India has a bicameral (two-house) Parliament consisting of the President, the Lok Sabha, and the Rajya Sabha.
Lok Sabha (House of the People):
Role: The lower house and the primary legislative body.
- The government is responsible to the Lok Sabha and must resign if it loses a vote of no-confidence.
Composition: Has 543 members.
Election: Members are directly elected by the people from constituencies across the country for a 5-year term.
Powers: Holds primary power over money bills and budgets.
Rajya Sabha (Council of States):
Role: The upper house, which represents the states of India.
- It acts as a check on the Lok Sabha and provides a forum for experts and elder statesmen.
Composition: Has 245 members.
- 233 are elected by state legislative assemblies, and 12 are nominated by the President for their contributions to art, literature, science, etc.
Term: It’s a permanent body and is never dissolved.
Members have a 6-year term, with one-third of the members retiring every two years.
State
India is a union of 28 states and 8 union territories. Each state has its own government that functions in a structure mirroring the Union government