The Indian Constitution establishes a parliamentary form of government at both the national and state levels. Articles 74 and 75 deal with the parliamentary system at the Centre, while Articles 163 and 164 deal with state governments.

What is Parliamentary Government?

• The parliamentary system of government holds the executive accountable to the legislature for its policies and actions.
• Parliamentary government, also known as cabinet government, responsible government, or the Westminster model of government, is popular in the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, and India.

Constitutional Provisions

• Article 74: It deals with the aid and advice given by the Council of Ministers to the President in exercising his functions.
  • In case the President want the council of ministers to reconsider, then the recommendation after reconsideration must be adhered to.
  • The advice tendered to the President from the Council of Ministers shall not be inquired into in any court.
• Article 75: It deals with the following:
  • The President appoints the Prime Minister, and the President appoints other ministers on the suggestion of the Prime Minister.
  • Ministers are appointed by the President for the duration of his or her term in office.
  • The Lok Sabha holds the Council of Ministers collectively responsible.
• Article 163: It deals with the aid and advice given by the Council of Ministers to the Governor in exercising his functions.
  • In case the Governor is acting on his discretion then he is not bound by the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.
  • The advice tendered to the Governor from the Council of Ministers shall not be inquired into in any court.
• Article 164: It deals with the following:
  • The Governor appoints the Chief Minister, and the Governor appoints other ministers on the suggestion of the Chief Minister.
  • Ministers are appointed by the Governor for the duration of his or her term in office.
  • The Legislative Assembly of the state holds the Council of Ministers collectively responsible.

Features of Parliamentary Government

• Nominal and Real Executives: The President is the nominal executive (also known as the de jure or titular executive), whereas the Prime Minister is the real executive (de facto executive). As a result, the President is the President of the State, whereas the Prime Minister is the Prime Minister of the Government.
• Double Membership: The Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers serve as the executive, while the Parliament serves as the legislature. Members of parliament elect the Prime Minister and ministers, meaning that the executive comes from the legislative.
• Collective Responsibility: The executive has a collective responsibility to the legislative. There is a collective responsibility, which means that each minister's responsibilities are shared by the entire Council.
• Secrecy of procedure: A requirement of this type of administration is that cabinet proceedings be kept secret and not made public.
• Prime Ministerial Leadership: The Prime Minister is in charge of this system of administration.
• Majority Party Rule: The Prime Minister is usually appointed by the leader of the party that obtains a majority in the lower chamber.
• Bicameral Legislature: Bicameral legislatures are used in most parliamentary democracies.
• Political Homogeneity: Members of the Council of Ministers are usually from the same political party, and so have similar political ideologies. The ministers in a coalition government are bound by consensus.
• No fixed term: The government's term is determined by the lower house's majority support. The council of ministers must resign if the government fails to win a vote of no confidence. There will be elections, and a new government will be formed.

Merits of Parliamentary System

• Better coordination between the administration and the legislature: Since the administration is part of the legislature, and most legislatures generally support the government, it is easier to pass laws and implement them.
• Prevent authoritarianism: since the executive branch is accountable to the legislature and can vote against it with motions of no confidence, there is no authoritarianism. Also, unlike a presidential system, power will not be concentrated in one hand.
• Responsible government: Ministers are accountable to Parliament for their actions. Parliament exercises control over the executive through various devices like question hour, adjournment motion, no-confidence motion etc.
• Ready Alternative Government: If a ruling party loses the majority, president can invite the opposition party to form the government. Therefore alternative government can be formed without fresh elections.
• Representation of different groups: In this system, the parliament provides representation for different groups in the country. This is especially important for countries like India.
• Flexibility: The system is flexible because the PM can be easily changed as needed.

Conclusion

The constitution-makers of India were heavily influenced by the English system, thus they adopted a parliamentary form of governance. Another point the founding fathers realised was that the parliamentary model would only function to accommodate our population's various and different groups.

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