For example, in South Africa, the National Council of Provinces (and before 1997, the Senate) has its members chosen by each province’s legislature. Bicameralism is a type of legislature that is divided into two separate assemblies, chambers, or houses, known as a bicameral legislature. Bicameralism is distinguished from unicameralism, in which all members deliberate and vote as a single group. As of 2022update, roughly 40% of the world’s national legislatures are bicameral, while unicameralism represents 60% nationally and much more at the subnational level. Bicameral legislature is a legislative system having two-tier of Assemblies, Chambers or Houses. The two houses in state legislature are called – Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council.
The turnout rate was 50.95%, with 77.78% of “Yes” votes for a unicameral Parliament. This referendum had a consultative role, thus requiring a parliamentary initiative and another referendum to ratify the new proposed changes. Council on Foreign Relations co-sponsored by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright urged Arab states to adopt bicameralism, with upper chambers appointed on a ‘specialized basis’. The Council claimed that this would protect against the ‘Tyranny of the majority’, expressing concerns that without a system of checks and balances extremists would use the single chamber parliaments to restrict the rights of minority groups. During the 1930s, the legislature of the State of Nebraska was reduced from bicameral to unicameral with the 43 members that once comprised that state’s Senate.
Bicameralism
Of the 28 states and 8 Union Territories of India, only 6 states – Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh – have bicameral legislatures, while the rest all have unicameral legislatures. The legislative branch of the U.S. federal government uses a bicameral system , in addition to all of the U.S. states, with the exception of Nebraska. Today, 49 states have bicameral legislatures, and one—Nebraska—is unicameral. A legislature may be divided into a Senate and House or Assembly (bicameral), or it may have only one chamber (unicameral). Today, 49 states have bicameral legislatures , and one—Nebraska—is unicameral.
Creation of a Legislative Council
At present there are seven Indian states having bicameral legislature. These 7 states from in order from north to south are i) Jammu and Kashmir, ii) Uttar Pradesh, iii) Bihar, iv) Maharashtra, v) Telangana, vi) Karnataka, vii) Andhra Pradesh. Out of 7 Union territories only 2 have their own legislature and they elect chief minister for the functioning of their own local government. If there is a sense of unease with the way the State legislatures are functioning, it may be due to a decline in recent years in both the quantity and quality of work done by them. A legislative council is created as per provisions of Article 169 of the Indian Constitution, by a special majority from the legislative assembly.
Some of the countries with Bicameral Legislature are Australia, Brazil, India and Germany. Some states in India, such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, also follow a bicameral structure. It is considered a burden on the state budget and cause delays in passing legislation. State legislative council helps the defeated leaders to get a seat in the state legislature. This reduces the feeling of democracy, since the leaders are elected indirectly.
- Then they gave states the option of abolishing an existing second chamber or setting up a new one by passing a resolution in their Legislative Assembly.
- Two thirds of the Senate is to be elected at the same time as the general election.
- Bicameral legislature or bicameralism is a practice where states are at the centre, there exist two houses of Parliament for legislative purposes, one being the upper house and other, the lower house of Parliament.
- Many unitary states like Italy, France, the Netherlands, the Philippines, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Ireland and Romania have bicameral systems.
- These include any bill that would extend the time length of a Parliament, private bills, bills sent to the House of Lords less than one month before the end of a session, and bills that originated in the House of Lords.
State Legislative Council FAQs
Bicameral legislature or bicameralism refers to a type of system which practices functioning through two houses of Parliament. The Indian legislature is bicameral at the centre, dividing it into the Lok Sabha (House of People) or the lower house and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) or the upper house of the Parliament. Each house is entrusted with a host of powers and duties and they work unitedly to achieve common objectives. In a similar manner, certain states in India follow bicameralism whereas the others continue to be unicameral. Bicameral legislation are divided into Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) or the lower house and Vidhan Parishad (Legislative Council) or the upper house.
How many states in India have a bicameral legislature?
The Parliament has the power to make laws on the Union List, and Concurrent List, and the power to make laws over subjects under the Residuary List. The functions and powers of the Indian Parliament can be divided into legislative, executive, financial, and other categories. Under the Constitution, the Parliament of India consists of the President and two houses i.e., the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and the House of the People (Lok Sabha). The Indian Constitution does not make it a mandatory requirement for every state to have a bicameral legislature. State legislators chose the Senate, and senators had to possess significant property to be deemed worthy and sensible enough for the position. In 1913, the 17th amendment passed, which mandated choosing Senators by popular vote rather than State legislatures.
This committee, often chaired by an opposition member, scrutinizes government expenditure and ensures financial accountability. For instance, if irregularities are found in the implementation of schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana at the state level, the committee can call for explanations and corrective action. The executive function involves controlling and supervising the state government through various mechanisms.
Indian States That Have a Unicameral Legislature
Instead, it follows a mixed system of election and nomination, similar to the Rajya Sabha at the national level. State Legislative Councils are the upper houses in the bicameral legislatures of certain Indian states, established under Article 169 of the Indian Constitution. Meaning of Legislature – The parliamentary system by which a government works or gets administered is called legislature. Legislature is a deliberative assembly having the authority to make, amend or repel laws for any country state or any political entity is called legislature. This article explains the system and functioning of State legislature in India, meaning of unicameral and bicameral legislature, difference between unicameral and bicameral legislature system. This article explains the features, powers and functions of Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council.
For instance, in Uttar Pradesh, the largest state assembly with 403 seats, 84 seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes and 2 for Scheduled Tribes. This ensures that marginalized communities have adequate representation in the legislative process. The reservation system has been instrumental in bringing diverse voices into the legislative framework. Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) are elected directly by the people through universal adult suffrage for a term of five years, unless the assembly is dissolved earlier.
State legislative assemblies of India
Ministers are collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly, and the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers must enjoy the confidence of the Assembly to remain how many states have bicameral legislature in power. This is achieved through question hours, debates, adjournment motions, and no-confidence motions. For example, when the Maharashtra government introduces its annual budget, it must be passed by the Legislative Assembly. The Legislative Council can suggest changes, but the Assembly has the final authority. This ensures that the directly elected representatives have ultimate control over financial matters, reflecting the democratic principle of “no taxation without representation.”
- The Ministers head different departments, make policies, and oversee administration.
- The Indian Councils Act was passed in 1861 and it renamed the Governor General’s Council to ‘Imperial Legislative Council’ or ‘Indian Legislative Council’ (ILC).
- The Sixth Schedule vests additional discretionary powers in the Governors of Mizoram and Tripura in almost all their functions (except approving regulations for levy of taxes and money lending by non-tribal district councils) since December 1998.
- They usually have a ceremonial head of state who formally starts and closes parliament, a large elected lower chamber, and (unlike Britain) a smaller upper house.
- Nowadays, the upper house both federally and in most states is elected using proportional representation while the lower house uses Instant-runoff voting in single member electorates.
P C Ghosh, an independent MLA who had earlier been Chief Minister, once again assumed the post with the support of the Congress. Different scenes played out in the two Houses of the West Bengal legislature. In the Assembly, the Speaker called the Governor’s actions unconstitutional. But the Congress-dominated council passed a resolution expressing confidence in the Ghosh-led government. State legislatures exercise significant financial control over the state government.
How many bicameral states are there in India in 2021?
The head of state is the figurehead of a state , who represents the unity of the state. In a modern republic, the head of state is a president, usually elected by the people or by a parliament. To balance the interests of both the small and large states, the Framers of the Constitution divided the power of Congress between the two houses.
(Brazilian states and Canadian provinces all abolished upper houses). Until October 2019, the legislature of Jammu and Kashmir was bicameral consisting of an upper house, the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council and a lower house, the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. … The new union territory of Jammu and Kashmir will elect a unicameral Legislative Assembly. The Legislative Council, or Vidhan Parishad, serves as the upper house in states with bicameral legislatures. Unlike the Legislative Assembly, the Council is not directly elected by the people.
Under Article 169, Parliament may by law create or abolish the second chamber in a State if the Legislative Assembly of that State passes a resolution to that effect by a special majority. Some argue that unlike the Rajya Sabha, the Vidhan Parishad does not serve must purpose and poses a strain on States’ finances. The state legislature is also granted a right to make laws, but they must be in consonance with the Constitution of India. However, it’s only the legislative assembly that makes final decisions and the legislative council only holds discussions. The Legislature of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is a bicameral legislative body. The House of Representatives has 98 delegates, elected for four-year terms by proportional representation.