CBSE Term II Political Science Class 11th
No-Confidence Motion
The most powerful weapon that enables the Parliament to
ensure executive accountability is the no-confidence motion.
The government has to retain the support of the party or
coalition to maintain its majority in the Lok Sabha. If a
no-confidence motion against the government is passed, the
government loses majority. Thus, the Parliament can
effectively control the executive and ensures a more
responsive government.
As a result, Parliament can exert effective control on the
executive and ensure that the administration is more
responsive. However, it is critical for this reason that the
House has sufficient time at its disposal, that members are
interested in discussion and actively participate, and that
both the administration and the opposition are willing to
compromise.
The number of sessions of the Lok Sabha and State
Legislative Assemblies, as well as the amount of time spent
debating, has steadily decreased during the previous two
decades. Furthermore, the Houses of Parliament have been
hampered by a lack of quorum, as well as a boycott of
sessions by opposition members, depriving the house of the
capacity to regulate the executive through debate.
Parliamentary Committees
The Parliament has appointed various committees for distinct
legislative purposes and for day to day business of house. The
parliamentary committees performs functions such as study
the issue of consideration in legislation, study the demands
for grants made by various ministries, expenditure incurred
by various departments, investigating the cases of corruption,
etc.
Since 1983, India has developed a system of Parliamentary
Standing Committees to supervise the work of various
departments, their budgets, expenditure and bills that come
up in the house relating to department.
Joint Parliamentary Committees are set up for the purpose
of discussing a particular bill or investigating financial
irregularities. Members of these committees are selected
from both the houses. The committee system have occupied a
position of eminence in our country and has reduced the
burden on the Parliament, as many important bills have been
referred to committees. No bill can become law and no budget
will be sanctioned unless approved by the Parliament but it
has been viewed that the Parliament rarely rejects the
suggestions made by the committees.
Regulation of the Parliament
Parliament is the forum of debate and through its debate
Parliament performs all its vital functions. Such discussions
must be meaningful and orderly to carry out the functions of
5
the Parliament smoothly. The constitution has made certain
provisions to ensure smooth conduct of business and made
the presiding officer, the final authority in regulating the
business of the legislature.
Furthermore, another way to control the behaviour of the
member by the presiding officer is, anti-defection law, which
means that a legislator who is elected on one party’s ticket is
restricted from defecting to another party.
The presiding officer of the House is the authority who takes
final decisions on all such cases.
If it is proved that a member has defected, then such member
loses the membership of the House. Besides, such a person is
also disqualified from holding any political office like
ministership, etc.
Defection occurs when a member fails to appear in the House
when asked by the party leadership to do so, votes against the
party’s instructions or willingly departs the party’s
membership.
Parliamentary Officials
Speaker
In our parliamentary democracy, the Speaker’s Office plays a
critical role. The Speaker’s Office has been defined as
representing the full authority of the House of Commons,
while members of Parliament represent individual
constituencies. Speakers serve from the date of their election
until the first meeting of the Lok Sabha after the dissolution of
the one to which they were elected.
He or she is eligible for re-election. The Speaker’s position is
a constitutional one. The Speaker is bound by the provisions
of the Constitution as well as the Rules of Procedure and
Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha.
While the Speaker ceases to be a member of the House when
the Lok Sabha is dissolved, he or she does not vacate his or her
office. The Speaker can resign at any time by writing to the
Deputy Speaker under his or her hand.
Speaker of the Lok Sabha can be removed by the Lok Sabha
by a resolution passed by an effective majority (more than
50% of the total strength excluding vacancies) of the House.
The Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha are
elected from among its members by a simple majority of
members present and voting in the House. As a result, there
are no specific qualifications for being Speaker.
Deputy Speaker
If the Speaker of the Lok Sabha is absent due to death or
sickness, the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha serves as the
presiding officer. In India, the role of Deputy Speaker is
traditionally given to the opposition party.