India's Parliament Explained: Structure, Powers, and 2026 Updates

[music] Hello everyone. Welcome to yet another interesting week of shared learning. I

am Dr. Sneha Yadav and this week we will be learning a topic of utmost importance, the parliament. Picture

this, a magnificent building in New Delhi where 800 passionate lawmakers from every corner of our diverse nation

come together to debate trillion rupees budget, craft laws that affect our daily life and hold governments accountable to

1.4 billion Indians. That's our parliament, the beating heart of the world's largest democracy. And today we

are going to unpack its incredible structure and vital roles together. Let's start with the basics from article

79 of our Indian constitution. Parliament is not just one body but a powerful trio. Parliament comprises of

the president of India, Lok Sabha, the house of people and the Rajya Sabha the council of states working in perfect

democratic harmony. Let us understand each part one by one. First, the president of India. The

president is an integral part of parliament. Even though the president is not a member of either house, no

parliamentary work is complete without the president. The president performs several key

functions. The president summons parliament sessions. The president can prologue sessions.

The president can dissolve the Lok Sabha. Most importantly, a bill becomes a law only after the president gives

ascent. Thus, the president plays a constitutional and ceremonial role in the functioning of parliament.

Just last week on January 2nd 2026, our president Draidi Murmu addressed both houses in a joint session laying out

India's bold vision for AI ethics regulation and achieving net zero emission by 2047 setting the stage for

parliament's most important debates this year. Now let us move to the Lok Sabha. The

Lok Sabha is also called the house of the people. It is the lower house of the parliament. The Lok Sabha represents the

people of India directly. Its members are elected through general elections. Every citizen above the age of 18 has

the right to vote and choose their representative. The Lok Sabha has 543 elected members.

Each member represents a specific geographical constituency. Seats are allocated based on population.

This ensures proportional representation. For example, Uttar Pradesh has the

highest number of seats which is 80. Smaller regions like Lakshwadep have just one seat. This system reflects

India's demographic diversity. The normal term of Lok Sabha is 5 years. However, it can be dissolved earlier.

This makes the Lok Sabha a dynamic and responsive institution. The Lok Sabha is precided over by the

speaker. The speaker maintains order. The speaker conducts debates. The speaker decides who will speak and when.

The speaker is expected to be impartial and fair. Now let us discuss the power of Lok Sabha. The Lok Sabha has special

powers in financial matters. Only the Lok Sabha can introduce money bills. Money bills deals with taxation,

expenditure and government spending. The Lok Sabha also exercises strong control over the executive.

It can pass a no confidence motion against the council of ministers. If the motion is passed, the government

must resign. This ensures that the executive remains accountable. Currently the speaker Om Bira presides

over the 18th Lok Sabha where BJP holds 240 seats, Congress 99 seats, regional parties like DMK 39 and a vibrant mix of

165 others make coalition politics so fascinating. Women representation hits a record 14%

with 76 women MPs. Though we still push for the 33% reservation promised in the Nari Shakti Bandhan Adhinam that awaits

delimitation. Remember the dramatic 2025 budget session when Speaker Birla adjourned

proceedings three times as opposition MPs stormed the wealth demanding farm loans waiver.

That's parliament alive with real passion and accountability. Then we have Raja Sabha. The upper house

often called the house of elders for its steady wisdom and federal balance with a maximum of 245 members. 233 are elected

indirectly by state legislative assemblies plus 12 are nominated by the president for excellence in arts,

literature, science and social service. Unlike fiery Lok Sabha, Raja Sabha never dissolves completely.

Every two years onethird of its member retire ensuring continuity even during national elections. A brilliant design

borrowed from Britain's House of Lords but perfected for Indian federalism. Vice President Jagdep Dhanker who was

our former chairman as well served as the chairman and made headlines in December 2025's winter session when he

suspended a record 146 opposition MPs for disrupting proceedings over Adani bribery allegations. The session limmed

along at just 45% productivity, showing democracy's messy but beautiful reality. Let me paint a quick picture of how

these houses differ so you can visualize it perfectly. Lok Sabha has 543 elected members serving for five-year terms that

can dissolve completely and holds exclusive power over money bills and represents people by population.

While Rajya Sabha has 245 members that serve staggered six-year terms and can only recommend changes to money bills

within 14 days and champions state interest for federal balance. Speaker Omaha leads Lok Sabha while Vice

President Jagdep Dhankar chairs Rajya Sabha creating this dynamic tension that strengthens our laws.

Now let us move to the functions of parliament. The first and foremost important

function is legislation. Parliament make laws on subjects mentioned in the union list and the

concurrent list. The lawmaking process is detailed and systematic. A bill is introduced. It is

debated in the house. It is examined by committees. Members discuss the bill clause by clause. After voting, the bill

is sent to the other house. Once both houses approve, it goes to the president for ascent. The second major function is

financial control. Parliament controls the finances of the country. No tax can be imposed without parliamentary

approval. No money can be spent from the consolidated fund of India without parliament's consent.

Every year the union budget is presented. Members analyze this budget proposals. They debate allocations and

priorities. This ensures transparency and responsible governance.

The third function is executive control. Parliament keeps a check on the government. Members ask question during

question hour. They raise urgent matters during zero hour. They participate in debates and discussions too.

Parliamentary committees closely examine government policies. This constant scrutiny strengthens

accountability. Another important function is electoral responsibility.

Members of parliament participate in the election of the president and vice president.

This gives parliament a role in the constitutional structure. So what superpower does parliament

actually wield? First and foremost, legislative authority where it crafts laws on the 97

subjects in the union list like defense, foreign affairs, banking plus 47 concurrent list matters like education

and marriage bills flow through introduction committee scrutiny, fiery debates, voting and finally president

ascent as we just saw with the digital personal data protection act 2026 that gives Indians GDPR level data privacy

after 18 months of intense parliamentary battle. Second comes the financial control

that's nothing short of revolutionary. No taxes can be levied and no money spent without parliament's approval. So

when Finance Minister Nilmer Sitharaman presents the rupees 48.6 68 lakh cr union budget for 2627

marking a 9% increase. Every single rupee faces 70 hours of marathon scrutiny amendments and cut motions from

opposition heavy weights. Third, we have executive oversight through daily question our chaos,

zero our surprises and the ultimate weapon no confidence motions exclusively in the Lok Sabha with the last one in

200 2018 seeing BJP survive 325 by 126 while just this January 2026 the India's block Manipur violence no trust

motion got speaker rejection for insufficient ient members. Parliament also handles electoral

functions by jointly electing a president and vice president. The this gives judicial power to impeach

Supreme Court judges though only four have faced removal in 75 years and holds the ultimate power to amend our

constitution with 106 amendments since 1950. The most recent women's reservation bill

guaranteeing 33% seats for women will transform parliament post delimitation by 2030. Did you know the longest

parliamentary session ran 271 days in 1953 while the shortest Lok Sabha lasted just 18 months in 1970 or that Sunset

TV's mobile app crossed 30 million downloads by January 2026 with AI now summarizing proceedings in Raja Sabha's

pilot project. Yet challenges persist. Winter session 2025's 45% productivity due to Wak amendment bill protest shows

parliament response to people power as seen when 2020 farm laws got repealed after massive farmer protest. So here's

your interactive challenge. Pause right now and ask yourself which house exclusively handles money

bills which can never dissolve and drop down your answers in the forum below. For homework, name parliament's five key

functions and track the ongoing budget session on sunset.in. That's where real democracy happens.

Learners, Parliament is not some distant institution. It is your amplified voice shaping GST,

data privacy, women's right and India's global rights. Thank you for watching.

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