Question

The Union Parliament comprises the President and the two houses. With reference to this, answer the following question:

The Parliament controls the functioning of the Executive. Mention any four ways in which it exercises control.

Answer 1

1. Financial control: Parliament must approve the Union Budget, demands for grants and taxation; it can refuse or restrict funds (including cut motions) and thereby control government action and priorities.
2. Political control by motions: the Lok Sabha can remove the Council of Ministers by a vote of no-confidence; Parliament can also criticise or censure the government by passing motions that indicate a lack of support.
3. Question Hour and interpellation: MPs question Ministers (including supplementary questions) during Question Hour to obtain information, reveal lapses and publicly hold the Executive to account.
4. Parliamentary debates and special motions: through adjournment motions, call-attention motions, debate on policies and reports, and other discussion motions (along with tools like cut-motions), Parliament exposes executive actions to scrutiny and forces explanations or corrective action.