BharatNotes Bicameral
adjectiveUsage in a UPSC answer
India's bicameral Parliament, comprising the directly elected Lok Sabha and the indirectly constituted Rajya Sabha, institutionalises a deliberative check on hasty legislation while ensuring that the federal voice of the States is not drowned out by transient popular majorities.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
bicameralism (n), bicameral (adj), bicamerally (adv), unicameral (adj), multicameral (adj)
Root
Latin bi- (two) + camera (chamber, vaulted room) + -al; first recorded in English 1830s.
Etymology
From Latin bi- ("two") + camera ("chamber, vaulted room") + the suffix -al; first recorded in English in the 1830s to describe two-chamber legislative bodies.
Memory Hook
"Bi" (two) + "camera" (chamber) - picture two cameras filming two separate houses of Parliament; a bicameral legislature has two chambers.
How This Word Works in UPSC Writing
Having two legislative chambers. At State level the position is optional and asymmetric, which is what makes it examinable: Article 169 leaves it to Parliament to create or abolish a Legislative Council, acting on a resolution passed by the Assembly by a special majority, and Parliament is not obliged to act even on a resolution duly passed, so a State cannot create or abolish its own second chamber. Only a minority of States have Councils. The Council is a weak chamber by design, since it can delay a bill but cannot reject one, and its composition is unusual, being partly elected by members of the Assembly, partly by local authorities, partly by graduates and by teachers, with a sixth nominated by the Governor. The recurring debate is whether it earns its cost, defenders arguing it accommodates expertise and revises hasty legislation, critics that it has become a route to office for those unable to win an election.
Don’t Confuse It With
A bicameral legislature has two chambers and a unicameral one. At State level the Legislative Council is optional, created or abolished by Parliament under Article 169 on an Assembly resolution, which is why a State cannot do it alone. The Council can only delay a bill, unlike the Rajya Sabha which has real legislative power, so the two second chambers are not equivalent. There is no joint sitting to resolve disagreement at State level, since the Assembly simply prevails.
Hindi Meaning
द्विसदनीय (dvisadanīya); विधान परिषद (vidhān parishad) for the Legislative Council.
Common Questions
- Can a State abolish its Legislative Council on its own?
- No. The Assembly must pass a resolution by special majority, but it is Parliament that legislates under Article 169, and Parliament is not bound to act on the resolution.
- How does a Legislative Council differ from the Rajya Sabha?
- The Council can only delay a bill and cannot reject one, and there is no joint sitting at State level, so the Assembly ultimately prevails.
Seen in UPSC Question Papers
- Prelims 2010 — Modern India
Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Bicameral” — proof this word earns its place on your list.
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