum of Lok Sabha/ Rajya Sabha

minimum number of members required to transact any business of the house; 1/10th

Who is the presiding officer of Lok Sabha?

Speaker; Deputy Speaker

Who is appointed as the Speaker

From amongst themselves

Who is the presiding officer of Rajya Sabha?

Ex officio Chairman, Vice President

Explain the functions of the Speaker

Presides of the LS meeting; Decides whether the bill is a money bill or not; Presides over the joint sitting of the houses; Maintains decorum; Allows questions

What is a Joint Sitting?

when a deadlock over the ordinary bill

Who summons the joint sitting?

President

Who presides over the joint sitting?

Speaker

Explain the Legislative powers of the Parliament

it makes laws on the 97 subjects of union list; It makes laws on the 47 subjects of concurrent list; It makes laws on Residuary subjects; Amends the constitution

Explain the financial powers of the Parliament

pass the annual budget; supplementary budget; fix salaries and allowances; taxes

Explain how Parliament controls the executives

asking questions; passing the vote of no confidence (government resigns); passing censure motion (government resigns); passing adjournment motion (government resigns)

Explain under what circumstances does the government resign?

when vote of no confidence motion is passed; when cut motion is passed; when censure motion is passed

Summon

call for the meeting of the house

Prorogue

discontinue a session of parliament without dissolving it

Adjourn the house

Speaker suspends the house due to disorder or death

Quorum

minimum number of members required for a business to transact

Session

meeting to transact a business

Types of Sessions

Budget/Monsoon and Winter

Question hour

first hour reserved for questions raised by the members

Starred question

member seeks an oral answer

Unstarred question

member seeks a written answer

Short notice question

member asks with a short notice to answer

Resolution

majority opinion expressed by the house on any matter

impeachment

procedure of removal of president or judges of the Supreme Court / High Court

Adjournment motion

discuss an urgent matter of public importance keeping the normal agenda aside

No confidence motion

members express their lack of confidence in the government after which the government has to resign

Cut motion

reduction of the grant after which the government has to resign

Censure motion

disapproval of a policy of a minister after which the government has to resign

Money bill

a bill related to the revenue and the expenditure of the money

Amendment

changes in the Constitution

Union List

has 97 subjects on which the Union government makes laws

Concurrent List

has 47 subjects on which the Union and the State government makes laws

Residuary list

has the subjects that are not in any of the three lists

Interpellation

right to ask questions

nominal head of the country

President

executive head of the country

Prime Minister

the term of office for the President and Vice President

5 years

election of the President

Indirectly; by Electoral College; members of the LokSabha; members of the RajyaSabha; members of the Legislative Assemblies of the state

Election of the Vice President

Indirectly; members of the LokSabha; members of the RajyaSabha

Why is election of the President indirect?

To save time; To save money; To avoid being rival to the Prime Minister at the centre

Why is the President a nominal head?

Because President works on advice of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers

How is the President removed?

By Impeachment; Resolution passed by both the houses of the parliament; On proved misconduct or violation of the Constitution

Qualifications for President and Vice President

Citizen of India; Minimum 35 years; Not to hold office of profit; President to be a qualified member of Lok Sabha; Vice President to be a qualified member of Rajya Sabha

Executive powers of the President

executive head of the Indian Union; executive actions are taken in the name of the President; makes all the important appointments

Legislative powers of the President

give assent to the bills; issuing ordinances; summon and prorogue the house; President’s address

What’s an Ordinance?

temporary law; by the President; when the Parliament is not in session

Discretionary powers of the President

Works without consulting the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers; appoint the Prime Minister when there’s no clear majority

Emergency Powers

situation which requires immediate attention of the government

Types of Emergencies

National Emergency: War/armed rebel in country; Financial Emergency: instability in finance; Failure of Constitutional Machinery of State

Who is the real head of the country?

Prime Minister

Who becomes the Prime Minister?

The leader of the majority party of the Lok Sabha; appointed by the President

Who appoints the Union Council of Ministers?

The Prime Minister selects the ministers; The President appoints

Name the categories of the Union Council of Ministers

Cabinet Ministers; Ministers of State; Deputy Ministers

What is the collective responsibility of the Union Cabinet?

if no confidence motion is passed against one minister, the entire ministry resigns; works as a team; same ideologies; swim and sink together

What is the individual responsibility of the Union Cabinet?

Answerable to the Parliament individually; Answerable for their own department

meaning of ‘Independence of Judiciary’

not under Executive or Legislature; to protect ‘democracy’; to remain impartial

composition of Judiciary

Supreme Court; High Courts; Subordinate Courts

highest Court of appeal in India

Supreme Court

highest Court of appeal in state

High Court

composition of Supreme Court

Chief Justice; 33 other Judges; Ad hoc judges

term of a Supreme Court Judge

till the age of 65 years

term of a High Court Judge

till the age of 62 years

What is Lok Adalat?

People’s Court

Advantages of Lok Adalat

Faster; Cheaper; Reduces burden of higher courts