Chapter-1

Union Parliament
MCQ & 2 Marks Concepts

Question 1: Name the organs of the Indian Government.

Answer: The organs of the Indian Government are: 1. Legislature 2. Executive 3. Judiciary

Question 2: State the functions of Legislatures, Executive and Judiciary.

Answer: The Legislature frames laws, the Executive performs its functions in accordance
with these laws while the Judiciary interprets the laws and applies them in reality.

Question 3: Which is the law making body at Central level?

Answer: The Parliament is the law making body at Central level.

Question 4: What are the constituents of the Parliament?

Answer: The Parliament consists of the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha and the President.

Question 5: Name the lists, which distribute the subjects of Legislation between the Union
and the State.

Answer: They are: 1. The Union List 2. The State List 3. The Concurrent List.

Question 6: Mention any one situation when both the houses of Parliament meet for a
joint session.

Answer: The joint session can be held for the election of the Vice-President.

Question 7: Who summons the budget session every following year?

Answer: The President summons the budget session of Parliament every following year.

Question 8: When does the President summons the Parliament in session?

Answer: The President summons the Parliament in session on the advice of the Prime
Minister and the Council of Ministers within every 6 months.

Question 9: What is the maximum gap allowed between two Parliamentary sessions?

Answer: A gap of maximum 6 months is allowed between two Parliamentary sessions.

Question 10: India has which type of Legislature?

Question 11: Name the houses of Parliament.

Answer: The houses of Parliament are: 1. The Lok Sabha 2. The Rajya Sabha.

Question 12: Mention the maximum number of members in the Lok Sabha?

Answer: The maximum number of members in the Lok Sabha is 552 members.

Question 13: Who exercises a casting vote in case of a tie in the Lok Sabha?

Answer: In case of a tie in the Lok Sabha, the Speaker exercises a casting vote.

Question 14: Who can dissolve the Lok Sabha before its tenure?

Answer: The President can dissolve the Lok Sabha before its tenure on advice of Prime
Minister.

Question 15: What is the minimum age required to be attained by a member of Lok Sabha?

Answer: The minimum age required to be attained by a Member of Lok Sabha is 25 years.

Question 16: State the minimum number of times the Lok Sabha must meet in a year.

Answer: According to the constitution, the Lok Sabha must meet at least twice a year
with no more than six months break between two session.

Question 17: What is meant by the term Quorum? Or Explain the term Quorum.

Answer: The term Quorum refers to the maximum number of members required to be
present for the Parliamentary procedure.

Question 18: What is the Quorum of the Lok Sabha?

Answer: The Quorum of the Lok Sabha is one-tenth of total number of members.

Question 19: What is the normal term of the Lok Sabha?

Answer: The normal term of the Lok Sabha is five years.

Question 20: Who elects the members of the Lok Sabha ?

Answer: The members of the Lok Sabha are directly elected by the people on the basis of
adult franchise from single member constituencies.
Question 21: Mention any two devices through which the Lok Sabha exercises control
over the Council of Ministers.

Answer: (i) Question Hour (ii) Vote of no Confidence.

Question 22: An adult Indian citizen holding an office of profit under the State
Government wishes to contest for election to the Lok Sabha. Is he/she eligible? Give a
reason to justify your answer.

Answer: No, he should not hold an office of profit under the government if he/she wishes
to contest for election.

Question 23: How is the Speaker of Lok Sabha elected?

Answer: The Speaker of the Lok Sabha is elected from among its own members.

Question 24: Who presides over the proceedings of the Lok Sabha in the absence of the
Speaker?

Answer: The Deputy Speaker presides over the proceedings of the Lok Sabha in the
absence of the Speaker.

Question 25: Which is the Upper House?

Answer: Rajya Sabha is the Upper House. It represents States and Union Territories.

Question 26: Name the body, which elects the Rajya Sabha members.

Answer: The Legislative Assembly of the state elects the Rajya Sabha members.

Question 27: Who is the Ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha?

Answer: The Vice-President of India is the Ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

Question 28: Mention the maximum number of members in the Rajya Sabha.

Answer: The maximum number of members in the Rajya Sabha is 250.

Question 29: What is the tenure of the members of the Rajya Sabha?

Answer: The tenure of the members of Rajya Sabha is six years and 1/3rd of its members
retire after every two years.

Question 30: Why cannot the Rajya Sabha be dissolved?

Answer: The Rajya Sabha is the Permanent House of the Parliament, thus it cannot be
dissolved.
Question 31: Name the Bill that cannot originate in the Rajya Sabha.

Answer: The Money Bill cannot originate in the Rajya Sabha.

Question 32: Why is the Rajya Sabha called a permanent House?

Answer: The term of the members selected to Rajya Sabha is six years. However, every
second year, one- third of the members retire and there are new entrants. Thus, the house
is never empty and therefore is called a ‘Permanent House’.

Question 33: What is a Motion?

Answer: Motion is a device or proposal used by the member of Parliament for eliciting
opinion of the House on some issues of public importance.

Question 34: What is meant by the term question hours in the context of Parliamentary
procedures in India?

Answer: Question hour is the first hour of a sitting in both houses for both asking and
answering of questions.

Question 35: What do you understand by Adjournment Motion?

Answer: Adjournment Motion may be made by the members to draw attention of the
Government on urgent matters.

Question 36: Mention the ways, how Parliament Control over the Executive?

Answer: The Parliament controls over the Executive through the following ways:1.
Question Hour 2. Adjournment Motion

Question 37: What happens if either the Parliament or a State Legislature passes any law
that is against the Constitution?

Answer: If any law is passed that is against the Constitution, it is declared invalid by the
Supreme Court.

Question 38: How does Parliament exercise control over the Union Council of Ministers?

Answer: The Union Council of Ministers continue in office as long as they enjoy the
confidence of a majority of members in the Lok Sabha. The moment, a vote of no
confidence is passed against them, they have to, quit office.
Question 39: How many members can the president nominate to the Lok Sabha and the
Rajya Sabha.

Answer: The president can nominate two members in the Lok Sabha and the 12 members
in the Rajya Sabha.

Question 40: Who addresses the joint session of both the Houses?

Answer: The President addresses the joint session of both the Houses.

Question 41: Who decides whether a Bill is Money Bill or not?

Answer: The Speaker of the Lok Sabha decides whether a Bill is Money Bill or not.

Question 42: What is the difference between a Money Bill and Non-Money Bill?

Answer: A Money Bill is introduced only in the Lok Sabha. A Non-Money Bill can be
introduced in either House of Parliament.

Question 43: What are Residuary Powers?

Answer: ‘Residuary Powers’ means the subject, which are not mentioned in any list of the
Constitution.

Question 44: Which House is more powerful? Why?

Answer: Lok Sabha is more powerful than Rajya Sabha because in a democracy the
House, which is composed of elected representatives of the people, is given more power
by the constitution.

Question 45: Who calls for the Joint Session?

Answer: President of India

Question 46: Who presides over the Joint Session?

Answer: Speaker of the Lok Sabha