Why Do We Need a Parliament?

This civics chapter explains why India needs a Parliament and how it works. In a democracy, the government rules with the consent of the people, and citizens take part in decision-making through their elected representatives. You will learn how the idea of universal adult franchise grew out of the freedom struggle, how voters in each of the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies elect one Member of Parliament, and how members of the Rajya Sabha are mainly elected by the members of state legislative assemblies. You will study the functions of Parliament: selecting the national government, since the party or coalition with a majority of at least 272 members in the Lok Sabha forms the government with the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers; controlling, guiding and informing the government, especially through the Question Hour and the role of the opposition; and making laws. You will also see who our MPs are, with seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and the 2023 law reserving one-third of seats for women.

Detailed Worksheet: Why Do We Need a Parliament? Section A - Definitions (10 marks) 1. What is Parliament? Name its three parts. (2 marks) 2. What is a constituency? Who represents it in the Lok Sabha? (2 marks) 3. What is a coalition government? (2 marks) 4. What is the Question Hour? Why is it important? (2 marks) 5. What is the role of the opposition in Parliament? (2 marks) Section B - Calculations and Applications (15 marks) 6. The Lok Sabha has 543 elected seats. What is the minimum number needed for a majority? A party wins 240 seats and its allies win 53. Can they form the government together? How many more than the minimum do they have? (3 marks) 7. The Rajya Sabha can have a maximum of 250 members, of whom up to 238 represent states and union territories and 12 are nominated by the President. What percentage of the maximum strength is nominated? Name two fields from which nominated members come. (3 marks) 8. In a general election, 64 crore votes were cast out of 97 crore registered voters. Find the voter turnout as a percentage, correct to one decimal place. (3 marks) 9. If 74 women were elected to the 543-member Lok Sabha in 2024, find their percentage, correct to one decimal place. Under the 2023 law reserving one-third of seats for women, about how many seats would be reserved? (3 marks) 10. Classify the following as functions of the legislature, executive or judiciary: making a new law on education, implementing a scheme for free gas connections, deciding a dispute between two states, asking questions to ministers, passing the budget, punishing a criminal. (3 marks) Section C - Diagrams (10 marks) 11. Draw a flowchart showing how a Lok Sabha election leads to the formation of the Union government, from voters to MPs to the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. (4 marks) 12. Draw a chart showing the composition of Parliament: the President, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, with how members of each house are chosen. (3 marks) 13. Draw a chart showing the functions of Parliament under the headings selecting the government, controlling the government and making laws. (3 marks) Section D - Analysis and Higher-order Thinking (15 marks) 14. Explain why the decision to give the right to vote to all adults was so important for India in 1947. How does it connect to the freedom struggle? (5 marks) 15. Explain how Parliament controls, guides and informs the government. What role do the opposition and the Question Hour play? (5 marks) 16. Why are seats reserved in Parliament for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and now for women? Discuss how this makes Parliament more representative. (5 marks) Instructions: Time allowed 2 hours. Attempt all sections. Show working in all data-based questions.