In this article you will learn about the Parliamentary Executive in India in Political Science.
Parliamentary Executive in India
The parliamentary executive is a form of government that exists in India, which is based on the Westminster model of parliamentary democracy. In this system, the executive is formed from the members of the legislature who are responsible for governing the country. India has adopted this system of government after gaining independence from British colonial rule in 1947.
The political executive in India is a single, elected and parliamentary executive. The constitution grants all the executive powers to the President of India and empowers him to exercise these either directly or indirectly through officers subordinate to him. The President is the head of the state and the constitutional and nominal executive head of the government. All the executive powers are used in the name of the President of India. These are really exercised by the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers.
The President of India is the head of state, but the real power is vested in the Prime Minister, who is the head of government. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President, but the appointment is usually based on the majority party or coalition in the Lok Sabha (the lower house of Parliament). The Prime Minister is responsible for appointing other members of the executive, such as ministers.
The Parliament of India consists of two houses - the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The Lok Sabha is the lower house of Parliament and is elected by the people of India through a general election. The Rajya Sabha is the upper house of Parliament and is indirectly elected by the members of the State Legislative Assemblies.
Parliamentary Executive in India : Salient Features
Like Britain and unlike the USA, India has a Parliamentary Executive. The main features of the Indian Parliamentary Executive can be described as follows :
The President of India is the Nominal Executive Head of the State while the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister is the Real Executive : In India the executive has two parts : The Nominal and constitutional executive which is constituted by the President of India and the Real and the powerful executive which is constituted by the Prime Minister and the Council of Minister.
Close Relationship Between the President and the Council of Ministers : The President and the Council of Ministers work in close corporation. Theoretically, the latter advises the former acts, but in reality the former advises the latter acts. The advice of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers binds the President. However, the President can ask the Council of Ministers to reconsider the advice tendered to him either generally or otherwise. But the President has to accept the reconsidered advice of the Council of Ministers.
Close Relationship Between the Parliament and the Council of Ministers : The Indian parliamentary executive provides for a close relationship between the Council of Ministers and the Parliament. The Council of Ministers is formed by the party or the coalition group which enjoys the support of the majority in the Lok Sabha. Every minister, including the Prime Minister, has to be a member of either House of the Parliament. If any non-member is made a minister or the Prime Minister he has to secure within 6 months, a seat in either House, failing which he cannot continue in office. Every Minister takes part in the proceedings of the Parliament and is bound by the rules and procedures of the Parliament. His conduct is subject to all rules of the Parliament. He has to respect the privileges of the members of the Parliament. He has to accept the party commands otherwise he can invite disciplinary action from the party. The anti-defection law also binds him.
Individual and Collective Responsibility of the Ministers before the Lok Sabha :
- Each minister is responsible and accountable before the Lok Sabha for all acts of omission and commission of the department which he heads or is attached to. In case the Lok Sabha finds him responsible for any departmental lapse, it can pass a censure motion against him or a cut motion in respect of the funds available to his department or propose a cut in his salary. When such a motion gets adopted, it causes the removal of the minister from his office. In fact, before such a drastic measure is passed by the Lok Sabha, the minister voluntarily submits his resignation or the Prime Minister asks him to resign forthwith, which he has to comply with.
- The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible before the Lok Sabha. Art. 75(3) of the Constitution clearly lays down that “the Council of Ministers shall be collectively responsible before the House of the People.” The Council of Ministers works as a united team. It comes into office as a team, works as a team goes out of office as a team. All the ministers are collectively bound by each decision or policy of the Cabinet. In case the Parliament rejects any policy or budget or any measure for legislation initiated by the Cabinet, or passes a cut motion, or censures motion or non-confidence motion against the Council of Ministers or against its head, the Prime Minister, the entire Council of Ministers resigns.
This article on Parliamentary Executive in India in Political Science is contributed by Dipshikha Anand. If you like LawStudyPoint.com do follow us on our Twitter handle.