Correct Answer - Option 1 : Parliament
The Parliament is the highest law-making body of the Union Government.
- Parliament performs several essential functions including that of making laws, scrutinising and passing the budget, conducting oversight on the activities of the government and representing citizens.
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As a law-making body, Parliament is tasked with examining legislation and passing it after scrutiny and debate.
- The basic function of Parliament is to make laws.
- All legislative proposals have to be brought in the form of Bills before Parliament.
- A Bill is a statute in the draft and cannot become law unless it has received the approval of both the Houses of Parliament and the assent of the President of India.
- The process of lawmaking begins with the introduction of a Bill in either House of Parliament.
- A Bill can be introduced either by a Minister or a member other than a Minister.
- In the former case, it is called a Government Bill and in the latter case, it is known as a Private Member's Bill.
The Indian legislative system is a bicameral one which means that there are two houses at the centre responsible for making laws and other deliberative functions—the Lok Sabha or the House of People and the Rajya Sabha or the Council of States.
- Members of the Lok Sabha (Lower House) are elected directly by the people from 543 constituencies around the country.
- Two members are nominated by the President from among the members of the Anglo-Indian community.
- The term of the Lok Sabha is five years upon the completion of which it is dissolved in its entirety.
- The members of Rajya Sabha (Upper House) are elected by the elected members of the legislative assemblies of the respective states under proportional representation.
- It is a permanent chamber which means that it does not dissolve all at once.
- Each member is effectively elected for six years as a third of the members retire every two years.
- The Rajya Sabha has a total of 250 members, 238 elected members and 12 members nominated by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister.
