How is major political decision taken?

• Office memorandum –A communication issued by an appropriate authority stating the policy or decision of the government.

• Office memorandum issued by gov.t of india• Date - august 13.1990• Reg. no.- O.M.NO.36012/31/90-Est(SCT)• According to this order , 27% of the vacancies in

civil posts and services under the gov.t of india were reserved for the social and economically backward classes and backward caste.

Who are the decision makers?

• Such a major decisions are taken by many important people. Who approve it and than implemented.

• President –he is the head of the state and is the highest formal authority in the country.

• Prime minister- he is the head of the government and exercises all governmental powers .he takes most of the decisions in cabinet meetings.

• Parliament –it consist of two houses , lok sabha and rajya sabha . the prime minister must have the support of majority of lok sabha.

Mandal commission

• Established in india in 1979 headed by Bindeshwari Prasad mandal (B.P.Mandal).

• It gave report on 1980 and made recommendation for the advancement of backward classes.

• One of which was 27%of gov.t jobs be reserved for the SEBC.

• 1989, lok sabha election ,janata dal promised to implement the mandal commission report if voted to power.

• Janta dal did formed gov.t after election.• P.V.Singh , janata dal leader became prime minister

The government to implement the mandal commission report.

• The president in his address to the parliament announced the intention of the gov.t to implement the recommendation.

• On August 6.1990, the union cabinet took a formal decision .

• Next day ,Prime minister V.P.Singh informed the parliament about decision through a statement.

• The decision of the cabinet was sent to the department of personal and training.

• The senior officers of the department drafted an order and took the minister’s approval.

Anti-mandal protest

• protest took the form of attacks on public property,burning buses,rallies,

• Meetings and discussions in press.• End of the protest- supreme court and high

court in india settle disputes.• In 1992,the supreme court declared that this

order of gov.t of india was valid.

Need for political institution

• To take decision regarding the welfare of the people.

• To implement the decisions.• To solve the disputes .• To take good or right decision.

Role of various institutions.

• All the important decisions are taken by the prime minister and the cabinet.

• The civil servants,working together, are responsible for taking steps to implement the ministers decision.

• The supreme court is an institution where disputes between citizens and the gov.t are finally settled.

• The three organ of the democratic government.

1. legislative 2. Executive3. judiciary

1. The parliament• It has its own significance in democracy. • an assembly of elected representatives

exercises supreme political authority on behalf of the people.

• In India such a national assembly of elected representatives is called parliament.

• In the state level this is called legislature or legislative assembly

The parliament is the union legislature of india which comprises.

• the president of india .• the council of states(Rajya sabha).• The house of people(lok sabha).

Lok Sabha• It exercises the real power on the behalf of

the people.• It has 545 members. • The tenure of lok sabha is five years .• If the proclamation of emergency is in

operation, the period may be extend by parliament for one year at a time.

Rajya Sabha• It look after the interests of various

states,regions or federal units. • It has 250 members which are elected indirectly

the legislative assemblies of the various states. • 12 are nominated by the president ,who have

distinguished themselves in literature, art,science or social science.

• Rajya sabha is a permanent body, it is not subject to dissolution but one-third of its members retire every two years.

Power of Lok Sabha over Rajya Sabha• Ordinary bill- Any ordinary law needs to be passed by both the

houses. But if there is a difference between the two houses , the joint session of both the houses is held. Because of the majority the view of lok sabha is likely to prevail in such meeting.

• Money bill- the money bill can originated only in the lok sabha on the recommendation of the president. Rajya sabha cannot reject it. The rajya sabha is given 14 days to make its recommendation. If it fails,the bill is considered to have been peen passed by both the houses.

• No confident motion- the lok sabha control the council of ministers. Only the person who enjoy the support of majority of the members in the lok sabha is appointed the prime minister. If the member of lok sabha say they have ‘no confidence’ in the council of ministers including the prime minister, have to quit. The Rajya Sabha does not have such power.

2.Executive

• According to political theories, the executive is that division of government, which is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the state.

Two parts of executive members

1. Political Executive member/Political leaders or ministers.

2. Permanent Executive members/Civil Servant:They are Secretary, Deputy Secretary , District Magistrate and Deputy collector etc.

The prime minister -P.M.

• He heads the council of ministers.• He is appointed by the president. • He is the leader of the party that enjoys a

majority in the lok sabha. • The prime minister does not have a fixed

tenure. • The president appoints other ministers on the

advice of the prime minister.

Powers of the prime minister

• He chairs cabinet meetings and coordinate the work of the different departments.

• He takes final decisions. He exercises general supervision over all the departments.

• He distribute the work to the ministers and has power to dismiss the ministers. When prime minister quits the entire ministry quits. He has much more power than the cabinet.

Council of ministers

• It is the official name for the body that includes all the ministers.

• It has usually 60 to 80 ministers of different ranks.

Cabinet ministers

• it comprises of 20 ministers. • They are usually top level leaders of the ruling

party. • In the name of the council ministers they take

decision.

Ministers of the state with independent charge

• they are usually incharge of smaller ministries.• They participate in the cabinate meetings if

when specially invited. • they are attached to and required to assist

cabinet ministers. •

The president

• he is the head of the state. • He exercises only nominal power. • He represent the country but does not rule it. • He is not elected directly by the people, The

MPs and MLAs elect him.

Power of the president

• All the gov.t activities takes place in the name of the president.

• All laws and major policy decisions of the gov.t are issued in his name.

• he has a power to appoint chief justice, the judges of the supreme ourt and the high courts of the states,the governors of the states, the election commissioners,ambassadors to other countries only after the president gives assent to it.

The presidential system

• In presidential form of gov.t the president is both the head of the state and the head of the gov.t. For example -: U.S.A.

• The U.S.A. prime minister is directly elected by the people.

• He personally chooses and appoint ministers. The prime minister can veto any law made by the legislature

• President does not need the support of majority and neither he is answerable to them.

• He has a fixed tenure or four years .• India has a patliament system of government

as it follows the British model.

The judiciary

• All the courts in the country are collectively referred to as judiciary.

• The Indian judiciary consist of :1. supreme court for the entire country2. High court for the states3. District courts at local level

Supreme court

• In india supreme court control the judicial administration .

• It can take up any dispute :1. between citizens of the country, Citizens and the

gov.t.2. between two or more state gov.ts.3. between gov.t and the union and state level.4. it is the highest court of appeal for criminal

cases.

Independent of the judiciary

• judge is not under the control of the legislature and the executive.

• Judges do not act on the direction of the government.

Appointment of the judges

• the supreme court consist of one chief justice and 25 other judges.

• The chief justice-appointed by the president • the other judges-appointed by the president in

consultation with the chief justice and on the advice of prime minister.

• Once a person is appointed as judge it is nearly imposssible to remove remove him or her from the position.

Power of the judiciary

• It gives legal advice to the president on any legal or constitutional matter.

• It is the guardian and final interpreter of the constitution.

Judicial review

• It is the power supreme court to review the laws passed by the legislature and the orders issue by the executive to find whether or not they are prohibited by the constitution.

• If the law find that the law or an order of the executive disobeys the provision of the constitution, it declare such law or order null and void.

• It is the guardian of the fundamental rights of the citizens.