KEY TO TEXTBOOK EXERCISES

A. 1. Lok Sabha; 2. Parliament; 3. bill; 4. President; 5. Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State, Deputy Ministers
B. 1. (b); 2. (a); 3. (e); 4. (c); 5. (d)
C. 1. False. The President is a part of the executive.;
2. False. A joint session of Parliament can be called in India.;
3. False. A money bill can only originate in Lok Sabha.;
4. False. The President has the power to declare three types of emergency - national, state and financial.;
5. True
D. 1. (c), 2. (b), 3. (b), 4. (d), 5. (c)
E. 1. The two houses of the Parliament are the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
2. The minimum age for a person to become a member of the Lok Sabha is 25 years.
3. The presiding officer of the Lok Sabha is the Speaker.
4. A money bill is a bill related to the finance of a country.
5. An ordinance is a temporary law which is issued by the President when Parliament is not in session. Ordinances have the same status as laws and are valid
for a period of six months.
F. 1. A President declares a state of emergency during war, external aggression, armed rebellion, financial instability, or failure of constitutional machinery in a
state to ensure effective governance and national security.
2. The Prime Minister is considered the real executive head because they lead the Council of Ministers, advise the President, and make key policy decisions,
holding the actual power in India’s parliamentary system.
3. The controversy over the Hindu Code Bill arose due to opposition from conservative sections, as it aimed to reform Hindu personal laws, addressing gender
equality in marriage, inheritance, and property rights.
4. The Council of Ministers must hold the confidence of the legislature because they derive their authority from the majority support in the Lok Sabha, ensuring
accountability and representation of the people’s mandate.
5. A national emergency can be imposed in cases of war, external aggression, or armed rebellion, allowing the central government to assume greater powers to
maintain national security and constitutional order.
G. Answer the following questions in four or five sentences.
1. The makers of the Indian Constitution adopted the British parliamentary system as the model of governance for India. Over the years of colonial rule, India
had become accustomed to the conventions of the British legal system. Hence, it was felt that a parliamentary system would be better for India.
2. The Parliament is the supreme law-making body in India. Legislative proposals are brought before either House of Parliament in the form of a bill. A bill is a
proposal drafted and presented to both Houses of Parliament. Once it is passed by both Houses and signed by the President, it becomes an act or a law. There
are mainly two types of bills—ordinary bills and money bills. An ordinary bill can be introduced in either House of Parliament. After three readings—an
introduction, a detailed discussion and voting—the bill is sent to the second House, where a similar process is followed. If the second House does not agree to
the bill and suggests changes to which the first House does not agree, or does not act upon the bill within six months, a deadlock is created.
When there is a deadlock between the two Houses, the President summons a joint session of both the Houses. The session is presided over by the Speaker of
the Lok Sabha and the deadlock is resolved through a vote by a simple majority. Once the bill is passed in both the Houses, it is sent to the President for their
assent. If they sign the bill, it becomes an act or a law. The President may send the bill back for reconsideration to the Parliament. If it is passed again and
returned to the President, they must give their assent to it.
3. The legislative powers of the President are:
Summons and prorogues both Houses of Parliament
• Nominates members to both Houses of Parliament
• Addresses both Houses after the general elections and at the start of each new session
• Can call for a joint session of Parliament when there is a deadlock over a bill
• Gives their assent to a bill. The President can send back an ordinary bill for reconsideration. However, if the bill is passed again, the President must give
their assent to it.

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 • Has the power to promulgate ordinances. An ordinance is a temporary law which is issued by the President when Parliament is not in session. Ordinances
have the same status as laws and are valid for a period of six months.
• Can dissolve the Lok Sabha on the advice of the Prime Minister.
4. The Prime Minister is the head of the government in India. The PM is also the head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in
Parliament. The PM chooses the Council of Ministers and decides which department to assign to each minister. The PM can also shift ministers to different
departments or ask them to resign if they are dissatisfied with their performance. The PM is the link between the President and the Council of Ministers.
The PM is the Chairperson of the Cabinet of Ministers and presides over its meetings. The PM coordinates the working of different ministries and supervises
the functioning of the government.
5. It is important that in a democracy, the government be accountable to the people. This is why the work of the government is scrutinized through debate and
discussion in Parliament. As Parliament has members who represent the common people of India, it tries to ensure that the government acts according to
the interests of the people. During Question Hour, MPs can raise questions on pertinent issues, which have to be answered by the ministers. A call attention
motion may ask a minister for clarification on a serious issue. An adjournment motion may be used to start a debate on an important issue.
The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the legislature. If they no longer command the confidence of the members of the Lok Sabha, a vote of
‘no confidence’ can be passed against them. If this is passed with a majority, then they must resign. This is essential for the democratic functioning of the
government.
KEY TO SUBJECT ENRICHMENT
A. Portfolio: Ask the students to pair up. Let each pair collect the pictures and write a short note on the importance of each of these personalities.
B. Diary entry: Answers may vary. Some hints: • Today, I visited the Lok Sabha. Coincidentally, the session in progress was about education. • I asked the Minister
why there were so many drop-outs in schools. • I also clarified the status of women’s education in India. • The Minister mentioned that education was a top
priority for him as it was linked to the progress of the nation! • I am glad I got the opportunity to attend this session.
C. Picture study: 1. Rajya Sabha 2. It is called so because it represents the interests of different states at the central level. 3. The Lower House of the Parliament is
more powerful in some respects—money bills can only originate in the Lok Sabha. The Rajya Sabha can only consider it for 14 days, after which it is deemed to
have been passed.
D. Debate: A parliamentary form of government is better than a presidential form of government.
Yes, because: No, because:
It is accountable to the people. It undermines the power of the President who is just a nominal head.
A presidential form of government could become authoritarian. There are too many delays in decision-making.
In a parliamentary government, all the different sections of people are The head of government is too dependent on the legislature for functioning.
represented.
E. Poster: Answers will vary.
KEY TO THE WORKSHEET IN OXFORD EDUCATE
1. (a) Answers may vary. (b) (i) Passing the bill by Lok Sabha (ii) Passing the bill by Rajya Sabha (iii) Assent by the President
(c) Answers will vary after referring to the text. (d) Ram Nath Kovind is the 14th Indian President. [Droupadi Murmu is the 15th President of India.]

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