Union and state legislatures in India

India, a 'Union of States', has a uniform Constitution operating throughout the country. Among other things the Constitution provides for the territorial and functional distribution of power between the Union and its constituting units. Functioning within the broad framework of the Constitution, many of our State Legislatures have, over the years, evolved many practices and rules suiting their needs. However, broadly, their structure, powers, functions, processes and procedures of legislation etc. remain the same.

This volume, divided into three arts, seeks to provide an overview of our Legislatures, from the Union Parliament to the Union Territory Legislatures in as concise a form as possible. It describes the process of their evolution, their physical setting, the officers and the organisation of the legislatures, and also discusses briefly the nature of the legislative process, the way business of the House is arranged, and sets out in brief the procedures by which the business is conducted.

This book will be found to be of interest to all those seeking an introduction to India's legislative institutions, their evolu tion over the years-from pre-indepen dence days to the present-the organisa tion of the legislative committees and the distinct rules of procedure designed to help the legislatures fulfil their Constitu tional mandate.

With its comprehensive coverage about all the legislatures in India, this volume is, perhaps, the first of its kind.