Working of Institutions
Working of Institutions
Working of Institutions
Parliament
Decisions are not directly taken in Parliament. But Parliamentary discussions on the Report influence and shape the
decision of the government. These discussions bring pressure on the government to act. If Parliament is not in
favour of the decision, then the Government can not go ahead and can not implement the decision.
Political Executive
At different levels of any government, functionaries take day-to-day decisions but do not exercise supreme power
on behalf of the people. All these functionaries are collectively known as the executive. This executive is in charge
of the ‘execution’ of the policies of the government. Thus, when we talk about ‘the government’ we usually mean
the executive.
The Council of Ministers is the official name for the body that includes all the Ministers. It usually has 60 to 80
Ministers of different ranks as mentioned below:
1. Cabinet Ministers are usually top-level leaders of the ruling party or parties who are in charge of the major
ministries. The cabinet is the inner ring of the Council of Ministers and comprises about 25 ministers.
2. Ministers of State with independent charge are usually in-charge of smaller Ministries. They participate in the
Cabinet meetings only when specially invited.
3. Ministers of State are the junior minister, who are assigned to assist cabinet ministers and the ministers of state
with independent charge.
Parliamentary democracy in most countries is often known as the Cabinet form of government because most of the
decisions are taken in Cabinet meetings. Every ministry has secretaries, who are civil servants. The secretaries
provide the necessary background information to the ministers to take decisions. The Cabinet as a team is assisted
by the Cabinet Secretariat.
The President
The President is the head of the State. The President supervises the overall functioning of all the political
institutions in India, so that they operate in harmony to achieve the objectives of the State.
Election of President
The President is not elected directly by the people. A candidate standing for President’s post has to get a majority
of votes from Members of Parliament (MPs) and the Members of the Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) to win the
election.
Powers of President
1. All governmental activities take place in the name of the President.
2. All laws and major policy decisions of the government are issued in the name of the President.
3. All major appointments are made in the name of the President, which include the appointment of the Chief
Justice of India, the Judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts of the states, the Governors of the states, the
Election Commissioners, Ambassadors to other countries, etc.
4. All international treaties and agreements are made in the name of the President.
5. The President is the supreme commander of the defence forces of India.
The President exercises all these powers only on the advice of the Council of Ministers. The President can only
appoint the Prime Minister by his/her own will.
The Judiciary
All the courts at different levels in a country put together are called the judiciary. The Indian judiciary consists of:
• A Supreme Court for the entire nation
• High Courts in the states
• District Courts
• The courts at the local level
India has an integrated judiciary which means the Supreme Court controls the judicial administration in the
country. Its decisions are binding on all other courts of the country. It can take up any dispute
• Between citizens of the country
• Between citizens and government
• Between two or more state governments
• Between governments at the union and state level
Independence of the judiciary means that it is not under the control of the legislature or the executive. The judges
do not act on the direction of the government or according to the wishes of the party in power.
The judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts are appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime
Minister and in consultation with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Once a person is appointed as judge of the
Supreme Court or the High Court it is nearly impossible to remove him or her from that position. A judge can be
removed only by an impeachment motion passed separately by two thirds members of the two Houses of the
Parliament.
Powers of Judiciary
The judiciary in India is one of the most powerful in the world.
• The Supreme Court and the High Courts have the power to interpret the Constitution of the country.
• They can determine the Constitutional validity of any legislation or action of the executive in the country when it
is challenged before them. This is known as the judicial review.
• The Supreme Court of India has also ruled that the core or basic principles of the Constitution cannot be changed
by the Parliament.
The powers and the independence of the Indian judiciary allow it to act as the guardian of the Fundamental Rights.
Anyone can approach the courts if public interest is hurt by the actions of the government. This is called (PIL) public
interest litigation.