What Parliament does

What Parliament does:

• Legislative: it enacts laws. In practice it often approves bills drafted by the bureaucracy under the minister concerned, with substance and timing decided by the Cabinet; private members' bills rarely pass without government support.
• Control of the executive and ensuring its accountability: perhaps its most vital function.
• Financial: no new tax without the Lok Sabha's approval; Parliament grants money for government programmes, demands an account of spending, and checks misspending through the budget and annual financial statements.
• Representation of the views of different regions and social, economic and religious groups.
• Debating: the highest forum of debate; members may speak on any matter without fear.
• Constituent: amending the Constitution, which needs a special majority in both Houses.
• Electoral: electing the President and Vice President.
• Judicial: considering proposals to remove the President, Vice President, and judges of the High Courts and Supreme Court.

Powers of the two Houses:

• Rajya Sabha: considers and approves non-money bills and suggests amendments to money bills; approves constitutional amendments; controls the executive through questions, motions and resolutions; takes part in electing and removing the President, Vice President and judges, and alone can initiate the removal of the Vice President; and can give Parliament power to legislate on State List matters.
• Lok Sabha: makes laws on Union and Concurrent List matters; introduces and enacts money and non-money bills; approves taxation and budgets; controls the executive through questions, resolutions, motions and the no-confidence motion; amends the Constitution; approves emergency proclamations; elects the President and Vice President and removes judges; and sets up committees and commissions.

Special power of the Rajya Sabha. Since it represents the states, any matter affecting them needs its consent: if Parliament wants to move a subject from the State List to the Union or Concurrent List in the national interest, the Rajya Sabha's approval is required. (In practice, though, Rajya Sabha members often represent their parties more than their states.)

Powers only the Lok Sabha has. The Rajya Sabha cannot initiate, reject or amend money bills. The Council of Ministers is responsible to the Lok Sabha, not the Rajya Sabha, so the Rajya Sabha can criticise the government but cannot remove it. In a democracy the people are the final authority, so the directly elected House has the crucial powers of removing a government and controlling finances.

Where they are co-equal: passing non-money bills, constitutional amendments, impeaching the President and removing the Vice President.

Example (new): if the government wants Parliament to make a single national law on fishing in rivers, a State List subject, it first needs the Rajya Sabha to agree to that shift.