The Constitution of India has opted for parliamentary form of government. In this system the majority party in the Lower House (Lok Sabha) forms government. The Council of Ministers are collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.
The Cabinet is the real executive head. In Presidential form of government, the President is the executive head. In India, the President is only the nominal constitutional head.
In Britain, the monarchy is hereditary. But in India, the post of President is elective.
Our Constitutional founding fathers adopted the parliamentary model for two reasons —
Firstly, they believed that a parliamentary form of government would be more responsible democratic than the presidential form of government.
Secondly, they were, to some extent, familiar with the parliamentary form of government during the British rule particularly after the implementation of the Government of India Act,
What are the Main Characteristics of Parliamentary System?:-
Parliamentary system has been taken from the United Kingdom because U.K. constitution is
the mother constitution of parliamentarianism. It is also called ministerial or cabinet system.
Cabinet or parliamentary form of government is that in which;
Legislature and executive are closely related and share powers with each other.
Cabinet is formed by the parliament and parliament is the superior organ.
There are two executives i.e. the elected president or king and the Prime Minister.
President represents state and Prime Minister represents government.
Cabinet is responsible before the legislature.
Features of Parliamentary System :-
- Formation of Cabinet
- Team Work Spirit
- Supremacy of Premier
- Coordination of Powers
- Political Collective Responsibility
- Two Executives
- No separation of Power
- Instability : since the parliament can remove the government even before the completion of tenure
- Control by bureaucracy : Civil servants exercise a lot of power.
- Failure to take Quick Decisions