Civics Chapter 3How the Sate Government Works

The three levels of Government

Central Government

State GovernmentLocal Self

Government

The three organs of the Government

Legislature Executive Judiciary

LEGISLATURE

UNICAMERAL BICAMERAL

VIDHAN SABHA(Legislative Assembly)

VIDHAN PARISHAD(Legislative Council)

MLAMember of Legislative Assembly

MLCMember of Legislative Council

VIDHAN SABHA(Legislative Assembly)

MLAMember of Legislative Assembly

Legislative Assembly building, Vidhana

Soudha, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.

Legislative Assembly building, Suvarna Vidhana

Soudha, Belagavi, Karnataka, India (Winter session)

Vidhan Parishad

• Vidhan Parishad or Legislative Council is the Upper House of the Assembly.

• The tenure of a member in the Vidhan Parishad is 6 years.

• Every 2 years, one third of the members retire and fresh ones are elected.

• Since, all the members do not retire together, the VidhanParishad is called a Permanent House.

Vidhan Parishad

• MLCs are chosen in the following manner:

• One third are elected by the members of local bodies such as municipalities, Gram panchayats, Panchayat samitis and district councils.

• One third are elected by the members of Legislative Assembly of the State from among the persons who are not members of the State Legislative Assembly.

• One sixth are nominated by the Governor from persons having knowledge or practical experience in fields such as literature, science, arts, the co-operative movement and social services.

• One twelfth are elected by persons who are graduates of three years' standing residing in that state.

• One twelfth are elected by teachers who had spent at least three years in teaching in educational institutions within the state not lower than secondary schools, including colleges and universities.

Chairman

Basavaraj HorattiDeputy ChairmanM. K. Pranesh

Vidhan Sabha

• Lower House of the Assembly

• Consists of the elected representatives of the people

• They are elected directly by the people- elections

• They are called the members of the Legislative Assembly or MLA’s.

• Each MLA is elected from a constituency

Elections

The process by which the citizens of a democracy select or choose their representatives

Universal Adult FranchiseAnyone who has attained the age of 18 years, irrespective of their race,

gender, religion, economic or social status has the right to vote.

Elections

General ElectionsIn India, elections are held once in 5 years

Bye ElectionSometimes when a member of parliament or state legislature dies in

office, or resigns, elections are held in his /her constituency before the completion of 5 years

Mid –term ElectionsFor certain reasons, the President, on the advice of the Prime Minister, dissolves the Lok Sabha or a state assembly, elections will be conducted

ahead of 5 years

What is a constituency?

It refers to a particular area from which all the voters living there choose

their representatives.

Who is an M.L.A?

• In states, it is the MLA (Member of Legislature Assembly) who represents the people.

• The MLAs enter the assembly and form the government.

• Every MLA is elected from one area. This area is known as his constituency.

Ruling Party and Opposition Party• A political party whose MLA’s win more than half the number of

constituencies in the state get the majority. The political party is called the ruling party.

• All the other members are called opposition.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, BJP

Leader of the OppositionSiddaramaiah, INC

Coalition Government

• When no party will be having the required majority in the House; in such cases, the party that has won the most number of seats might be invited to form the government, by getting the support from the other parties having enough members, so as to form a government to sustain their rule of the state; this coming together of 2 or more parties in the House is called the coalition government.

Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, BJP Anand Chandrashekhar Mamani, BJP

Leader of the Legislature

Speaker Deputy Speaker

Members of the Legislative Assembly elect the Speaker and a Deputy Speaker from among themselves.

Responsibilities of a Speaker

• The Speaker and Deputy Speaker preside whenever the house meets.

• He or she controls the proceedings of the house, and ensures order.

• At times when order cannot be maintained, the speaker adjourns the house for a short while, or, in extreme cases, for the rest of the session.

Legislature

Legislature

Governor Chief Minister Council of Ministers MLA’s and MLC’s

Functions of the Legislature

Among the may functions of the legislature, the most important are making Laws and presenting the Budget.

Laws are made for those subjects that come under the State List.

State Government makes laws on subjects of local importance, like agriculture, trade and commerce and education.

Making of a Law

• Introducing a bill:

• First a draft of the law is prepared and presented in the legislature. This is called a bill.

Bills

Ordinary Bills Money Bills

Deal with the day-to-day functioning of the government (members of either house can

introduce)

Deal with finance(can originate only in the

Vidhan Sabha)

Making of a Law (From a bill to Law)

• A minister or an MLA introduces the bill in either House of the Assembly.

• Three stages:

• First reading- Introduction of the bill, its purpose, distribution of the copies to all

• Second reading – discussions, debates, and suggestions will be collected and given to the speaker for drafting

• Third reading- drafting will be done and takes for approval once approved will be sent to Vidhan Parishad

• After a detailed discussion, the bill is put to vote in the House.

• From here it goes to the other House for approval.

• Then it is sent to the Governor.

• When the Governor signs the bill, it becomes a law.

Executive

Executive

Governor Chief Minister Council of Ministers

Governor

The official residence of the Governor of KarnatakaThawar Chand Gehlot

Governor

• The Governor is the constitutional head of a state.• The entire administration runs in his/her name.• The Governor is appointed by the President of India,

on the advise of the Prime Minister.• The term is for 5 years.

Qualifications for a Governor

• The person must be a citizen of India.

• Should have completed 35 years of age.

• Should not have been convicted in a court of law and

• He/She must not be a resident of the state to which he/she has been appointed as Governor.

Executive Powers of a Governor

• The Governor is only the constitutional head of a state- he/she does not have any actual say in the running of the government.

• Invites the leader of the majority party to form the government.

• On the advice of the Chief Minister, the Governor appoints the Council of Ministers, certain high officials etc.

Legislative Power of a Governor

• A very important legislative power of the Governor is that every bill passes by the State Legislature has to receive the Governor’s assent.

• The Governor has the power to summon and prorogue (discontinue) the sessions of the State Legislature as well as to dissolve it.

• On the opening day, the Governor addresses the joint session of the legislature to brief them about the policies of the government.

Judicial Power of the Governor

• The Judicial power of the Governor includes reducing the judicial punishments.

• Has discretionary powers which he/she can use, on his /her own discretion, in special situations.

• The Governor can also report to the President of India if the state is not functioning according to the constitution. On the basis of this report, the President can suspend or dissolve the State Legislature and get the state administered through his/her representative. This is called Presidents’ Rule.

• During this period the Governor runs the state government.

Chief Minister

• As the head of the Legislature and the council of ministers, the Chief Minister hold the responsibility for the government of the state.

• If a no confidence motion is passed against the government in the Assembly,the entire ministry has to resign.

• He should maintain good relations with the Central government.• The Chief Minister prepares the list of his/her cabinet.• The Governor then appoints the ministers according to the list.• The Chief Minister can remove any minister at anytime.• He/She also decides the agenda for the meetings of the Council of Ministers

and presides over its meetings.• He/She also coordinates the work of different departments of

the State government.

Council of Ministers

• Council of Ministers is the team of ministers who assist the Chief Minister in discharging the government’s duties.

• Its members must not be more than 15% of the total number of members in the Legislative Assembly.

• They are collectively and individually responsible to the Legislative Assembly for their actions.

There are three categories of Council of Ministers at the State level:

Cabinet Ministers Ministers of State Deputy Ministers

A Cabinet Minister hold the overall charge of one or more portfolios, and may be assisted bythe Ministers of State and Deputy Ministers