In government, bicameralism (bi, “two” + camera, “chamber”) is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. Thus, a bicameral parliament or bicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of two chambers or houses.Hre, we are giving the name of Indian States which have two houses i.e Vidhan Sabha and Vidhan Parishad. Bicameralism is the practice of having a legislature divided into two separate assemblies, chambers, or houses, known as a bicameral legislature. … As of 2015, about 40% of world’s national legislatures are bicameral, and about 60% are unicameral.

The United States also has one federal district and five non-state territories with local legislative branches, which are listed below. Among the states, the Nebraska Legislature is the only state with a unicameral body. However, three other jurisdictions – the District of Columbia, Guam, and the U.S. A state legislature that has one house – the State Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) – is a unicameral legislature. A state legislature that has two houses – the State Legislative Assembly and State Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad) – is a bicameral legislature. The Vidhan Sabha is the lower house and corresponds to the Lok Sabha (House of the people) while the Vidhan Parishad is the upper house and corresponds to the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) of the Parliament of India.

There are only seven states which have two-tier of legislature – Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Jammu & Kashmir. The State Legislative Assembly, also known as the Vidhan Sabha or the Saasana Sabha, is a legislative body in each of the states and certain union territories of India. Members of the legislative assembly are often directly elected to serve five year terms from single-member constituencies. A legislative assembly may be dissolved in a state of emergency, by the governor on request of the chief minister of the respective state or union territory, or if a motion of no confidence is passed against the ruling majority party or coalition. We showed that bicameral institutions could serve either how many states have bicameral legislature functional (classes) or geographic diversity (federalism), but that diversity does not necessitate bicameral representation.

• Recent developments like the Goods and Services Tax (GST) implementation required extensive coordination between Centre and state legislatures, demonstrating both the challenges and possibilities of cooperative federalism.
• For example, when the Maharashtra government introduces its annual budget, it must be passed by the Legislative Assembly.
• The other 15 states have used a unicameral system since their founding.
• Some states in India, such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, also follow a bicameral structure.
• Over the years, some have proposed reforms to the House of Lords, some of which have been at least partly successful.

It talks in detail about the Legislative Council which is otherwise known as the upper house of a state legislature. Beginning in the 1970s, Australian states (except Queensland, which is unicameral) began to reform their upper houses to introduce proportional representation in line with the Federal Senate. Members of France’s Senate and Ireland’s Seanad Éireann are chosen by electoral colleges. In Ireland, it consists of members of the lower house, local councillors, the Taoiseach, and graduates of selected universities, while the Netherlands’ Senate is chosen by members of provincial assemblies (who, in turn, are directly elected). Canada’s elected lower house, the House of Commons, comprises Members of Parliament (MPs) from single-member “ridings” based mainly on population (updated every 10 years using Census data).

How many states in India have a bicameral legislature?

A motion of no confidence against the government in the state can only be introduced in the state legislative assembly. If it is passed by a majority vote, then the chief minister and her/his council of ministers must collectively resign. Many countries with parliaments have adopted the British “three-tier” model to some extent. Most European and Commonwealth Nations have parliaments that are structured similarly. 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.

What are the two bicameral houses?

The Governor of a state may reserve any Bill for the consideration of the President. No Bills seeking to impose restrictions on inter-state trade can be introduced in a state legislature without the previous sanction of the President. The Sarkaria Commission was set up to review the balance of power between states’ and the Union governments. The Union government can dissolve a state government in favour of President’s rule if necessary, subject to certain conditions, as ruled by the Supreme Court of India in S.

Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad)

Many unitary states like Italy, France, the Netherlands, the Philippines, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Ireland and Romania have bicameral systems. In countries such as these, the upper house generally focuses on scrutinizing and possibly vetoing the decisions of the lower house. An example of political controversy regarding a second chamber has been the debate over the powers of the Senate of Canada or the election of the Senate of France. Bicameral legislatures as a result have been trending down for some time with unicameral, proportional legislatures seen as more democratic and effective.

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The Constitution also gave the Legislative Assembly the power to overrule the Council if there was a disagreement between them on a law. The Constitution also capped the membership of the council to one-third of the popularly elected Legislative Assembly. Legislatures with two Houses (bicameral) have a long history in India. The Montagu-Chelmsford reforms led to the formation of the Council of State at the national level in 1919.

State governments of India

• This article explains the features, powers and functions of Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council.
• Bicameralism in the states is seen as a way to provide broader representation and allow for more detailed scrutiny of legislative matters.
• Every state has an equal voice in the Senate, while representation in the House of Representatives is based on the size of each state’s population.
• The voting age is 18 years, and candidates must be at least 25 years old to contest elections.

The remaining one-sixth are nominated by the Governor from among persons with special knowledge or practical experience in literature, science, art, cooperative movement, and social service. This diverse composition aims to bring expertise and different perspectives to the legislative process. The Governor serves as the constitutional head of the state and is an integral part of the state legislature.

Parliament and State Legislatures: What does the Constitution provide?

In the United States, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, and Nepal for example, each state or province is given the same number of seats in one of the houses of the legislature, despite variance between the populations of the states or provinces. The Founding Fathers of the United States also favoured a bicameral legislature. Benjamin Rush saw this though, and noted that “this type of dominion is almost always connected with opulence”. The Senate was created to be a stabilising force, not elected by mass electors, but selected by the State legislators. Senators would be more knowledgeable and more deliberate—a sort of republican nobility—and a counter to what James Madison saw as the “fickleness and passion” that could absorb the House. Legislative Councils are extremely weak legislative bodies and enjoy much weaker powers in the state legislature.

History of legislative councils in India

One of the arguments used to sell the idea at the time to Nebraska voters was that by adopting a unicameral system, the perceived evils of the “conference committee” process would be eliminated. The passage of these motions, bills or amendments to government motions or bills requires double majority in both groups simultaneously. The best known example is the British House of Lords, which includes a number of hereditary peers. The House of Lords is a vestige of the aristocratic system that once predominated in British politics, while the other house, the House of Commons, is entirely elected. Over the years, some have proposed reforms to the House of Lords, some of which have been at least partly successful.

Parliament may, by law, provide for the abolition of an existing Legislative Council or for the creation of one where it does not exist, if the proposal is supported by a resolution of the Legislative Assembly of the state concerned. Power is divided between the Union Government (federal government) and the state governments. The federal government appoints a Governor for each state, who serves as the ceremonial head of state, and a Lieutenant Governor (or Administrator) for certain union territories, whose powers vary depending on the specific union territory. In a unicameral parliament all members of parliament sit in the same chamber and vote on major policy decisions. However, in 2000, 37 percent of the world’s 178 parliaments had two chambers.

Digital systems for voting, online streaming of proceedings, and electronic submission of questions are becoming common. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of hybrid sessions, allowing members to participate remotely when necessary. The Comptroller and Auditor General’s reports on state finances are examined by the legislature’s Public Accounts Committee.

Members stay in power for a term of six years and one-third of such members retire every two years, but the house is never dissolved. Article 171 of the Indian Constitution describes the composition of the legislative council. It states that the states which have a bicameral legislature shall have one-third members as that of the legislative council of that state.

The Commons is democratically elected every four years (constitutionally up to five years). In contrast, in Canada’s upper house, Senators are appointed to serve until age 75 by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister through an Independent Advisory Board as of 2016. Enactment of primary legislation often requires a concurrent majority—the approval of a majority of members in each of the chambers of the legislature. When this is the case, the legislature may be called an example of perfect bicameralism.