Federal Setup in India In a Federal system of government, all the administrative powers are divided between the Central and the State governments and both are supreme within their respective spheres according to the Constitution.
The state Government are neither the agents of the Central Government nor do they draw their authority from it.
The Union Parliament
The Union Legislature comprises the President and the two Houses of Parliament: the House of the People (the Lok Sabha) and the Council of States (the Rajya Sabha).
The Parliament is the body of people's representatives who have supreme power of governanace in a democratic country.
Lok Sabha
The term of the Lok Sabha is 5 years unless it is dissolved earlier.
Composition: The Lok Sabha consists of not more than 552 members - 530 members are elected from the States and 20 members from the Union Territories (UTs).
Qualifications for membership : A candidate for election to Lok Sabha must be (i) a citizen of India; (ii) not less than 25 years of age; (iii) not holding any office of profit; (iv) not an insolvent ; (v) not a proclaimed criminal; (vi) registered in the electoral rolls; and (vii) not of unsound mind.
Disqualifications for membership : A person shall be disqualified for being chosen as, and for being, a member of Lok Sabha - (i) for holding any office of profit under the Government of India or any State; (ii) if he has an unsound mind; (iii) if he is an undischarged insolvent; (iv) if he is not a citizen of India or has voluntarily acquired citizenship of a foreign country; and (v) if he is disqualified by or under any law made by Parliament.
Questions and Answers
Q1. What is the procedure to be followed by the Union Parliament in passing a Money Bill ?
Ans :- (1) Bills which exclusively contain provisions for imposition, alteration and abolition of taxes, regulations governing the borrowings and payment of money into or withdrawal of money from the Consolidated fund or Contingency Fund of India, etc., are certified as Money Bills.
(2) The Speaker of the Lok Sabha decides whether a Bill is a money Bill or an Ordinary Bill.
(3) A Money Bill must be recommended by the President.
(4) A Money Bill can be introduced in the Lok Sabha only not in the Rajya Sabha. However, when it is passed in the Lok Sabha, it is sent to the Rajya Sabha.
(5) The Rajya Sabha cannot reject a Money Bill. It can give its suggestion within 14 days. In fact, the Rajya Sabha has to return the bill within a period of 14 days with or without its recommendations.
(6) The Lok Sabha can reject all or any of its recommendations. The Lok Sabha, thus, is the final authority so far as the money bills are concerned.
(7) If the Rajya Sabha doesnot return the bill within 14 days, the bill is deemed to have been passed by both the houses.
(8) Thereafter, it is sent to the President who cannot withhold his assent from a Money Bill passed by the Parliament.