Class 8 Social Science Chapter 6: The Parliamentary System – Legislature and Executive Solutions

1. Find out how many representatives from your state are in each House of the Parliament.

Answer:
Every state sends members to both Houses of India’s Parliament. Taking Uttar Pradesh as an example, the state elects 80 Lok Sabha MPs through direct elections, and it currently has 31 Rajya Sabha MPs chosen by the State Legislative Assembly. This large delegation reflects the state’s sizeable population and its significant role in national law-making and oversight.

2. What makes the Indian Parliament the “voice of the people”? How does it ensure that different opinions are heard?

Answer:
Parliament is the “voice of the people” because its members represent citizens from every region and community. Lok Sabha MPs are directly elected by voters, while Rajya Sabha MPs represent states and Union Territories through their legislatures—together capturing diverse interests and viewpoints.

To ensure many voices are heard, Parliament uses:

1. Question Hour to hold the government accountable.

2. Debates and discussions where different parties scrutinise Bills and policies.

3. Parliamentary Committees that examine Bills, budgets, and implementation in detail and invite expert/stakeholder inputs.

3. Why do you think the Constitution made the Executive responsible to the Legislature?

Answer:
Making the Executive answerable to the Legislature ensures accountability, transparency, and checks on power. The Council of Ministers must retain the confidence of the Lok Sabha, explain decisions, and accept responsibility for errors or failures. This design discourages misuse of authority, encourages reasoned policy, and keeps the government aligned with the people’s mandate expressed through their representatives.

4. Why do you think we have chosen the system of bicameral legislature at the Union level?

Answer:
A bicameral Parliament balances popular representation and federal interests. The Lok Sabha reflects the people’s will by population, while the Rajya Sabha safeguards the voice of states and offers continuity through staggered terms. Two chambers slow down hasty law-making, promote deeper scrutiny, and help reconcile national priorities with regional concerns—strengthening unity while respecting diversity.

5. Try to track the journey of a recent bill passed by the Parliament. Identify in which House it was introduced. Were there any major debates or disagreements? How long did it take for the bill to become a law? Use newspaper archives, government websites, and Lok Sabha debates, or ask your teacher for help.

Answer:
(Suggestive Answer) The Women’s Reservation Bill (now the Constitution 106th Amendment Act, 2023) proposes reserving 33% of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.

First introduced decades ago, it was reintroduced in the Lok Sabha on 19 September 2023, debated extensively on representation and implementation, and passed on 21 September 2023.

The Rajya Sabha also passed it on 21 September 2023, and it received Presidential assent on 28 September 2023. Its eventual passage—after roughly 27 years of discussion—shows both the difficulty and importance of building consensus on transformative reforms.

6. Choose a recent law passed by the Parliament. Ditnde into teams to role- play different parts of the process MPs debating in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, ministers answering questions, and the President giving assent. Present a short skit showing how a bill becomes a law; enact a ‘model Parliament’.

Answer:
Model Parliament: Women’s Reservation Bill

i. Lok Sabha Speaker opens debate; Law Minister explains objectives.

Ii. Supportive MPs argue for wider participation and better governance outcomes.

Iii. Opposition MPs seek clarity on phasing, delimitation, and inclusion across social groups.

Iv. After replies and clause-by-clause voting, the Bill passes Lok Sabha and moves to the Rajya Sabha, where similar debate occurs.

V. On passage by both Houses, the Bill is sent for Presidential assent and becomes law.

This skit highlights deliberation, accountability, and constitutional steps from introduction to assent.

7. The Women’s Reservation Bill, 2023, was passed with wide support. Why might it have taken over 25 years for this bill to be passed, despite being discussed for so long?

Answer:
Progress was slow because parties differed over design details (such as sub-quotas and implementation sequencing), and incumbents feared seat reallocation. Building cross-party consensus on a constitutional amendment is demanding; shifting political priorities and election cycles also delayed scheduling and floor time. The final agreement emerged when broad support converged on the principle and pathway for implementation.

8. Sometimes the Parliament is disrupted and does not function for the number of days it is supposed to. What impact do you think this has on the quality of laws and the trust people place in their representatives?

Answer:
Frequent disruptions reduce debate time, compress committee scrutiny, and can lead to hurried legislation with weaker drafting or oversight. Public trust suffers when issues are not discussed and accountability mechanisms stall.

Prolonged deadlock also wastes resources and discourages constructive participation, especially among young citizens who expect reasoned deliberation in a healthy democracy.

9. Can you create ‘interest’ groups among students and list questions related to any policy that you may want to ask your MP and/or your MLA? How would these questions be different if it is to the MP instead of the MLA, and vice versa?

Answer:
Form student interest groups and align questions to each representative’s remit.

For the MP (national scope):

i. Education access: scholarships, digital infrastructure, national testing reforms.

ii.Employment: startup incentives, internships, skilling missions.

iii. Environment: national air-quality standards, renewable targets, plastic-waste rules.

For the MLA (state/local scope):

i. School upgrades: classrooms, labs, teacher vacancies, mid-day meals.

ii. Local jobs: industrial parks, apprenticeship tie-ups, transport connectivity.

Iii. Environment: city waste management, lakes/green spaces, local pollution control.

The difference lies in jurisdiction—MPs address nationwide policy and budgets; MLAs focus on state and constituency-level execution and services.

10. What is the role that the Judiciary plays in Indian democracy? What could happen if we didn’t have an independent judiciary?

Answer:
The Judiciary upholds the Constitution, protects fundamental rights, and resolves disputes impartially—between citizens, governments, and between the Union and states.

Through judicial review, courts can strike down laws or executive actions that violate constitutional principles. Without an independent judiciary, arbitrary laws could persist, rights might go unenforced, and public confidence in the rule of law would erode—weakening the very foundations of democracy.

NCERT Solutions Class 8 Social Science Chapter 6: The Parliamentary System

Mastering the concepts of The Parliamentary System: Legislature and Executive is key for understanding governance in India. With updated NCERT solutions for 2025-26, students can easily follow the detailed structure and functions of our Parliament and Executive at both Union and State levels.

Focusing on the bicameral legislature, law-making, and executive accountability will help you answer exam questions effectively. Use the chapter’s tables and flow diagrams to visualize how laws are made and how Parliament keeps the Executive in check.

Consistent practice with exercise-based questions and reviewing key NCERT facts can boost your confidence. Remember, regular revision and summarizing functions of each organ will strengthen your answers and help you score higher in Social Science exams.