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The Parliamentary System: Legislature and Executive – Class 8 Social Science Chapter 6 Notes & NCERT PDF

Class 8Social ScienceChapter 6NCERT book: Exploring Society: India and Beyond - Social Science Class 8

Notes and a simple summary of Chapter 6 of the NCERT Class 8 Social Science book, with the official chapter PDF, flashcards, an MCQ quiz and an AI tutor for your doubts.

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Chapter 6: The Parliamentary System: Legislature and Executive

The Big Questions

  • What is India's parliamentary system, and how is it structured?
  • What are the key functions of the Parliament?
  • What are the roles of the legislature and the executive in India's parliamentary democracy?
  • How are the legislature and the executive organised at the union and state levels?
    • "The Constitution is not a mere lawyer's document; it is a vehicle of life, and its spirit is always the spirit of the age."
    — Alladi Krishnaswami Ayyar, Constituent Assembly Debates, November 1949

    Introduction

    Grade 8 students from Nalanda Vidyalaya visit the new Parliament building in Delhi — a triangular building whose design reflects balance, inclusivity and purpose, uses green construction that cuts electricity use by 30 per cent, and has walls carved with peacocks, lotuses, tribal art, temple patterns, freedom fighters and the Ashokan emblem. The old Parliament (now Samvidhan Sadan), built in the 1920s, hosted the Constituent Assembly and served as Parliament House for over seven decades.

    Citizens directly elect Lok Sabha members; a majority group among them forms the government. Parliament is the supreme legislative body — it makes laws and guides the government, which therefore works with the people's consent. There have been 17 Lok Sabhas since 1952; the 18th was constituted in June 2024.

    Key Concepts

    1. Composition of Parliament

  • Parliament = the President + two Houses: the Lok Sabha (House of the People / Lower House) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States / Upper House). Two houses = a bicameral system.
  • Lok Sabha members are directly elected; the Constitution envisages a maximum of 550 members.
  • Rajya Sabha MPs are elected indirectly. Seats in both Houses depend on each state's population.
  • Why two houses? A single directly elected House was felt inadequate; in the spirit of federalism (power shared between centre, states and local governments), a Council of States was created.
  • Presiding officers: the Lok Sabha elects a Speaker; the Vice President chairs the Rajya Sabha.
  • India's system was inspired by Britain's, but also by experience of colonial councils, memories of ancient republics (mahājanapadas) and village panchayats.
  • Sengol: a gold-plated silver sceptre handed to Jawaharlal Nehru on 14 August 1947 to mark the transfer of power; it dates to the Chola tradition, has Nandi (justice) on top, and now stands near the Speaker's chair.
  • Simultaneous interpretation was available in 12 languages; six more were added — Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Manipuri, Urdu and Sanskrit.

    • 2. The Union Executive

  • The President, the Vice President, and the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister.
  • Ministers are chosen from MPs of both Houses and are collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.

    • 3. Legislative functions of Parliament

  • Constitutional functions — electing the President and VP, amending the Constitution, upholding universal adult suffrage, separation of powers, federalism, Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles.
  • Lawmaking — a bill (a draft law) becomes an act.
  • Executive accountability.
  • Financial accountability.

    • How a bill becomes an act (simplified): introduction in either House → reading → (may be) referred to a Standing Committee → taken up for consideration → clause-by-clause discussion and amendments → vote → process repeated in the other House → Presidential assent → Gazette notification.

    Story of the RTE Act: its roots lie in the Directive Principles. The 86th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2002 added Article 21A — free and compulsory education for children aged 6 to 14. The bill was tabled in the Rajya Sabha six years later, studied by a committee (the big debate was funding), and in August 2009 it was passed in the Lok Sabha, received the President's assent, and became the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.

  • Money Bill: deals with taxation, borrowing etc.; can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha, with the President's prior recommendation.

    • 4. Executive and financial accountability

  • The PM and Council of Ministers implement laws, run the government day to day, and are answerable to the Lok Sabha.
  • Question Hour — typically the first hour of a sitting — lets MPs question ministers.
  • Standing committees (permanent committees of MPs) scrutinise ministries — e.g. the Health committee's recommendation on Ayush departments and the ministry's "action taken" reply.
  • Parliament approves and monitors spending through the annual budget — because the government spends the people's money.
  • Lighter moments: Nirmala Sitharaman quoting the Tirukkural in the Budget of 1 February 2025; Sushma Swaraj and Dr Manmohan Singh exchanging couplets in 2011.

    • 5. Executive functions

  • The President is the Head of State and nominal head of the executive — appoints the PM and ministers, summons Parliament, gives assent to bills; can use discretion in crises such as a hung Lok Sabha.
  • The Prime Minister is the de facto executive head — leader of the majority party/coalition in the Lok Sabha; leads the Council of Ministers, coordinates ministries, advises the President, shapes policy. Most bills are initiated by the government.
  • Civil servants (bureaucrats) implement laws under ministers.
  • Moral responsibility: Railway Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri resigned in 1956 after a train accident though he was not blamed.

    • 6. Legislature vs executive (key differences)

  • Legislature: makes laws, oversees the executive, sanctions expenses, asks questions.
  • Executive: enforces laws, introduces most bills, answers the legislature, prepares and implements the budget.

    • 7. The judiciary — checks and balances

    The judiciary interprets and applies laws, resolves disputes and is the custodian of the Constitution — it checks that laws and their implementation do not violate the Constitution. Separation of powers plus checks and balances ensure no organ becomes too powerful.

    8. The state level

  • Union List, State List, Concurrent List divide lawmaking areas. On a Concurrent subject, a Union law binds the states — e.g. RTE applies all over India though education is on the Concurrent List.
  • States mirror the Union: Governor (appointed by the President) is the nominal head; Chief Minister is the de facto head; Council of Ministers responsible to the Vidhan Sabha; 5-year terms; a Speaker presides; money bills start only in the Vidhan Sabha.
  • Bicameral states (Vidhan Sabha + Vidhan Parishad): Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh. The rest are unicameral.
  • Karnataka's Vidhana Soudha was envisioned by Kengal Hanumanthaiah.

    • 9. Challenges

  • Parliament meets in three sessions — Budget, Monsoon, Winter — usually 6 hours a day.
  • Productivity = hours the House actually worked vs hours scheduled. M. Venkaiah Naidu (2021): Rajya Sabha productivity was about 78% in 2004–14, falling to about 65%; 2018 saw the lowest, 35.75%.
  • Absenteeism, disruptions, poor-quality debate, members with criminal cases.
  • Remedy: informed, engaged citizens and young, diverse voices.
    • "Sarkaarein aayengi, jaayengi… lekin yeh desh rehna chaahiye, is desh ka loktantra amar rehna chaahiye." — Atal Bihari Vajpayee

    Key Terms

  • Legislature (विधायिका) · Executive (कार्यपालिका) · Judiciary (न्यायपालिका)
  • Bicameral / Unicameral (द्विसदनीय / एकसदनीय)
  • Bill (विधेयक) · Act (अधिनियम)
  • Presidential assent (राष्ट्रपति की स्वीकृति)
  • Gazette (राजपत्र)
  • Standing Committee (स्थायी समिति)
  • Question Hour (प्रश्नकाल)
  • Money Bill (धन विधेयक)
  • Council of Ministers (मंत्रिपरिषद)
  • Collective responsibility (सामूहिक उत्तरदायित्व)
  • De facto (वास्तविक)
  • Federalism (संघवाद)
  • Concurrent List (समवर्ती सूची)

    • Connect to Today

    Track a recent bill: where was it introduced, what was debated, how long did it take? Find how many MPs your state sends to each House and whether your state legislature is unicameral or bicameral.

    Common Mistakes

  • Thinking Parliament = only the two Houses — it also includes the President.
  • Calling the President the real executive — the President is nominal; the PM is de facto head.
  • Saying a Money Bill can start in the Rajya Sabha — only the Lok Sabha.
  • Forgetting that ministers are responsible to the Lok Sabha, not the Rajya Sabha.
  • Assuming every state has two Houses — only six do.

    • Questions and Activities (hints)

  • Why make the executive responsible to the legislature? Think accountability.
  • Why bicameral at the Union level? Federalism and second-look scrutiny.
  • Enact a model Parliament: MPs, ministers at Question Hour, the President giving assent.
  • The Women's Reservation Bill, 2023 took over 25 years — discuss why consensus is hard.

    • 💡 Key Learning Points

    • ✓Parliament consists of the President, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha — a bicameral legislature rooted in federalism.
    • ✓Parliament's functions: constitutional functions, lawmaking, executive accountability and financial accountability.
    • ✓A bill passes through readings, committee scrutiny, votes in both Houses, Presidential assent and gazette notification to become an act (e.g. RTE, 2009).
    • ✓The President is the nominal head; the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers are the de facto executive, collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.
    • ✓Separation of powers and checks and balances among legislature, executive and judiciary, mirrored at the state level with Governor, Chief Minister and Vidhan Sabha.

    👨‍🏫 Teaching Tips

    • →Show pictures of the old Samvidhan Sadan and the new triangular Parliament and let students list features, including the Sengol.
    • →Turn the RTE 'autobiography' into a class timeline: DPSP → 2002 amendment (Article 21A) → bill in Rajya Sabha → August 2009 Act.
    • →Hold a 10-minute mock Question Hour where 'MPs' question 'ministers' on a school issue.
    • →Build a Union vs State comparison chart together (President/Governor, PM/CM, Lok Sabha/Vidhan Sabha).
    • →Use the Venkaiah Naidu productivity figures for a data discussion on disruptions.
    • →Enact a model Parliament passing a simple school 'bill' through all the stages.
    • →Discuss Lal Bahadur Shastri's 1956 resignation as a lesson in moral responsibility.

    📋 Assessment Questions

    1. Can students name the three parts of Parliament and explain 'bicameral'?
    2. Can they sequence the steps of a bill becoming an act?
    3. Can they distinguish the nominal (President) and de facto (Prime Minister) executive?
    4. Can they explain Question Hour and the role of standing committees in accountability?
    5. Can they name the six states with bicameral legislatures and explain the Concurrent List?

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    Keep learning

    All chapters in Exploring Society: India and Beyond - Social Science Class 8

    1. 1. Natural Resources and Their Use
    2. 2. Reshaping India’s Political Map
    3. 3. The Rise of the Marathas
    4. 4. The Colonial Era in India
    5. 5. Universal Franchise and India’s Electoral System
    6. 6. The Parliamentary System: Legislature and Executive
    7. 7. Factors of Production