Legislature and Executive

Class 7 Social Science · Chapter 18: The State, the Government, and You · NCERT Exploring Society: India and Beyond section 18.4

Learn

The legislature makes laws for the country (Parliament) or for a state (the Vidhan Sabha), so that governance follows well-defined laws rather than anyone's personal wishes. The executive carries out laws and makes policies (plans of action). It has two parts. The political executive is elected: the prime minister, chief ministers and their ministers, plus the president and governors, whose roles are mostly formal. They make big decisions and usually serve about five years, depending on the people's trust.

The permanent executive are civil servants or bureaucrats, chosen through exams such as those of the UPSC, not elected. They stay no matter which party wins, give expert advice, carry out laws and schemes, link citizens to government and keep records. Services include the IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS and IFoS, and the people we meet most are grassroots staff: government teachers, anganwadi and health workers, bus conductors. They run the census, elections and vaccination drives. C. B. Muthamma became the first woman in the Indian Foreign Service in 1949; when denied promotion unfairly, she won a Supreme Court case that struck down gender-biased rules.

Explore: political or permanent?

1. Sort each person.

Remember

• The legislature makes laws; the executive implements them and makes policy.
• The political executive is elected; the permanent executive of civil servants stays.

Quick check

Civil servants differ from ministers because they …

1. are selected by exams and stay after elections
2. are elected every year
3. make all laws
4. are judges

Think about it

Why is it useful to have officers who stay in their jobs even when governments change?

Practice

Practise with fresh questions at three levels (easy, medium, hard), some answered hands-on, with hints and worked answers. Get 4 of your last 5 right to finish the topic.