Page 201 - SST Class 08

taken by the cabinet ministers are binding on all
ministers.
The Prime Minister can ask any one or all
ministers to resign at any time.

Activity
Ravi was born on 01 January, 2000. Write the
earliest date on which he can become the : Dr. Rajendra Prasad Jawaharlal Nehru
1. Member of Lok Sabha _______________ Clarifying the relative position of the two posts,
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar stated, “Under the Draft
2. Member of Rajya Sabha _______________
Constitution, the President occupies the same
3. Prime Minister _______________ position as the King under the English
Constitution. He is the head of the state but not of
4. President _______________
the executive. He represents the nation but does
5. Chief Minister _______________ not rule the nation. He is the symbol of the nation.
His place in the administration is that of a
RELATIVE POSITION OF THE PRESIDENT ceremonial device or a seal by which the nation’s
AND PRIME MINISTER decisions are made known.”
Agreeing with this statement, Dr. Rajendra Prasad
During the framing of the Constitution of India in agreed when he stated, “We have had to reconcile
the Constituent Assembly, there was an occasion the position of an elected President with an
when Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of
elected legislature, and in doing so, we have
India, was not happy with the position of the adopted, more or less, the position of the British
President under the new Constitution. He was of
monarch for the President.” Further speaking
the view that the real powers should lie with the
about the position of the ministers, he stated,
President, and not Prime Minister.
“They are, of course, responsible to the legislature
On the other hand, Jawaharlal Nehru, the first and tender advice to the President who is bound
Prime Minster of India, was of the view that the to act according to their advice.”
position of the President was similar to the From the above discussion, it is clear that in a
monarch of Britain who is the titular head of the parliamentary form of government, the executive
state and enjoys only nominal powers, because he
is responsible to the legislature. As such, the
can act only on the advice of the Prime Minister, Council of Ministers holds office not as a grace of
and thus, the real powers lie with the Prime the President or during his pleasure, but because
Minister.
of the confidence of the Parliament it enjoys.

v The parliamentary form of government is a type of responsible government, so it was chosen for India.

v The three organs of the government are the legislature, the executive and the judiciary which work in
coordination with each other.

v The Parliament of India comprises of two houses—the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
v The Parliament performs many important functions, such as legislation, control over the executive and
national finance, judicial functions, election to different posts etc.
v All powers of the government are divided into three lists—Union List, State List and Concurrent List.
v The Prime Minister is the head of the government and enjoys the real powers.

Parliamentary Government
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