Unit 1: People's Representatives and their Powers and Functions

1. Introduction to People's Representatives
2. Members of the Parliament (MPs)
3. Members of State Legislatures (MLAs/MLCs)

1. Introduction to People's Representatives

In a representative democracy like India, citizens elect individuals to represent their interests in the government's law-making bodies. These elected officials are known as "People's Representatives." Their primary job is to act as a bridge between the people and the government, ensuring that the voices of their constituents are heard and that the government is held accountable.

This unit focuses on representatives at the Union (Parliament) and State levels.

2. Members of the Parliament (MPs)

A Member of Parliament (MP) is a representative elected to one of the two houses of the Indian Parliament: the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha.

Roles and Functions of an MP

Legislative Role: The most important function is to legislate, i.e., to make, amend, or repeal laws on subjects listed in the Union List and Concurrent List.

Representative Role: An MP acts as the voice of their constituency (in Lok Sabha) or their state (in Rajya Sabha), raising local issues and concerns at the national level.

Oversight Role: They hold the executive (the government) accountable. This is a critical function of legislative support.

Financial Role: MPs have the power of the purse. They scrutinize and pass the Union Budget, and no tax can be levied or money spent without their approval.

Constituent Role: MPs have the power to amend the Constitution, following the procedure in Article 368.

Powers of an MP

To fulfill their roles, MPs are vested with significant powers:

Power	Description
Power to Question	During 'Question Hour', MPs can ask questions to ministers to seek information and hold them accountable for their ministry's functioning.
Power to Introduce Bills	An MP (who is not a minister) can introduce a 'Private Member's Bill'. Ministers introduce 'Government Bills'.
Power to Debate & Vote	MPs participate in debates on bills, motions, and national issues. They vote on all legislation, including the budget and constitutional amendments.
Power of Motions	They can move various motions like 'Adjournment Motion' (to discuss an urgent public matter), 'No-Confidence Motion' (to test the government's majority), or 'Cut Motions' (during the budget).
Committee Membership	A significant amount of legislative work happens in Parliamentary Committees. MPs get to be members of these committees for detailed scrutiny of bills and government spending.

3. Members of State Legislatures (MLAs/MLCs)

A Member of a State Legislature is the state-level equivalent of an MP. Most states have a unicameral (one house) legislature, the Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly), and its members are MLAs. Some states have a bicameral (two-house) system, which also includes a Vidhan Parishad (Legislative Council), and its members are MLCs.

Roles and Functions of MLAs/MLCs

Their roles are very similar to MPs but operate within the jurisdiction of the state.

Legislative Role: To make laws on subjects in the State List and Concurrent List. (In case of a conflict on a Concurrent List item, the Union law prevails).
Representative Role: An MLA represents their specific constituency within the state, raising local issues like water, electricity, roads, and law and order in the State Assembly.
Oversight Role: They hold the state government (Chief Minister and State Council of Ministers) accountable through questions, debates, and motions.
Financial Role: They scrutinize and pass the State Budget.

Key Distinction: The biggest difference between an MP and an MLA is their s-p-here of legislation.

MP (Parliament): Legislates on national issues (Union List) like Defence, Foreign Affairs, Currency.
MLA (State Legislature): Legislates on state/local issues (State List) like Police, Public Health, Agriculture.