Maharashtra Board Class 8 Civics Textbook in English - Byju's

1 Civics . ( parliamentary system ). CONTENTS. No. Topic Page No. 1. Introduction to the parliamentary 68. 2. The Indian 71. 3. The Union 75. 4. The Indian Judicial 79. 5. The State 83. 6. 86. 66. Learning Outcomes Suggested learning process Learning outcome To give opportunities to study Individually or Students in the group of two or more and to motivate the students in undertaking following activities Can interpret the social and political problems in their surrounding in the light of/ with To participate in the discussions on the reference to Indian constitution. concepts such as Constitution, Parliament, Judiciary, marginalisation Distinguish between union government and To make oral or written presentation and to the government of the constituent states prepare posters with sketches, drawings based Explain/elaborate the election process of Lok on themes such as Constitution, Preamble, Sabha parliamentary system , division of powers and federalism Can find out/determine one's own constituency To initiate debates on how principles of in the map of Lok Sabha Constituencies of liberty, equality and fraternity are implemented State and Union Territories and can write the in Classroom, School, home and society names of local representatives To observe the maps of Lok Sabha Constituency Can describe the process of law making (for of State and Union Territories example Law for the protection against To organise model elections with the model domestic violence, Right to Information Act.)

2 Code of conduct and youth parliament Right to Education Act etc.). To prepare the list of registered voters in our Can state the important judicial decisions and neighbourhood and surrounding on the basis of it can explain the working To organise awareness campaign on importance of judicial system . of voting in the surrounding area To get information about public works Can demonstrate how to file first investigation undertaken by the representatives of people in report our constituency Can analyse the causes of why the weaker To examine and understand First Investigation sections in our society are left out and its Report effects To give opportunity to express oneself through detailed and analytical writing on the role of They know the role of government in judges in getting justice to the claimants. providing public services such as water, public cleanliness, roads, electricity etc. and To organise group discussions on the promotion the availability of these services violation and protection of human rights of women, scheduled castes and tribes, nomadic Explain the nature of governmental machinery tribes, religious and linguistic minorities, in Maharashtra .

3 Handicapped, children with special needs and the other deprived classes. Perform a role play about child labour, child rights and the criminal justice system in India. To give opportunity to share experience with fellow students on inequality in public facilities - water, health facilities and electricity To organise debates on how Government is responsible for providing public facilities 67. 1. Introduction to the parliamentary system In this chapter, we will learn the has evolved over a period of time. The machinery or the system of government parliamentary system of Government as given in the Indian Constitution. having its roots in Parliament' is considered as a contribution of England. Have you thought of this ? India has adopted this parliamentary What is a parliamentary system of system . We can see some broad similarities government ? in the parliamentary system of England In India we have Prime Minister but and the parliamentary system of India. why is there no Prime Minister in But when looked at an institutional level, the United States of America ?

4 The Indian parliamentary system is What is the difference between a different in its content. parliamentary and a Presidential system of government ? Let us understand the characteristics of the Indian parliamentary system of These questions would lead us to government in India. conclude that every country has a different The parliamentary system is a system form of government. Before we go ahead of governance. The legislature of the to understand different types of Central government is known as the Government systems, let us get information Parliament. The Indian Parliament is about the main branches of government. composed of President, Lok Sabha The function of the Legislature is to and Rajya Sabha. make laws. The Executive implements the Members of the Lok Sabha are law and the Judiciary provides justice. directly elected by the people. The The functions of these organs, their number of members in the House is jurisdiction and limitations on their power fixed. and the interrelationship between these Elections to the Lok Sabha are held organs are decided by the Constitution.

5 It at regular intervals. All political is the nature of their interrelationship that parties contest these elections. The determines the system of government party which gets more than half of adopted in a particular country. the seats is considered as the majority There are two main types of party. The majority party forms the government systems that are followed. government. (1) parliamentary system (2) Presidential Sometimes, when no party gets a system . clear majority, some parties come parliamentary system of government together to form a majority and they The parliamentary system of can establish the government. This government developed primarily in kind of a government is known as a England. The English Constitution is an coalition government. unwritten Constitution. The governance is In this way, candidates directly elected carried out in accordance with traditions by people become members of the and customs and conventions. The legislature and the party in majority British Parliament' is an institution that gets a chance to form the government.

6 68. The leader of the majority party executive. becomes the Prime Minister. He/She In the parliamentary form of selects candidates for ministerial government, the legislature is a supreme positions from among his/her institution. Elected representatives of colleagues. people express demands and aspirations The Prime Minister and the Council of common people in the Parliament. The of Ministers chosen by the Prime Parliament' decides upon issues of public Minister together forms the Executive' welfare. Since it is the House of in the parliamentary system of Representatives of people and expresses government. In parliamentary system , sovereign authority of the people, it is the Executive has a dual considered as the supreme body. responsibility : (1) As an Executive Why did India adopt a parliamentary they have to implement laws. (2) As they are the members of the legislature, system of government ? they also have to fulfill responsibilities India adopted the parliamentary system of the Legislature.

7 Of government for several reasons. The The Prime Minister and the Council development of parliamentary institutions of Ministers is responsible to the legislature started during the British rule. The British for all their actions and policies. It means rulers governed in accordance with this that the Council of Ministers has to work system . The parliamentary system of with the legislature. It is for this reason government in India is also in a way a that the parliamentary system is known product of the freedom movement. Indians as responsible system of government'. were familiar to this system of government. Another distinct characteristic of Many discussions took place in the parliamentary system of government is Constituent Assembly over the system of collective responsibility. Decision taken government. The framers of the Constitution by any ministry/department is considered made few changes in the parliamentary as decision of the government. The entire system to suit the Indian situation.

8 Council of ministers is responsible for the Discussions and deliberations are an decision. In the next two chapters, we integral part of the parliamentary form of will see with examples, how the principle government. Questions related to public of collective responsibility is brought into welfare are discussed in the legislature. practice. Members from the opposition party also In the parliamentary system , the take part in these discussions. Opposition Executive is dependent upon the confidence parties may support the government of the legislature in them. This means wherever appropriate, point out that the Council of Minister remains in shortcomings in policies and laws, put up power till it enjoys the support or studied arguments and questions etc. This confidence of the legislature. If the helps the legislature to make proper laws. legislature feels that the Executive does Presidential system of government not work in accordance to its wishes, it Presidential system of government removes the executive from power by can be said to be another important passing a no-confidence motion against system of government.

9 This type of system the executive. No-confidence motion is an exists in countries such as United States effective tool of keeping a check over the 69. of America. This system is different from President are directly elected by the the parliamentary form. In this system , people. The President is the executive the President is the Executive and is head and has lot of powers including independent of the legislature and as the power to implement laws. Head of the State (the President) is In spite of such a structure, the directly elected by people. Such a system legislature and the executive keep a is known as the Presidential system of check on each other. This mutual government. Though the three organs are control over each other can lead to a independent from each other, there are responsible government. enough connections between them to work Apart from the parliamentary and in harmony/coordination. The United presidential systems of government there States of America has adopted the are other forms of government systems presidential system of government.

10 That are followed in France, Switzerland, These are some features of this Germany, etc. Several countries owing to system of government. their unique circumstances have evolved In a presidential form of government, different systems of government. the legislature and the executive are In the next chapter, we will study the not directly dependent on each other. structure, working and role of the Indian The Houses of the Legislature and the Parliament. Exercise 1. Choose the correct option and rewrite 2. Discussion and deliberations are the statements. important in a parliamentary system of 1. parliamentary system of government government. developed in .. 4. Answer the following in 25 to 30 words. (a) England (b) France 1. What is a responsible government? (c) United States of America (d) Nepal 2. Enumerate the characteristics of the 2. In the Presidential system .. is the presidential system of government. executive head. (a) Prime Minister 5. Why is the role of opposition parties (b) Lok Sabha Speaker important?