Question
Explain the role of the Parliament.
Solution
The role of the parliament is explained below:
(i)Select the National Government- 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 elected MPs. Since there are 543 elected (plus 2 nominated) members in Lok Sabha, to have a majority a party should have at least half the number i.e. 272 members or more. The Lok Sabha selects the executive, which is a group of persons who work together to implement the laws made by the Parliament.
(ii) 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 the 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.
(iii)Law-Making-The Parliament makes law for the entire country.
