Chapter 3

Why Do We Need a Parliament?

 Why Should the People Decide?

 The deciding factor for a democracy is the idea of consent and the
participation of the people.
 It is the decision of the people that creates a democratic government and
decides about its functioning.
 In democracy, the citizen is the most important person and the
government and other public institutions need to have the trust of these
citizens.
 The people, through their chosen representatives, form the government
and also control it.

 The Role of the Parliament

 To select the national government
 The Parliament in India is made up of
1. The President
2. The Rajya Sabha
3. The Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha selects the Executive, which is a group of persons
who work together to implement the laws made by the
Parliament.
 The Prime Minister is the leader of the ruling party in the Lok
Sabha. He/she selects ministers from his party to work with him.
 The Rajya Sabha functions as the representative of the states of
India. It initiates legislation and a bill has to pass through Rajya
Sabha in order to become a law.
 To control, guide and inform the government
 In the Parliament, the MPs can elicit information about the
working of the government.
 The government is alerted about its shortcomings and also comes
to know about the opinion of the people through the MPs, who
are the representatives of the people.
 The MPs, as the representatives of the people, have a major role
in controlling, guiding and informing the Parliament. This is a key
aspect of the functioning of the Indian democracy.
 Making laws
 Making laws is a major function of the parliament.

 Who are the People in the Parliament?

 The Parliament has several people from different backgrounds.
 There are rural members and members from many regional parties.
 There is an increase in political participation from the Dalit, the backward
castes and the minorities.
 Some seats in the Parliament are reserved for the Scheduled Castes and
the Scheduled Tribes.