Q 1 – How are the members of the Rajya Sabha elected?
Ans – The members of the Rajya Sabha are elected by the elected members of the Legislative assemblies of various states.
Q 2 – What is the term or tenure of the Lok Sabha?
Ans –The tenure of the Lok Sabha is 5 years.
Q 3 – What is the advantage of the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs)?
Ans – Cutting of trees has been stopped.
Q 4 – Who is the leader of the ruling party in the Lok Sabha?
Ans – The Prime Minister is the leader of the ruling party in the Lok Sabha.
Q 5 – What do you mean by the executive?
Ans – The executive is a group of persons who work together to implement the laws made by the Parliament.
Q 6 – How is the question hour an important mechanism?
Ans – Through this mechanism that MPs can elicit information about the working of the government.
Q 7 – What is Coalition Government?
Ans –It refers to the alliance formed by political parties after elections when no party has been able to get the adequate seats to form a clear majority.
Q 8 – When did India become independent?
Ans – On 15th August 1947.
Q 9 – Which is the most important symbol of Indian democracy and a key feature of the Constitution?
Ans – The Parliament is an important symbol and key feature of Indian democracy.
Q 10 – What is Universal Adult Franchise?
Ans – It means that all Adult Citizens of the country have the right to vote.
Q 11 – In how many years is the Lok Sabha elected?
Ans – Loksabha is elected once every 5 years.
Q 12 – How many elected members are there in Lok Sabha?
Ans – 545
Q 13 – Who selects ministers to work with him/her to implement decisions?
Ans – The Prime Minister selects ministers.
Q 14 – Which is the very important way through which the Parliament controls the executive?
Ans – During Question Hour MPs can elicit information about the working of the government.
Q 15 – How are the marginalized given adequate representation?
Ans – By reserving the seats in the Parliament, the marginalized are given adequate representation.
Q 16 – How many elected and nominated members are there in Rajya Sabha?
Ans – There are 233 elected and 12 nominated members in Rajya Sabha.
Q 17 – What does the Parliament enable the citizen of India to?
Ans – Parliament enables citizens of India to participate in decision-making and control the govt.
Q 18 – What is considered the most important symbol of Indian democracy?
Ans – Parliament is the most important symbol of Indian democracy.
Q 19 – Which act was seen as the graye danger during British rule in India?
Ans – Criticising the British government was a grave danger at that time.
Q 20 – Which act allowed some elected representation?
Ans – Govt of India Act 1909, allowed for some elected representation.
Q 21 – How can we say that Parliament in our system has immense powers?
Ans – Parliament in our system has immense powers because it is the representative of the people.
Q 22 – Who together makes up the Parliament?
Ans – The MP’s together makes the Parliament.
Q 23 – What all does the Parliament consists of in India?
Ans – Parliament consists of the President, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha in India.
Q 24 – What is the main eligibility for the political party to form the govt.?
Ans – They must have majority of elected MP’s.
Q 25 – What is one of the most important functions of the Lok Sabha?
Ans – One of the most important functions of the Lok Sabha is to select the executive.
Q 26 – Define the term Approval.
Ans – It is meant to give one’s consent to and be favorable towards something.
Q 27 – Explain the basic idea behind representative democracy?
Ans – A representative democracy is a system of government in which all eligible citizens vote on representatives to pass laws for them. All of these elected officials supposedly listen to the populace and do what’s best for the nation, state or jurisdiction as a whole.
Q 28 – Name the ministries which are housed in the North Block?
Ans –The Minister of Finance and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Q 29 – What has been done to give adequate representation to the communities that have been historically marginalized?
Ans –Some seats are reserved in the Parliament for people belonging to SC and ST categories.
Q 30 –Who designed the Parliament house in India?
Ans –The Parliament house in India was designed by the British architect Herbert Baker.
Q 31 – What is an EVM?
Ans – An EVM is an Electronic Voting Machine used for elections in India. Indian voting machines use a two-piece system with a balloting unit presenting the voter with a button for each choice connected by a cable to an electronic ballot box.
Q 32 – What is a constituency?
Ans – The country is divided into many areas for election purposes. Each area is called a constituency. A representative is elected from each constituency to serve in the legislative body.
Q 33 – How is the national government formed?
Ans – After the Lok Sabha elections are declared, a list is prepared showing how many MPs belong to each political party. For a political party to form the government, they must have a majority of elected MPs. The total membership of the Lok Sabha is 545, in which 543 are elected members while 2 are nominated. Thus, a party should have at least half the number i.e., 272 members or more to have a majority. The opposition in Parliament is formed by all the political parties that oppose the majority party or coalition formed. The largest amongst these parties is known as the Opposition party.
Q 34 – How do the individuals give approval to the government?
Ans –One way of giving approval to the government is through elections. People would elect their representatives to the Parliament. Then one group from among these elected representatives forms the government. The Parliament, which is made up of all representatives together, controls and guides the government. Thus, people, through their chosen representatives form the government and also control it.
Q 35 – Who are the people in the Parliament?
Ans – The Parliament has more and more people from different backgrounds. For example, there are more rural members as also members from many regional parties. Groups and peoples that were till now unrepresented are beginning to get elected to the Parliament. There has also been an increase in political participation from the Dalit and backward castes and the minorities. The communities that have been historically marginalized such as SCs and STs are given adequate representation in the Parliament.
Q 36 – Discuss the role and functions of the Parliament?
Ans – The parliament is the most important institution in a democracy. It performs the following role and functions:
• The Lok Sabha selects the executive, which is a group of persons who work together to implement the laws made by the Parliament.
• The Parliament controls, guides and informs the government. The question hour with which the Parliament in session begins, is an important mechanism through which MPs can elicit information about the working of the government. This is a very important way through which Parliament controls the executive. By asking questions the government is alerted to its shortcomings and also comes to know the opinion of the people through their representatives in the Parliament.
• The government gets valuable feedback and is kept on its toes by the questions asked by the MPs. In addition, in all matters dealing with finances, the Parliament’s approval is crucial for the government. This is one of the several ways in which the Parliament controls, guides and informs the government.
• The Parliament makes laws for the entire country.
Q 37 – How the parliament is constituted? What is the role of the Prime Minister in it? Explain.
Ans –The Parliament performs the following functions:
• It selects the national government. After the Lok Sabha (the Lower House of the Parliament) elections are announced, a list is prepared showing how many MPs belong to each political party. The political party with a majority of elected MPs is eligible to form the government. Here, it is worth mentioning that there are altogether 545 members in the Lok Sabha in which 543members are elected and 2 members are nominated. To have a majority a party should have at least half the number i.e., 272 members or more.
• The other parties form the opposition. The Prime Minister of India is the leader of the ruling party in the Lok Sabha. From the MP who belongs to his party, the Prime Minister selects ministers to work with him to implement decisions. These ministers then take charge of different areas of government functioning such as health, education, etc. When one party does not get a clear majority, a group of parties forms a coalition and elects a leader who forms the government, popularly known as the coalition government.
• The Rajya Sabha functions primarily as the representative of the states of India in the Parliament. The Rajya Sabha can also initiate legislation and a bill is required to pass through the Rajya Sabha in order to become a law. The members of the Rajya Sabha are elected by the elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of various states. There are 233 elected members and 12 nominated by the President.
Q 38 – How are the marginalized group of people get an adequate representation in Parliament and how does Parliament now have more and more people from different backgrounds?
Ans – The Parliament now has more and more people from different backgrounds. For eg. there are more rural members and also members from many regional parties. Groups and people that were non-unrepresented are beginning to get elected to Parliament. There has also been an increase in political participation from the Dalit and backward castes and the minorities. It has been observed that representative democracy cannot produce a perfect reflection of society.
There is a realization that when interests and experiences separate us it is important to ensure that communities that have been historically marginalized are given adequate representation. With this mindset, some seats are reserved in the Parliament for SCs andSTs. This has been done so that MPs elected from these constituencies will be familiar with and can represent Dalit and Adivasi interests in the Parliament.
Q 39 – Briefly describe the function of Rajya Sabha in the working of the Parliament?
Ans –The Rajya Sabha functions primarily as the representative of the States of India in the Parliament.
The Rajya Sabha can also civiliate legislation and a bill is required to pass through the Rajya Sabha in order to become a law. It, therefore has an important role in reviewing and altering (if needed) the laws initiated by the Lok Sabha.
The members of the Rajya Sabha are elected by the elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of various States. There are 233 elected plus 12 nominated members in Rajya Sabha among them 12 are nominated by the President.
Q 40 –Which is one of the most important functions of the Lok Sabha? Who are the executives?
Ans –One of the most important functions of the Lok Sabha is to select the executive. An executive is a group of persons who work together to implement the laws made by Parliament. This executive is often what we have in mind when using the term Government.
Q 41 – Who is the Prime Minister in India and what is the prime function of ministers selected by him from his party?
Ans –The Prime Minister of India is the leader of the ruling party in the Lok Sabha. From the MPs, who belong to his party, the Prime Minister selects ministers to work with him to implement decisions. These ministers take charge of different areas of government functioning like health, education, finance, etc.
Q 42 – How does the Parliament control, guide, and inform the government?
Ans – The Parliament while in session, begins with a question hour. The question hour is an important mechanism through which MPs can elicit information about the working of the government. This is a very important way through which Parliament controls the executive.
By asking questions the government is alerted to its shortcomings, and also comes to know the opinion of the people through their representatives in the Parliament i.e. the MPs. Asking questions is a crucial task for every MP. Opposition parties play a critical role in the healthy functioning of a democracy.
They highlight drawbacks in various policies and programmes of the government and mobilize popular support for their own policies. The government gets valuable feedback and is kept on its toes by the questions asked by the MPs. In addition, in all matters dealing with finances, Parliaments’ approval is crucial for the government. This is one of the several ways in which the Parliament controls, guides, and informs the government.
The MPs are representatives of the people and have a central role in controlling guiding and informing the Parliament and this is a key aspect of the functioning of Indian democracy.
Q 43 – How is the National government selected and how does the Parliament perform this function of selecting the National government?
Ans –The Parliament in India consists of the President, the Rajya Sabha, and the Lok Sabha. After the Lok Sabha elections, a list is prepared showing how many MPs belong to each political party. For a political party to form the government, they must have a majority of the elected MPs. Since there are 543 elected and nominated members in the Lok Sabha, to have a majority a party should have at least half the number,
i.e., 272 members or more. The Opposition in Parliament is formed by all the political parties that oppose the majority party/coalition formed. The largest among these parties is called the Opposition party.
One of the most important functions of the Lok Sabha is to select the executive. They are the groups 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. From the MPs belonging to his party, the Prime Minister selects ministers to work with and implement decisions.
The ministers then take up charge of different areas of government functioning. Often when the single party does not get the majority the different parties which are interested in similar concerns join and form a coalition government.
The Rajya Sabha functions primarily as the representative of the states of India in the Parliament. The Rajya Sabha can also initiate legislation and a bill is required to pass through the Rajya Sabha in order to become a law. It, therefore, has an important role of reviewing and altering the laws initiated by the Lok Sabha.
The members of the R.S. are elected by the elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of various States. There are 233 elected members plus 12 members nominated by the President.
Q 44 – Look at the picture given below and answer the following questions:
1. What does the picture show?
2. Around how much trees were saved after the use of EVM’s in 2004?
Ans – 1. It shows voter reading instructions on how to use an EVM (i.e. Electronic Voting Machine).
2. The use of EVM in 2004 saved around 1,50,000 trees.
Q 45 – Look at the picture given below and answer the following questions:
1 What does the picture show?
2 Which is known as the supreme law-making institution?
3 How many houses are there in the Parliament? Name them.
Ans – 1. The picture shows the Parliament of India (Sansal).
2. The Parliament of India (Sansad) is the supreme law-making institution.
3. It has 2 houses
- The Rajya Sabha
- The Lok Sabha.
Q 46 –What are the basic ideas of democracy?
Ans –The basic ideals of democracy are…
The participation of the citizens in the government’s decision-making.
The need for the government to have the consent of its citizens in all major issues taken by it.
Q 47 – How can all the citizens participate in the decision–making process of the government?
Ans – In a democracy general elections are held and all adults have a right to vote. The citizens elect a few people to represent them in the Parliament. The Parliament is made up of all these representatives. These representatives are known as Members of the Parliament. One group, from among these elected representatives forms the government. It is through these representatives that the citizens take part in the decision-making of the government.
Q 48 – Write a brief note on the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha.
Ans – Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha functions primarily as the representative of the states of India, in the Parliament. There are 233 elected members plus 12 members nominated by the President. The members of the Rajya Sabha are elected by the elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of various states. The Rajya Sabha plays an important role of reviewing and altering the laws initiated by the Lok Sabha.
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha, known as the House of the People, with a total membership of 543, is presided over by the Speaker. The country is divided into 543 Lok Sabha constituencies. During a Lok Sabha election, people from different political parties stand for elections. Once elected, these candidates become Members of Parliament or MPs. These MPs together make up the Parliament.
The three major duties of the Parliament are
- To Select the National Government
- To Control, Guide and Inform the Government
- Law-Making
Q 49 – What is ‘Question hour’ in Parliament?
Ans – The first hour of every sitting during a Parliament Session is called the Question Hour. During ‘Question hour’ Questions are posed by members to specific government ministries. The concerned Ministries have to answer these Questions on a fixed date.
The Questions asked during ‘Question Hour’ highlights the shortcomings of the Government and also bring to light the opinion of the citizen through their representatives, namely the MPs.
This Question Hour helps the Parliament to control the Executive (Government).
Q 50 – Write a brief note on the Members of Parliament.
Ans – The Members of Parliament are from different backgrounds. Many members are from rural areas and from regional parties.
Groups and peoples that were not unrepresented so far, are beginning to get elected to Parliament.
Today there are more people from the Dalit and backward castes and the minorities, in Parliament.
It is good to have representatives in the Parliament from all sections of society so that every Indian will be represented in the decision-making body.