These DAV Class 8 SST Notes and DAV Class 8 SST Chapter 18 Notes – The Union Government: The Legislature hold significant importance as study material for students.
The Union Government: The Legislature Class 8 DAV Notes
→ In a federal structure, there are different levels of government, i.e. national level, state level and grassroot level.
→ The topmost level of government in India is the Union Government or the Central Government. It is also called the National Government. The Union Government has three organs—the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary.
→ The Union Legislature is called the Parliament or Sansad. It consists of the President of India and the two Houses — the Lok Sabha or the Lower House and Rajya Sabha or the Upper House.
→ The members of the Lok Sabha are directly elected by the people whereas the members of the Rajya Sabha are indirectly elected. The President of India is not a member of any of the two Houses. But he/ she is an integral part of the Parliament.
→ The Lok Sabha is the House of the people. The maximum strength of the Lok Sabha shall not exceed 550. Out of this, 530 members are directly elected by the people from different states, whereas the remaining 20 are elected from the Union Territories.
→ There are some seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in order to assist and uplift them and bring them into the mainstream.
→ The term of the Lok Sabha is five years. However, the President can dissolve it earlier also, but only on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.
→ The Speaker of the Lok Sabha is elected from majority party and the Deputy Speaker from the opposition party. The Speaker looks after the orderly and smooth working of the Lok Sabha.
→ The Rajya Sabha is the Council of States. Its maximum strength is 250. Out of these, 12 members are nominated by the President of India and the remaining 238 are elected from the states and Union Territories by the elected members of the Legislative Assemblies.
→ The Rajya Sabha is a Permanent House which can never be dissolved. The Vice President of India is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Like the Lok Sabha Speaker, he/ she also presides over the meetings of the Rajya Sabha.
→ The Parliament is the highest law making body. It makes law on all the subjects enlisted in the Union List, the Concurrent List and the residuary subjects.
→ The Parliament passes the annual budget of the central government every year. It can remove the President, the Judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts. The procedure adopted for this purpose is called impeachment.
→ Universal adult franchise: All the citizens who are 18 or more than 18 years of age have the right to vote.
→ Question hour: The period when questions are asked in Parliament.
→ Impeachment: It is a procedure to remove the President, the Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts.
→ Budget: An estimate of income and expenditure for a given period of time.
→ Constituency: A demarcated area from where voters choose their representatives.
→ Decorum: Dignified behaviour/orderliness.
→ Ex-officio: By virtue of being in office or holding an official position.