SSC
The parliamentary form of government, in which the executive is responsible to the legislature, was adopted in the Indian Constitution from the constitution of:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option D — Britain
Detailed Solution
The parliamentary form of government, in which the executive (the Council of Ministers) is responsible to the elected legislature, was adopted in the Indian Constitution from the British system.
Why the British model:
- Indians had long experience of British parliamentary institutions through the legislative councils.
- The makers of the Constitution felt that a parliamentary system would ensure the responsibility of the government to the people, which they valued more than the stability of a presidential system.
Features of the parliamentary system in India:
- Nominal and real executives: The President is the nominal (constitutional) head, while the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers are the real executive.
- Majority party rule: The party or coalition with a majority in the Lok Sabha forms the government.
- Collective responsibility: The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.
- Double membership: The ministers are members of both the legislature and the executive.
- Leadership of the Prime Minister: The Prime Minister is the leader of the Council of Ministers, Parliament and the ruling party.
Differences from the British system:
- India has a written constitution, while Britain's is largely unwritten.
- India has an elected President as the head of state, while Britain has a hereditary monarch.
- In India, the Prime Minister may be a member of either House of Parliament.
- The Indian Parliament is not sovereign in the same way as the British Parliament, because its powers are limited by the Constitution and judicial review.
Dr. Ambedkar explained that the parliamentary system was chosen because it gives more responsibility, though less stability, than the presidential system.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The USA has a presidential system; Switzerland has a collegial executive; France has a semi-presidential system.
Quick tip
Remember: parliamentary form of government = borrowed from Britain (Westminster model); real executive = PM and Council of Ministers.
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Preamble & Salient Features Questions
View all ›- Q1.The word 'Secular' was added to the Preamble of the Indian Constitution in:
- Q2.Which kinds of justice are mentioned in the Preamble of the Constitution of India?
- Q3.Who described the Indian Constitution as 'quasi-federal'?
- Q4.According to the Preamble, India is a 'Republic'. This means that:
- Q5.The Preamble of the Constitution of India provides for the liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and:
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
Preamble & Salient Features — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Preamble & Salient Features, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the Preamble of the Indian Constitution, the meaning of its key words (sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, republic, justice, liberty, equality and fraternity), and the salient features of the Constitution, such as its federal structure with a unitary bias and the parliamentary form of government. Remember that the words 'socialist', 'secular' and 'integrity' were added by the 42nd Amendment in 1976, the only time the Preamble has been amended. Questions also test landmark cases on the Preamble: the Supreme Court held in the Kesavananda Bharati case (1973) that the Preamble is part of the Constitution. Practise the Preamble and salient features questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.