The Parliament is the body of people’s representatives who have supreme power in a democracy. With reference to the Union Legislature, answer the following:
State any two Financial and any two Legislative powers of the Indian Parliament.
Topic: Financial and legislative powers of Parliament
Answer
FINANCIAL POWERS: (1) No tax can be imposed or collected without the approval of Parliament, and no money can be spent from the Consolidated Fund without its sanction; it passes the Budget, the Money Bill and supplementary grants. (2) It decides the salaries and allowances of its own members and of the ministers and other dignitaries, and it may reject or reduce any demand for a grant (the Cut Motion).
LEGISLATIVE POWERS: (1) It has exclusive power to make laws on the 97 subjects of the UNION LIST, and may legislate on the 47 subjects of the CONCURRENT LIST, where its law prevails over a conflicting State law; it also holds the RESIDUARY power over subjects in no list. (2) It may legislate on the STATE LIST in certain circumstances (Emergency, a Rajya Sabha resolution, or a request by two or more States); it approves Ordinances issued by the President, and it alone can amend the Constitution.
Four marks split evenly — two financial and two legislative, one mark each. Use separate headings so the examiner sees both halves at once. Do not mix the categories: control over taxation and spending is FINANCIAL, while making laws on the three lists is LEGISLATIVE. Blurring them is the commonest way to lose marks here. The RESIDUARY power is worth naming; it is the point most often forgotten and shows the strength of the Centre in Indian federalism.