Class 8 Social Science Part 1 Chapter 6 – The Parliamentary System: Legislature and Executive | NCERT Notes & Book Solutions
Class 8 Social Science Part 1 Chapter 6 – The Parliamentary System: Legislature and Executive from the new NCERT textbook Exploring Society: India and Beyond. Get easy Notes and complete Book Solutions with important concepts, questions and answers, and revision material for effective learning, practice and exam preparation.
Class 8 Social Science Chapter 6 | The Parliamentary System: Legislature and Executive | Notes & Solutions
India follows a Parliamentary system of government.
The Parliament is the main law-making body of the Union Government.
It consists of the President, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
The Legislature makes laws and keeps a check on the
Executive. The Executive implements laws and runs the
day-to-day administration of the country.
At the Union level, the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers form
the main working Executive. At the State level, the Chief Minister
and Council of Ministers perform a similar role.
The Judiciary interprets the Constitution and laws and helps maintain
checks and balances among the organs of government.
🏛️ Parliament of India
New Parliament Building, New Delhi — image from Wikimedia Commons,
Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Government of India.
View of the Lok Sabha chamber in the new Parliament building.
Rajya Sabha chamber in the new Parliament building.
⭐ The Big Questions
1
What is India’s parliamentary system, and how is it structured?
Easy Solution:
India has a Parliamentary system in which people elect representatives.
The Parliament consists of the President, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
The majority group in the Lok Sabha forms the Union Government.
2
What are the key functions of the Parliament?
Easy Solution:
The Parliament makes laws, discusses national issues, checks the
Executive, approves government spending and performs important
constitutional functions.
3
What are the roles of the legislature and the executive in India’s Parliamentary democracy?
Easy Solution:
The Legislature mainly makes laws and checks the Executive.
The Executive implements laws and runs the government.
4
How are the legislature and the executive organised at the union and state levels?
Easy Solution:
At the Union level, the Parliament is the Legislature and the
President, Prime Minister and Council of Ministers form the Executive.
At the State level, the State Legislature makes laws and the Governor,
Chief Minister and Council of Ministers form the Executive.
🧠 Easy Concept Notes
🏛️ Parliament
The supreme legislative body of the Union Government.
It consists of the President, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
👥 Legislature
The organ that makes laws, discusses issues and checks the work
of the Executive.
⚙️ Executive
The organ that implements laws and manages the day-to-day
work of government.
⚖️ Judiciary
The courts interpret laws and protect the Constitution and
fundamental rights.
🏠 Lok Sabha
House of the People. Its members are directly elected by the people.
🌐 Rajya Sabha
Council of States. Its elected members are chosen indirectly
through an electoral process.
🏛️ Composition of the Parliament
President
➜
Lok Sabha House of the People
➜
Rajya Sabha Council of States
Bicameral: A legislature having two Houses is called
a bicameral legislature.
Important Points
Lok Sabha members are directly elected by the people.
Rajya Sabha members are elected indirectly.
The Lok Sabha is the lower House.
The Rajya Sabha is the upper House.
The Vice President is the Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha.
The Speaker presides over the Lok Sabha.
🇮🇳 Federalism
Federalism means that powers are distributed between the Union,
State and local governments.
Union Government
Deals with subjects assigned to the Union.
State Government
Deals with subjects assigned to the State.
Concurrent List
Both Union and State Governments can make laws on these subjects.
🎙️ Presiding Officers
House
Presiding Officer
Main Role
Lok Sabha
Speaker
Conducts proceedings and maintains order.
Rajya Sabha
Vice President of India
Acts as Chairperson and conducts proceedings.
📜 Legislative Functions of Parliament
1. Constitutional Functions
Parliament performs important constitutional duties and can amend the Constitution according to the prescribed process.
2. Lawmaking
Parliament discusses and passes bills that can become laws.
3. Executive Accountability
Parliament questions and examines the work of the Executive.
4. Financial Accountability
Parliament approves and monitors government expenditure.
📑 How Does a Bill Become a Law?
Bill introduced
➜
Reading & Discussion
➜
Committee / Consideration
➜
Voting
➜
Other House
➜
President’s Assent
➜
Act / Law
Bill: A draft of a proposed law.
Act: A bill that has completed the required process
and received assent becomes an Act.
Standing Committee: A committee of MPs that examines
government activities and bills and makes recommendations.
📚 RTE and Lawmaking
Draw a small chart to show the process of how RTE became an act. What do you think the process would be if RTE had been tabled in the Lok Sabha?
Easy Solution:
A simple chart can be:
Constitutional idea → 86th Constitutional Amendment → Bill introduced
→ Committee study → Debate and changes → Passed by Parliament
→ President’s assent → RTE Act, 2009.
If it had been introduced in the Lok Sabha, the first House in the
process would have been the Lok Sabha instead of the Rajya Sabha.
Why do you think that Parliament keeps an eye on government expenditure? (Hint: Whose money does the government spend?)
Easy Solution:
The government spends public money collected through taxes and other
sources. Parliament therefore checks whether public money is being
used properly and for approved purposes.
🔎 Executive Accountability
The Prime Minister and Council of Ministers are responsible for
running the government and implementing laws.
Question Hour
MPs ask ministers questions about government policies and actions.
Committees
Parliamentary committees examine government work and seek explanations.
Collective Responsibility
The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.
🔍 Standing Committee Activity
Observe the screenshots above and discuss the following in small groups — Who is reporting to whom? What is the subject that has been reviewed? Identify the Committee’s recommendation. What is the government’s reply?
Easy Solution:
The Ministry of Ayush is responding to the Standing Committee.
The subject is the availability and development of Ayush facilities.
The Committee recommended better arrangements and coordination.
The government explained the steps already taken and the role of
State and UT Governments.
⚙️ Executive – Easy Notes
Member
Simple Role
President
Head of State and nominal head of the Executive.
Prime Minister
Main working executive authority and leader of the Council of Ministers.
Council of Ministers
Helps run the government and is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.
Civil Servants
Help implement laws, policies and government decisions.
💡 Let’s Explore – Executive
If the Executive is part of the Legislature, how do we say that there is separation of power? (Hint: revisit the section on legislature above)
Easy Solution:
In the Parliamentary system, ministers may be members of Parliament,
but their roles are different. Parliament makes laws and checks the
Executive, while the Executive mainly implements laws and runs the
government. This creates a system of checks and balances.
⚖️ Legislature vs Executive
Aspect
Legislature
Executive
Composition
President, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha
President, Vice President and Council of Ministers headed by Prime Minister
Main Role
Makes laws and oversees the Executive
Implements laws and runs the government
Questions
Questions the Executive
Provides explanations to the Legislature
Finance
Approves government expenditure
Prepares and implements the approved budget
⚖️ Judiciary – Checks and Balances
The Judiciary consists of courts. It interprets laws, resolves disputes
and checks whether laws and government actions follow the Constitution.
This creates a system of checks and balances so that
no single organ of government becomes too powerful.
Legislature makes laws
↔
Executive implements laws
↔
Judiciary interprets & reviews
⚖️ Let’s Explore – Judiciary
Æ What might happen if one of the organs — Legislature, Executive, Judiciary — had all the power? How could it affect the rights of people? Discuss with your classmates how each organ checks the others. For example, how does the Legislature question the actions of the Executive? How does the Judiciary make sure that laws and government actions respect the Constitution? Do you think there might be ways in which the actions of the Judiciary itself are reviewed?
Easy Solution:
If one organ had all the power, there could be a risk of misuse of
power and weaker protection of people’s rights. The Legislature can
question the Executive, while the Judiciary can review laws and
government actions for constitutional compliance. The Judiciary also
works within the constitutional and legal framework.
Æ Can you find examples where the Judiciary has asked lawmakers to review a law? Can you find any instances when the implementation of a law has been questioned by the Judiciary?
Easy Solution:
This is a research activity. Students should find a documented
court case from a reliable government or court source and write:
Case: __________
Law involved: __________
What the Judiciary said: __________
Result: __________
🏠 Legislature and Executive at State Level
Each state has its own Legislature and Executive.
Members of Legislative Assembly are called MLAs.
Union Level
State Level
Parliament
State Legislature
Lok Sabha
Vidhan Sabha
Rajya Sabha
Vidhan Parishad in some states
Prime Minister
Chief Minister
President
Governor
📋 Union List, State List and Concurrent List
🇮🇳 Union List
Subjects on which the Union Government has legislative power.
🏠 State List
Subjects on which State Governments have legislative power.
🤝 Concurrent List
Both Union and State Governments can make laws on these subjects.
Remember: Education is included in the Concurrent List.
🏛️ Structure of State Legislature
What type of legislature does your state have?
Easy Solution:
Check the structure of your own State Legislature. It may be
unicameral (one House) or bicameral
(two Houses).
Write:
My state: ____________________
Type: ____________________
Unicameral: One House.
Bicameral: Two Houses — Vidhan Sabha and Vidhan Parishad.
⚠️ Challenges to Effective Functioning
Absenteeism of members.
Disruptions during parliamentary proceedings.
Reduced quality of some debates.
Interruption of Question Hour.
Sessions may sometimes be cut short.
Some bills may take a long time to be discussed and passed.
Citizen’s Role:
Staying informed, asking questions, participating in public discussions
and understanding government policies can help citizens participate
constructively in democracy.
📊 Parliament and Productivity
Æ Read the following statement of the former chairman of the Rajya Sabha, M. Venkaiah Naidu given in 2021: “…the productivity of Rajya Sabha during 2004-14 has been about 78% and it declined to about 65% since then. Of the 11 sessions [that he presided over], four of them clocked low productivity of 6.80%, 27.30%, 28.90% and 29.55%; during the year 2018, the Rajya Sabha recorded the lowest ever productivity of 35.75% under the impact of disruptions.” What conclusions can you draw from this statement? What implications does this have for the role that the Rajya Sabha is expected to play?
Easy Solution:
The statement shows that the amount of scheduled time actually used
for parliamentary work can vary. Lower productivity can mean less time
for debate, questions and legislative work. The Rajya Sabha is expected
to provide a useful forum for discussion, lawmaking and representation
of states.
Æ Study the data given in the following table. What conclusions can you draw about the functioning of Parliament over time? Compile data for more recent years.
Easy Solution:
The table shows that the number of sittings of the Lok Sabha changed
over different periods. Students should compare the figures and then
add recent data from an official parliamentary source.
👥 Group Project
Æ Take up a small group project. Compile data regarding the functioning of the legislature in your state or union territory.
Easy Solution:
Collect information about the number of sessions, sittings, bills,
questions and important debates from an official State Legislature
website. Present the information in a table or chart.
Æ Seek an appointment with an MLA and gather information about challenges with respect to the state legislature.
Easy Solution:
Prepare a few neutral questions before meeting the MLA. Ask about
legislative work, public issues, attendance, debates and challenges
in the State Legislature. Record the responses accurately.
🇮🇳 Democracy and Parliament
Æ What message do you think this gives about the role of Parliament and leaders in a democracy? Why is it important to protect democratic values even when political power changes?
Easy Solution:
The message is that governments and political groups may change,
but the country and its democratic institutions continue. Democratic
values such as constitutional government, accountability and respect
for citizens should remain important.
✅ Before We Move On
Power Sharing
India’s Parliamentary system shares power among institutions.
Lawmaking
The Legislature makes laws.
Implementation
The Executive implements laws.
Checks
The Judiciary checks constitutional limits.
📚 Questions and Activities
1
Find out how many representatives from your state are in each House of the Parliament.
Easy Solution:
This is a research activity. Check the latest official Parliament or
Election Commission information for your state.
Lok Sabha representatives: __________
Rajya Sabha representatives: __________
2
What makes the Indian Parliament the “voice of the people”? How does it ensure that different opinions are heard?
Easy Solution:
People elect representatives to Parliament. MPs discuss laws and
public issues. Different constituencies, states and political groups
bring different views to parliamentary discussions.
3
Why do you think the Constitution made the Executive responsible to the Legislature?
Easy Solution:
It helps make the Executive accountable. The Legislature can ask
questions, seek explanations and examine government actions.
4
Why do you think we have chosen the system of bicameral legislature at the Union level?
Easy Solution:
A second House provides representation of the states and gives another
forum for examining laws and national issues. It supports the federal
structure of India.
5
Try to track the journey of a recent bill passed by the Parliament. Identify in which House it was introduced. Were there any major debates or disagreements? How long did it take for the bill to become a law? Use newspaper archives, government websites, and Lok Sabha debates, or ask your teacher for help.
Easy Solution:
Choose one recent law and prepare a timeline:
Name of Bill: __________
House where introduced: __________
Important debate: __________
Passed by first House: __________
Passed by second House: __________
President’s assent: __________
Total time: __________
6
Choose a recent law passed by the Parliament. Divide into teams to role-play different parts of the process — MPs debating in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, ministers answering questions, and the President giving assent. Present a short skit showing how a bill becomes a law; enact a ‘model Parliament’.
Easy Solution:
Divide the class into groups representing MPs, ministers, the two
Houses and the President. Show the stages of introduction, discussion,
voting, passage by both Houses and Presidential assent.
7
The Women’s Reservation Bill, 2023, was passed with wide support. Why might it have taken over 25 years for this bill to be passed, despite being discussed for so long?
Easy Solution:
The proposal was discussed and introduced in different forms over
many years. Differences over its design, implementation and political
agreement contributed to the long process before Parliament passed
the 2023 legislation.
8
Sometimes the Parliament is disrupted and does not function for the number of days it is supposed to. What impact do you think this has on the quality of laws and the trust people place in their representatives?
Easy Solution:
Disruptions can reduce the time available for debate, questions and
discussion of bills. If important work is repeatedly affected, it may
also influence public confidence in the functioning of representatives.
9
Can you create ‘interest’ groups among students and list questions related to any policy that you may want to ask your MP and / or your MLA? How would these questions be different if it is to the MP instead of the MLA, and vice versa?
Easy Solution:
Create groups around topics such as education, roads, environment,
sports or public transport.
Questions to an MP can focus on Union-level subjects.
Questions to an MLA can focus on State-level subjects.
Some subjects may involve both levels because of shared responsibilities.
10
What is the role that the Judiciary plays in Indian democracy? What could happen if we didn’t have an independent judiciary?
Easy Solution:
The Judiciary interprets laws, resolves disputes, protects constitutional
principles and reviews laws or government actions when required.
Without an independent Judiciary, there could be a weaker check on
government power and weaker protection of constitutional rights.
🧠 Quick Revision
Parliament
President + Lok Sabha + Rajya Sabha
Lok Sabha
House of the People
Rajya Sabha
Council of States
Legislature
Makes laws and checks the Executive
Executive
Implements laws and runs government
Judiciary
Interprets laws and protects constitutional limits
Remember These Terms
ParliamentBicameralLegislatureExecutiveJudiciaryFederalismBillActQuestion HourStanding CommitteeChecks and BalancesUnion ListState ListConcurrent List
Class 8 Social Science Part 1 Chapter 6, Class 8 Social Science Chapter 6 Notes, The Parliamentary System Legislature and Executive, Class 8 Social Science Chapter 6 Book Solutions, The Parliamentary System Notes and Solutions, Legislature and Executive Notes, Class 8 Social Science Questions and Answers, Class 8 Social Science Part 1 Solutions, NCERT Class 8 Social Science, NCERT Class 8 Social Science Part 1, CBSE Class 8 Social Science, Class 8 Social Science Study Material, Class 8 Social Science Revision Notes, Class 8 Social Science Worksheets
