Describe the role of Lok Sabha in the Indian political system.

Ans.

Introduction:

In democratic countries where there is a bicameral legislature, it is a common tradition that the lower house is directly elected by the people. Therefore, it is the real representative house and is more powerful than the upper house. The only exception is the United States where the upper house Senate has more powers than the lower house House of Representatives. The British parliamentary system has a clear imprint on the Indian system of governance. So like the British House of Commons, the Indian Lok Sabha is the representative and foremost house of the Indian Parliament. Although Parliament consists of the President, Rajya Sabha, and Lok Sabha, the real power lies with the Lok Sabha. Due to its monopoly over national finance and control over the Cabinet, the Lok Sabha occupies a supreme position. 

The powers and functions of the Lok Sabha can be divided into the following categories:

1. Legislative Powers:

The primary and main function of Lok Sabha is to make laws for the country. It makes laws along with the Rajya Sabha. Except for money bills, which can only be reintroduced in the Lok Sabha, all other bills can be introduced in either house of Parliament and need to be passed by both houses before being sent to the President for assent. Unlike the British House of Commons, the Lok Sabha does not have the power to override the Rajya Sabha in lawmaking. A bill needs to be passed separately by both houses. If there is a deadlock between the two houses over a bill, the President can call a joint sitting to resolve the impasse. A bill is passed by a simple majority in the joint sitting. The Lok Sabha usually has the upper hand in the joint sitting due to its larger membership. The joint sitting is chaired by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Since the Lok Sabha has almost double the members than the Rajya Sabha, the final decision is usually that of the Lok Sabha. A decision against the will of the Lok Sabha is possible only if the party positions in both houses result in the opposition having greater numbers by combining the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha.

The Lok Sabha can make laws on all matters enumerated in the Union List and Concurrent List. It can also make laws on matters in the State List in the following circumstances: 

• (a) During the proclamation of National Emergency;
• (b) When the Rajya Sabha declares a matter in the State List to be of national importance by a two-thirds majority;
• (c) On the request of two or more state legislatures.  

2. Financial Powers:

Control over national finance is an important component of parliamentary authority. It provides Parliament a significant place in the political system because real power lies with whoever holds the purse strings, as written in the Federalist about the US Congress. Since India's national purse is in the hands of the Lok Sabha, the real power also lies in its hands. 

Based on this power, it establishes its supremacy over the Rajya Sabha. The Constitution clearly provides that Money Bills shall be introduced only in the Lok Sabha. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha certifies if a bill is a Money Bill or not. After being passed by the Lok Sabha, a Money Bill is presented to the Rajya Sabha. The Rajya Sabha has to return the Money Bill with its recommendations within 14 days. The Lok Sabha can choose to accept or reject its recommendations. If the Rajya Sabha does not return the Money Bill within 14 days, the bill is deemed passed by both houses as passed by the Lok Sabha. Thus, the Lok Sabha has exclusive power over the approval of all receipts and expenditures. Demands for Grants are made only in the Lok Sabha. Hence, the Lok Sabha plays a vital role with respect to Money Bills.

3. Power to Control the Executive:

An extremely important function of the Lok Sabha is to control the executive. It is its responsibility to keep the executive in check and prevent misuse of power. According to the Constitution, the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha and remains in power only as long as it enjoys the confidence of the Lower House. Control is inherent in the principle of responsibility. 

The Lok Sabha controls the Cabinet in three ways:

1. By policy making and legislation.
2. By asking for information about various administrative activities.
3. By criticizing administrative actions. 

Members can ask oral and written questions to elicit all kinds of information from the Cabinet. They can participate in debates to criticize government policies. They can ask for facts and figures from the government about matters of public importance. The Lok Sabha can also elicit various kinds of information from the Cabinet and highlight deficiencies in governance through Parliamentary Committees. Members can control the Cabinet through adjournment motions, no-confidence motions, censure motions, cut motions, etc. By rejecting financial demands made by the Cabinet, policies, bills, treaties, or agreements proposed by it, the Cabinet can be kept in check. The Lok Sabha also has the power to remove the Cabinet by passing a no-confidence motion. In 1979, Prime Minister Morarji Desai had to resign after a no-confidence motion was introduced in the Lok Sabha, even though it was not passed. Thus, the government's existence depends on the Lok Sabha.

4. Power to Amend the Constitution:

In democratic systems, the most important power of the legislature is to amend the Constitution. While the Lok Sabha has the power to pass ordinary bills on the one hand, it also has the power to amend the Constitution on the other. Any proposal to amend the Constitution can be introduced in the Lok Sabha. However, for the amendment to be effective, it also has to be passed by the Rajya Sabha. Any amendments related to federal provisions also require ratification by state legislatures, apart from both houses of Parliament. Clearly, the Indian Lok Sabha does not have unrestrained power in this regard, unlike the British House of Commons, nor does it have a monopoly over constitutional amendments like the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union.

5. Redressal of Public Grievances:

Members of Lok Sabha are directly elected by the people. Therefore, their biggest responsibility is to convey people's grievances to the government. Lok Sabha members raise grievances of people from their constituencies before the House and make the government aware of them. The Lok Sabha also serves as a platform for exposing scandals. Issues raised here get nationwide publicity. The Lok Sabha played an important role in giving national exposure to scandals like Bofors, the Jeep Purchase scandal, the Dalmia scandal, the Haridas Mundra scandal, etc.  

6. Miscellaneous Powers:

The Lok Sabha also performs some other important functions.

These include:

1. The Lok Sabha actively participates in the election of the President and Vice President. Its members form the electoral college for the President's election.
2. The Vice President is elected by the members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in a joint sitting, Article 66.
3. A resolution passed by the Rajya Sabha to remove the Vice President requires ratification by the Lok Sabha.
4. The Lok Sabha along with the Rajya Sabha can pass a resolution to remove judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts.
5. The Lok Sabha has the power to elect and remove its Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
6. Approval of both Houses of Parliament is required to implement a proclamation of Emergency.
7. The Lok Sabha can punish its members or any outside person for breach of its privileges. Using this power, the Lok Sabha expelled former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from its membership and sentenced her to prison on 19 December 1978.

The above analysis of the powers and functions of the Lok Sabha makes it clear that it is a very important, powerful, and influential component of the Indian political system. Its supremacy over the Rajya Sabha is evident. As Dr. M.P. Sharma rightly wrote, "If Parliament is the supreme organ of the state, the Lok Sabha is the supreme organ of Parliament. For all practical purposes, it is the Parliament."

Still, it is difficult to evaluate the Lok Sabha as a representative house. According to Palmer and Tinker, "Lok Sabha members have little opportunity for serious deliberation, nor research facilities. They do not have all the amenities to make them active."