— “The Watchdogs of Public Money” Dr. Ambedkar once said, “Parliament’s control over finance is the essence of democracy.”But the real question is — does Parliament itself examine every rupee of government spending? No — that’s humanly impossible. Hence, this responsibility is delegated to three specialized committees which together ensure that “the government spends wisely,…
Introduction: Why Parliamentary Committees Exist Let’s begin with a simple question — Can 543 Lok Sabha members and 245 Rajya Sabha members together, sitting in one hall, effectively examine every single law, policy, and expenditure of the Government in detail? The obvious answer is no. The Parliament is a huge and busy institution. Its work…
Parliamentary privileges are the special rights, immunities and exemptions enjoyed by the two Houses of Parliament, their committees and their members. They exist so Parliament can perform its functions independently and effectively — without fear of outside interference, frivolous litigation or official obstruction. Why privileges are necessary — a short story Imagine a Member of…
“Rajya Sabha — the Council of States — is the second chamber,designed to balance experience with representation, and stability with democracy.” The Rajya Sabha’s position vis-à-vis the Lok Sabha can be studied under three dimensions: equality, inequality, and exclusivity. Areas where Rajya Sabha = Lok Sabha In these matters, both Houses enjoy equal powers and…
(The Heart and Soul of Indian Democracy) “In the Indian polity, Parliament is not just a law-making body;it is the nerve centre of governance — legislative, executive, financial, constitutional, and even judicial.” The Sevenfold Role of Parliament Function Essence Constitutional Foundation 1️⃣ Legislative Law-making power over Union, Concurrent & residuary subjects Arts. 245–248, 249–252 2️⃣…
(“The Mirror of Government’s Policy — Presented Every Year”) Meaning and Constitutional Basis The Constitution never uses the word “Budget.”It calls it the Annual Financial Statement (AFS) under Article 112. 💡 So in prelims, if asked “Which Article deals with the Union Budget?” → answer: Article 112. 📘 Definition: “The Budget is a statement of…
(From Proposal to Law — The Journey of a Bill) What is Legislative Procedure? In simple terms, it is the process through which Parliament makes laws.A Bill is merely a proposal for a law.It becomes an Act only after being passed by both Houses and receiving the President’s assent. 🧩 Every Bill passes through the…
(How Parliament questions, criticises, controls and corrects the Government) Question Hour — “The Hour of Accountability” 🕐 Time: First hour of every parliamentary sitting.🎯 Purpose: To obtain information and hold ministers accountable. Types of Questions Type Mark Answer Mode Supplementary Qs? Colour Code Starred ★ Oral ✅ Yes Green Unstarred — Written ❌ No White…
(The mathematical logic behind parliamentary decision-making) Before diving in, let’s pause for a moment and ask —Why do we have different kinds of majorities at all? 👉 Because not all decisions are equal.Passing a simple bill is one thing; removing the President or amending the Constitution is another.So, the Constitution adjusts the level of consensus…
(How and when the Parliament meets, pauses, and ends) Summoning — “Calling the House to Meet” Let’s begin with the word itself — “Summon” means to call together.Just like the principal of a school decides when the classes will reopen after holidays,in Parliament, this power rests with the President of India. Constitutional Provision In simple…
