Parliament — Definition
Definition
The Indian Parliament is the supreme legislative body of India, established under Articles 79-122 of the Constitution. It represents the principle of parliamentary democracy where the legislature is supreme in making laws, subject to constitutional limitations.
Parliament consists of three components: the President of India and two Houses - the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States). This bicameral structure ensures representation of both the people directly through Lok Sabha and the states through Rajya Sabha.
The Lok Sabha has 543 elected members from constituencies across states and Union Territories, plus 2 nominated Anglo-Indian members (though this provision was abolished by the 104th Amendment in 2020).
The Rajya Sabha has a maximum of 250 members, with 238 representing states and Union Territories and 12 nominated by the President for their expertise in literature, science, art, and social service. Parliament's primary function is legislation - making laws for the entire country on subjects listed in the Union List and Concurrent List of the Seventh Schedule.
It also controls government finances through budget approval, exercises oversight through questions, debates, and committees, and can impeach high constitutional functionaries. The Parliament meets in three sessions annually: Budget Session (February-May), Monsoon Session (July-August), and Winter Session (November-December).
Each session involves various parliamentary procedures including Question Hour, Zero Hour, debates on bills, and committee meetings. The Speaker of Lok Sabha and Chairman of Rajya Sabha (who is the Vice President of India) preside over their respective Houses.
Parliament's powers are extensive but not unlimited - they are subject to the Constitution's basic structure doctrine established by the Supreme Court. The institution embodies the democratic principle of representative government where elected representatives make laws and policies for the nation's governance.