In a Parliamentary form of government, which of the following best describes the relationship between the Executive and the Legislature?

Introduction / Context:
Countries that follow a Parliamentary system, such as India, the United Kingdom and several others, have a particular pattern of relationship between the Executive and the Legislature. Understanding this relationship is vital for grasping how governments are formed, how they continue in office and how they may be removed. This question asks you to identify the core principle of responsibility in a Parliamentary form of government.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The question is specifically about a Parliamentary form of government, not a Presidential system.
Four different statements about who is responsible to whom are provided as options.
It is assumed that you know that in a Parliamentary system, the government must enjoy the confidence of the Legislature to stay in power.

Concept / Approach:
In a Parliamentary system, the Council of Ministers (the Executive) is drawn from the Legislature and remains in office only as long as it enjoys the confidence of the majority in the lower House of Parliament. This is often summarised as the Executive being collectively responsible to the Legislature. If the Legislature passes a vote of no confidence, the government must resign. The Legislature itself is not subordinate to the Judiciary or Executive in this sense, although all organs are subject to the Constitution. The correct conceptual statement, therefore, is that the Executive is responsible to the Legislature.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that in a Parliamentary system, the Prime Minister and other ministers are usually members of the Legislature and form the Executive branch. Step 2: The government can continue in office only while it commands the support of the majority in the lower House (Lok Sabha in India). Step 3: This arrangement is described as collective responsibility of the Council of Ministers to the lower House of Parliament. Step 4: Option B states that the Executive is responsible to the Legislature, which correctly captures this principle. Step 5: Option A, saying the Legislature is responsible to the Judiciary, is incorrect; while judicial review exists, this is not the central feature of Parliamentary government. Step 6: Option C, stating that the Legislature is responsible to the Executive, reverses the relationship and resembles more an authoritarian model than a Parliamentary democracy. Step 7: Option D, saying the Judiciary is responsible to the Legislature, also misstates the relationship; the Judiciary is independent and interprets the law rather than being directly responsible to the Legislature.

Verification / Alternative check:
Constitutional textbooks on Parliamentary government repeatedly emphasise the principle of collective responsibility, citing provisions such as Article 75(3) of the Indian Constitution, which states that the Council of Ministers shall be collectively responsible to the House of the People. Similar provisions exist in other Parliamentary democracies. These descriptions confirm that in this system, the Executive is the branch that must answer to the Legislature for its policies and actions.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The Legislature is responsible to the Judiciary: While laws must conform to the Constitution and the Judiciary may strike down unconstitutional acts, this is not the core feature of the Parliamentary model described here. The Legislature is responsible to the Executive: This would imply that the Executive dominates the law making body, which is contrary to democratic Parliamentary practice. The Judiciary is responsible to the Legislature: Judicial independence is a fundamental principle, and courts are not answerable to the Legislature in the sense described here.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners confuse the idea that all organs are responsible to the Constitution with the specific principle of Parliamentary responsibility. Others focus too much on judicial review and think that the Legislature is somehow directly responsible to the Judiciary. To avoid confusion, remember that the hallmark of a Parliamentary system is that the Executive is drawn from and accountable to the Legislature, not the other way around.

Final Answer:
In a Parliamentary form of government, the correct statement is that the Executive is responsible to the Legislature.