Parliament
Parliament for UPSC — Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, presiding officers, law-making, Money Bills, joint sittings, budget, devices, committees and privileges.
SyllabusGS II · Parliament and State legislatures — structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers and privileges
Part V, Chapter II (Articles 79–122) creates Parliament — the President, the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and the House of the People (Lok Sabha). It makes laws, controls the purse, and holds the executive to account every sitting day.
What UPSC asks. Prelims is procedure-heavy: who certifies a Money Bill, when a joint sitting is held and who presides, which Bills lapse on dissolution, which motions are allowed only in the Lok Sabha, what a cut motion does, how committees are composed. Mains asks about the decline in sittings and debate, the Money Bill route, the role of the Rajya Sabha, committee scrutiny, and parliamentary privilege.
| Sub-topic | Where to study it |
|---|---|
| Composition, qualifications, presiding officers, sessions | Law-Making in Parliament |
| Ordinary, Money and Financial Bills; joint sitting; budget | Law-Making in Parliament |
| Question Hour, Zero Hour, motions | Parliamentary Devices, Committees and Privileges |
| Financial and departmental committees | Parliamentary Devices, Committees and Privileges |
| Privileges (Article 105) | Parliamentary Devices, Committees and Privileges |
Revise with the quick revision sheet and test yourself on the practice questions.