Test: Legislature- 1 - UPSC

Zero Hour where members are free to raise any matter that they think is important (though the ministers are not bound to reply), half-an –hour discussion on matters of public importance, adjournment motion etc. are some instruments of exercising control.

The two Houses are known as Federal Assembly and Federal Council.

Article 118(1) of the Constitution empowers each House of Parliament to make rules for regulating its Procedure and the Conduct of its business.

All members of the Rajya Sabha do not complete their terms at the same time. Every two years, one-third members of the Rajya Sabha complete their term and elections are held for those one-third seats only.

The motion of no confidence (alternatively vote of no confidence, censure motion or confidence motion) is a parliamentary motion put before a parliament by the opposition in the hope of defeating or weakening a government, or rarely, by an erstwhile supporter who has lost confidence in the government. Lok sabha alone can move this motion.

At present there are 543 constituencies or seats for Lok Sabha and this number has not changed since 1971.

In Rajya Sabha, a state with larger population gets more representatives than states with smaller population. So, a more populous state like Uttar Pradesh sends 31 members to the Rajya Sabha, while a smaller and less populous state like Sikkim has only one seat in the Rajya Sabha.

Until now, only three bills: the Dowry Prohibition Act (1961), the Banking Service Commission Repeal Bill (1978) and the Prevention of Terrorism Bill (2002) have been passed at joint sessions.

The ruling party should have a clear and stable majority in the legislature. In the event of a “hung parliament” a coalition government can also be formed. For example in India during the prime ministership of Mr. Deva Gowda (1996) Mr. I.K. Gujral(1998) we had hung parliament.

Article 83 (2) of the Constitution stipulates that Lok Sabha shall have a normal term of 5 years from the date appointed for its first meeting and no longer. However, the President may dissolve the House earlier.