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Q81 (IAS/2020) Polity & Governance › Constitutional Basics & Evolution › Parliamentary system Official Key

A Parliamentary System of Government is one in which

Result
Your answer:  ·  Correct: B
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 2. The bedrock of a Parliamentary System, as seen in India (Articles 75 and 164), is the principle of collective responsibility. The executive (Government) is not separate from the legislature but is a part of it and remains in power only as long as it enjoys the confidence of the popular house (Lok Sabha).

  • Option 1 is incorrect because the Government is typically formed by the majority party/coalition, not all parties.
  • Option 3 describes a direct democracy or aspects of a Presidential system; in a Parliamentary setup, the people elect representatives, who then form the Government.
  • Option 4 describes a "Fixed-term Parliament" or a Presidential system; in a Parliamentary system, the Government can be removed at any time via a No-Confidence Motion if it loses its legislative majority, ensuring continuous accountability.

Thus, the defining feature is the executive's accountability to the legislature.

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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. A Parliamentary System of Government is one in which [A] all political parties in the Parliament are represented in the Government [B] …
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 2.5/10 · 7.5/10
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This is a classic 'Sitter' and a fundamental static question. While the algorithm flagged web sources for the distractors, the correct answer is the verbatim definition found in the first few pages of NCERT Class XI (Indian Constitution at Work) or Laxmikanth's 'Parliamentary System' chapter. If you miss this, you are failing the basics.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
In a Parliamentary System of Government, are all political parties in the Parliament required to be represented in the Government?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 4/5
"system of government has been largely stable, relying on a specific electoral system that usually produces clear parliamentary majorities ... In other countries, the parliamentary system of government has sometimes been seen as a source of instability, typically in circumstances with unclear majorities and shifting party alliances, resulting in frequent changes of government."
Why this source?
  • States that parliamentary systems typically produce clear parliamentary majorities, implying the government is formed from whoever controls a majority rather than from all parties.
  • Notes that where majorities are unclear and parties shift alliances, governments change frequently — showing government composition depends on majority support, not mandatory inclusion of all parties.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"system of government because it is either seen to be potentially unstable or gives too much power to a parliamentary majority."
Why this source?
  • Describes the parliamentary system (UK model) and warns it can be seen as giving too much power to a parliamentary majority — indicating governments are driven by majority control rather than obligated representation of every parliamentary party.
  • By highlighting potential instability from shifting alliances and majority dynamics, it supports that not all parties must be in government.

Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 92: World Constitutions > 760 P Indian Polity > p. 759
Strength: 5/5
“• 10. A Parliamentary System of Government is one in which (a) all political parties in the Parliament are represented in the Government (b) the Government is responsible to the Parliament and can be removed by it (c) the Government is elected by the people and can be removed by them (d) the Government is chosen by the Parliament but cannot be removed by it before completion of a fixed term 11 Which of the statements given above is/are correct? • (b) 2 only • (a) 1 only • (c) Both 1 and 2 • (d) Neither 1 nor 2 • 13.”
Why relevant

The snippet presents the specific proposition that 'all political parties in the Parliament are represented in the Government' as one of several definitional statements and (in the same item) indicates that the correct characterisation is the Government's responsibility to Parliament (statement 2).

How to extend

A student could use this to infer that representation of every party is not a defining requirement of parliamentary systems and then check constitutions or examples to confirm.

Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity. 7th ed., McGraw Hill. > Chapter 13: Parliamentary System > DEMERITS OF THE PARLIAMENTARY SYSTEM > p. 133
Strength: 5/5
“However, when no single party gets the majority, a coalition of parties may be invited by the President to form the government. 3. Collective Responsibility This is the bedrock principle of parliamentary government. The ministers are collectively responsible to the Parliament in general and to the Lok Sabha in particular (Article 75). They act as a team, and swim and sink together. The principle of collective responsibility implies that the Lok Sabha can remove the ministry (Le., council of ministers headed by the Prime Minister) from office by passing a vote of no confidence. 4. Political Homogeneity: Usually members of the council of ministers belong to the same political party, and hence they share the same political ideology.”
Why relevant

Explains that when no single party has a majority a coalition may be invited to form the government and that ministers are usually collectively responsible and typically belong to the same party.

How to extend

Combine with the basic fact that only parties forming or supporting the majority coalition supply ministers, so not every parliamentary party must be included.

Indian Constitution at Work, Political Science Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: LEGISLATURE > HOW DOES THE PARLIAMENT CONTROL THE EXECUTIVE? > p. 114
Strength: 5/5
“In a parliamentary democracy, the executive is drawn from the party or a coalition of parties that has a majority in Lok Sabha. It is not difficult for the executive to exercise unlimited and arbitrary powers with the support of the majority party. In such a situation, parliamentary democracy may slip into Cabinet dictatorship, where the Cabinet leads and the House merely follows. Only if the Parliament is active and vigilant, can it keep regular and effective check on the executive. There are many ways in which the Parliament can control the executive. But basic to them all is the power and freedom of the legislators as people's representatives to work effectively and fearlessly.”
Why relevant

States that in a parliamentary democracy the executive is drawn from the party or a coalition that has a majority in the legislature.

How to extend

Use this rule plus knowledge of multiple-party parliaments to deduce that smaller or opposition parties need not be part of the executive.

Indian Constitution at Work, Political Science Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: ELECTION AND REPRESENTATION > Chapter 3: Election and Representation > p. 61
Strength: 4/5
“In constituency based system like the FPTP, the voters know who their own representative is and can hold him or her accountable. These members of the ruling party are trying to listen to the 'tiny' opposition! Was this the effect of our electoral system? More importantly, the makers of our Constitution also felt that PR based election may not be suitable for giving a stable government in a parliamentary system. We shall study the nature of parliamentary system of executive in the next chapter. This system requires that the executive has majority in the legislature. You will notice that the PR system may not produce a clear majority because seats in the legislature would be divided on the basis of share of votes.”
Why relevant

Notes that the parliamentary system requires the executive to have a majority in the legislature and contrasts this with PR systems that may not produce a clear majority.

How to extend

A student can apply this to infer that governments normally reflect a majority grouping rather than all parties, and then look at real-world parliaments to verify.

Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science, Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 6: The Parliamentary System: Legislature and Executive > Introduction > p. 141
Strength: 4/5
“A majority group from among these elected representatives forms the government. The Parliament is the supreme legislative body of the government (it makes laws for the country). It comprises all elected representatives of the people and controls and guides the work of the government. The government can therefore be seen as functioning with the people's consent. There have been 17 Lok Sabhas since the first one in 1952. The 18th Lok Sabha was constituted in June 2024. 141Governance and Democracy 6 – The Parliamentary System: Legislature and Executive”
Why relevant

Says a majority group from among elected representatives forms the government, implying the government comes from a subset of parliamentary parties.

How to extend

Extend by checking examples (e.g., single-party majority or coalition governments) to see that not all parliamentary parties are represented.

Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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