QUESTION 4
GS2
10 marks
Compare and contrast the British and Indian approaches to Parliamentary sovereignty.
WRITE IN
7 min
150 words
What the examiner wants
Compare and contrast parliamentary sovereignty in Britain with India's limited parliamentary supremacy.
CompareSet out the similarities and the differences side by side.
Demand-wise check
- 1UK: Dicey's doctrine, no written constitution, courts cannot strike down Acts (though Human Rights Act declarations of incompatibility exist)≈35 words
- 2India: written constitution, judicial review (Article 13), federalism, basic structure, fundamental rights≈35 words
- 3Similarities: Westminster model, cabinet responsible to the lower house≈35 words
Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.
Answer plan
Define sovereigntyUK modelIndian modelComparison tableConclusion (India: synthesis of UK supremacy and US judicial review)
Where marks usually go
- Describing both without direct comparison
- Not citing Kesavananda Bharati
Draw this
- Comparison table
Value addition
- Case lawKesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973): Parliament can amend but not destroy the basic structure.Supreme Court of India, 1973
- ConceptA.V. Dicey: Parliament can make or unmake any law and no body can override it.A.V. Dicey, Introduction to the Study of the Law of the Constitution
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 7 minutes, then get it checked.