Short & Long Question Answer: Working Of Institutions

Q1: Give a detailed description of the powers of the President of India.
Ans:
The President is the elected head of the State and the nominal executive of the Indian Union. He or she acts on the basis of advice of the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister, but also has important constitutional functions. The President exercises the following powers:

• The Council of Ministers is appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister; the Prime Minister recommends the names of ministers to be appointed.
• All laws and major policy decisions of the Union government are issued in the name of the President; official orders and notifications are promulgated by the President.
• All top-level officials of the Union government - such as judges of higher courts (in the constitutional process), governors of states and certain central officers - are appointed by the President and can be removed only according to constitutional procedure.
• The President appoints Indian ambassadors and high commissioners to other countries and receives foreign envoys on behalf of the nation.
• International treaties and agreements with other countries are entered into in the name of the President, after being negotiated by the government.
• A bill passed by both Houses of Parliament becomes law only after the President gives assent. The President can return a bill (other than a money bill) to Parliament for reconsideration; on reconsideration, if Parliament passes it again, the President must give assent.
• The President has the power of mercy and can grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment in certain cases.
• The President exercises direct administrative control over the Union Territories and has specific powers under the Constitution to ensure their governance.

Q2: In what different ways does Parliament exercise political authority on behalf of the people?
Ans:

An assembly of elected representatives exercises political authority on behalf of the people; at the national level this assembly is called Parliament. Parliament performs several key functions on behalf of the nation:

• It is the principal law-making body. Parliament can make new laws, amend existing laws, or repeal laws as required.
• Parliament exercises control over those who run the government. In parliamentary systems like India this control is direct and effective because the government is responsible to Parliament.
• Parliament controls public finances. Public money can generally be spent only after Parliament authorises it by passing the budget and related money bills.
• Parliament is the highest forum for discussion and debate on public issues and national policy. It can seek information and explanations from the government on any matter of public importance.

Q3: What are the powers and functions of the Prime Minister of India?
Ans:

The Prime Minister is the head of the government and holds the most important political office in India. Major powers and functions are:

• He or she chairs meetings of the Council of Ministers (cabinet) and coordinates the work of different ministries. The Prime Minister's decisions are decisive when departments disagree.
• The Prime Minister provides general supervision and guidance to ministers; all ministers work under the leadership of the Prime Minister.
• He or she allocates portfolios to ministers, reshuffles responsibilities and can recommend dismissal of ministers; when the Prime Minister resigns, the entire Council of Ministers normally resigns.
• The Prime Minister is the main link between the President and the Council of Ministers and is responsible for the effective functioning of the government.
• Within the Council of Ministers, the Prime Minister is the first among equals; while the cabinet is the most powerful collective body, the Prime Minister is the most influential member of that body.

Q4: How can you say that in India courts are independent of the legislature and the executive?
Ans:
In India the judiciary is constitutionally independent of the legislature and the executive.

• Judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts are appointed by the President after consultation with senior judges; in practice the senior judges of the Supreme Court play a central role in selecting new judges.
• There is little scope for arbitrary removal of judges. Once appointed, judges enjoy security of tenure and cannot be removed easily, which protects them from political pressure.
• Other safeguards such as fixed salaries and independent appointment procedures help to maintain judicial independence so that judges can decide cases impartially.

Q5: How is the President elected in our country?

Ans: The President is elected indirectly. Elected Members of Parliament (MPs) and elected Members of the Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) together form an electoral college that elects the President. A candidate must secure the required majority of votes in this college to win. This indirect election is intended to make the President a representative of the whole nation; the President remains a nominal executive and does not have the direct popular mandate that the Prime Minister can claim.

Q6: Give the brief description of the Council of Ministers.
Ans:
Council of Ministers is the official name for the collective body of ministers who run the government. It commonly has around 60 to 80 members of different ranks:

• Cabinet Ministers are senior leaders who head the major ministries and take collective decisions. The Cabinet is the inner circle of the Council and usually consists of about 20 ministers.
• Ministers of State with independent charge head smaller ministries and attend Cabinet meetings when invited or when their matter is on the agenda.
• Ministers of State assist Cabinet Ministers and are attached to particular ministries to help in their work.

Q7: What are the two categories that make up the executive? Describe them.
Ans:

• The political executive comprises those who are elected for a fixed term and hold political office. Political leaders and ministers who make major policy decisions belong to this category.
• The permanent executive, or the civil service, consists of officials appointed on a long-term basis. Civil servants continue in office even when the ruling party changes and they assist the political executive in day-to-day administration.

Q8: Name the three institutions that play a key role in major decisions in a democratic country. How do these institutions work?
Ans:
The three institutions are: Legislature, Executive and Judiciary.

• Legislature: An assembly of people's representatives with the power to make laws for the country. In addition to law-making, the legislature has authority to raise taxes, adopt budgets and scrutinise the government's actions.
• Executive: The body responsible for initiating policies, taking decisions and implementing laws and programmes in accordance with the Constitution and statutes.
• Judiciary: The institution empowered to administer justice, interpret laws and provide a mechanism for resolving legal disputes.

Q9: What was the objective of the Mandal Commission? Mention one of the recommendations that it make in its report.
Ans:

• The Government of India set up the Second Backward Classes Commission in 1979 under the chairmanship of B.P. Mandal; it is therefore commonly called the Mandal Commission.
• The Commission's main objective was to identify socially and educationally backward classes in India and to recommend measures for their social and educational advancement.
• In its 1980 report the Commission recommended several measures. One key recommendation was that 27 per cent of government jobs be reserved for the socially and educationally backward classes.

Q10: How did people react to the decision to implement the recommendations of the Mandal Commission?
Ans:

• The decision to implement the Mandal Commission's recommendations provoked widespread protests and counter-protests; some demonstrations became violent. The reaction was strong because the decision affected access to many government jobs.
• Supporters argued that caste inequalities required affirmative action and that reservations would give fair opportunities to communities that had been historically under-represented in government employment.
• Opponents argued that such reservations were unfair to those outside the beneficiary groups and could deny opportunities to more qualified candidates; some feared this might increase caste tensions.

Q11: In our country, the Parliament consists of two Houses. Describe briefly these two Houses.
Ans:

• These two Houses are the Council of States or the Rajya Sabha and the House of the People or the Lok Sabha.
• The Rajya Sabha is generally elected indirectly and represents the states and regions; it performs special functions and protects the interests of the states.
• The Lok Sabha is directly elected by the people and exercises the principal legislative authority and the real political power on behalf of the people.

Q12: How is the Prime Minister appointed in our country?
Ans:

• The Prime Minister is appointed by the President. There is no direct popular election for the office of Prime Minister.
• The President normally appoints the leader of the party or coalition that commands a majority in the Lok Sabha as Prime Minister.
• Where no single party or alliance has a clear majority, the President appoints the person who is most likely to secure majority support in the Lok Sabha. The Prime Minister remains in office as long as he or she commands the majority in the House.

Q13: What are the limitations of the Prime Minister in coalition government?
Ans:
The rise of coalition governments has placed some limits on the Prime Minister's power:

• The Prime Minister in a coalition cannot act unilaterally; he or she must accommodate the views and demands of different groups within the ruling party and of coalition partners.
• The Prime Minister cannot ignore the positions of alliance partners on important matters, since the survival of the government often depends on their continued support.

Q14: Enlist the disputes that can be taken by the Supreme Court.
Ans:
The Supreme Court can take up the following kinds of disputes:

• Disputes between citizens of the country;
• Disputes between citizens and the government;
• Disputes between two or more State governments;
• Disputes between the Union government and a State government.
• In addition, the Supreme Court is the highest court of appeal in civil and criminal matters and can hear appeals against the decisions of High Courts.