• Parliament is the cardinal precept of parliamentary democracy in India.

• Stands at the core of the institutional arrangement envisioned by the Constitution of India to ensure a democratic polity.

• Modeled on the British Parliament but with substantive modifications suited to Indian context.

• Positioned in such a way that no institution or function of government exists in non-attachment with it.

• Represents the will of the people through their elected representatives.

• Govern the basic norms of functioning of various other institutions.

• Exercises control over the executive to ensure its accountability.

• Critical to analyze basic issues in the structure and functioning of the Indian Parliament.

• Functions as the central authority in maintaining the democratic framework of the country.

• Plays a pivotal role in law-making, policy oversight, and regulating other institutions.

• Ensures that the executive remains answerable to the people’s representatives.

A THOUGHTFUL CHOICE

• The choice of parliamentary system over the presidential model was influenced not only by past experience but by the future imperatives of Indian polity.

• Adoption of parliamentary governance aligned more with expected advantages of Parliament than mere familiarity with representative bodies.

• The framers were guided by the legacy of the national movement against authoritarian colonial rule and aimed for a democratic polity.

• Austin emphasized that the system sought to achieve unity through popular government, universal adult suffrage, and direct representation in popular assemblies culminating in the Parliament.

• Penderel Moon argued that parliamentary democracy was unsuitable due to Hindu-Muslim divisions, but Austin countered that the problem was fragmented franchise based on property, education, and other qualifications.

• Parliament as the supreme representative body addressed unity by representing all Indians without discrimination, fostering a sense of national cohesion.

• The parliamentary system could accommodate federalism, flexible governance, and the supremacy of the Constitution.

• The framers aimed for a flexible system to solve expected and unexpected challenges to unity, democracy, and constitutional governance.

• Adopting a presidential model could have risked authoritarianism, as seen in other newly-independent nations.

• The framers created a hybrid system incorporating virtues of existing governance models suitable for India as a sovereign, democratic, federal republic.

• Parliament was the operational guarantee for federalism, ensuring harmonious Centre-state relations under the Union of India.

• The Supreme Court could resolve disputes between Centre and states, but Parliament was the primary mechanism for maintaining federal integrity.

• The Rajya Sabha was given special powers to safeguard state rights and regulate Centre-state relations.

• Equal representation of states in Rajya Sabha was not possible due to administrative divisions but provisions ensured protection of state autonomy.

• Example: creation of a new All India Service requires a two-thirds Rajya Sabha resolution, preventing excessive central control and protecting state functional autonomy.