Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: (i), (ii) and (iii)
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
The Constitution of India defines the structure of Parliament clearly and explicitly. For examination purposes, it is very important to know which organs together constitute Parliament, rather than assuming that only the two Houses are involved. This question checks whether you remember that the President is also an integral part of the Parliament of India along with the two Houses.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- The elements under consideration are: (i) the President, (ii) the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and (iii) the House of the People (Lok Sabha).
- The options present different combinations of these three elements.
- The Constitution uses specific language in Article 79 to define the composition of Parliament.
- It is assumed that the student is familiar with the basic structure of the Union legislature in India.
Concept / Approach:
Article 79 of the Constitution of India states that there shall be a Parliament for the Union which shall consist of the President and two Houses, to be known respectively as the Council of States and the House of the People. This makes it clear that Parliament is a three part body, not just a bicameral legislature of two Houses. The approach is to recall this exact formulation and then choose the option that lists all three components together as the constituents of Parliament.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Note that the Council of States is the Rajya Sabha and the House of the People is the Lok Sabha, the two Houses of Parliament.
Step 2: Recall Article 79, which explicitly states that Parliament consists of the President and the two Houses.
Step 3: This means that the President is not outside Parliament; instead, the President is a formal part of Parliament in the constitutional sense.
Step 4: Therefore, the correct set of constituents of Parliament is (i) the President, (ii) the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and (iii) the House of the People (Lok Sabha).
Step 5: Among the options, only the combination (i), (ii) and (iii) includes all three and hence is the correct answer.
Verification / Alternative check:
For verification, one can look at the wording of Article 79 in any standard polity text, which always emphasizes that Parliament consists of the President plus the two Houses. Additionally, procedural aspects such as assent to Bills further illustrate that the legislative process is not complete without the President, reinforcing the understanding that the President is part of Parliament. No standard source states that Parliament consists only of the two Houses; they always mention the President as well.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A ((ii) and (iii)) is wrong because it includes only Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha and omits the President, ignoring the explicit constitutional definition.
Option B ((i) and (ii)) is wrong because it excludes the Lok Sabha, which is one of the two Houses of Parliament and a crucial component.
Option C ((i) and (iii)) is wrong because it omits the Rajya Sabha, even though it is explicitly mentioned as part of Parliament in the Constitution.
Common Pitfalls:
Students often think of Parliament only in terms of the two Houses and treat the President as a separate organ, which leads them to choose the option containing just Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. This stems from focusing on the legislative debates and not recalling the formal constitutional definition. Another pitfall is to confuse the role of the President in Parliament with the role of the President as head of the State, and to forget that the President's assent is an integral part of the law making process. Remembering the wording of Article 79 helps avoid these mistakes.
Final Answer:
The Parliament of India consists of the President, the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and the House of the People (Lok Sabha), that is, (i), (ii) and (iii).
Discussion & Comments