What are features of parliamentary government in India?
Q. Which of the following are the features on the basis of which the parliamentary system of government in India operates?- Published on 23 Feb 17a. Nominal and real executives
b. Executive responsible to lower house
c. Prime Minister is the real executive
d. All of the above
ANSWER: All of the above
The features are -
Nominal and Real Executives -
1. The President is the nominal executive (de jure executive or titular executive) - head of the State.
2. The Prime Minister is the real executive (de facto executive) - head of the government.
Majority Party Rule -
1. The political party with majority seats in the Lok Sabha forms the government.
2. The leader of that party is appointed as the Prime Minister by the President.
3. However, when no single party gets the majority, a coalition of parties may be invited by the President to form the government.
Collective Responsibility -
1. This is bedrock principle of parliamentary government.
2. Article 75 - the ministers are collectively responsible to the Parliament in general and to the Lok Sabha in particular.
3. The principle implies that the Lok Sabha can remove the council of ministers headed by the prime minister) by passing a vote of no confidence.
Political Homogeneity -
1. Usually members of the council of ministers belong to the same political party, and thus they share the same political ideology.
2. In coalition government, the ministers are bound by consensus.
Double Membership -
1. The ministers are members of both the legislature and the executive.
2. The minister has to be member of the Parliament. If not, he must get elected within 6 months else he cannot remain minister.
Leadership of the Prime Minister - The Prime Minister is the leader of council of ministers, leader of the Parliament and leader of the party in power.
- Fusion of powers can be seen as opposed to separation of powers.
Dissolution of the Lower House -
1. The lower house of the Parliament (Lok Sabha) can be dissolved by the President on recommendation of the Prime Minister before the expiry of its term and fresh elections could be held.
2. Thus, the executive enjoys the right to get the legislature dissolved in a parliamentary system.
Secrecy -
1. The ministers operate on the principle of secrecy of procedure and cannot divulge information about their proceedings, policies and decisions.
2. Oath of secrecy is administered to them by President before entering their office.
