CMA Foundation · Fundamentals of Business Laws and Business Communication
Legislative Process in India: CMA Foundation Chapter Guide
The legislative process in India is how laws are made under the Constitution. Parliament and State Legislatures make laws on subjects divided among the Union, State and Concurrent Lists. A bill is introduced, debated, passed by the House(s) and approved by the President or Governor. To solve MCQs, learn the lists, the bill types and who does what.
What this chapter covers
This chapter explains where Indian law comes from and how it is made. It starts with the Constitution as the supreme source of law, then shows how law-making power is divided between the Union and the States through three lists. It then moves to the bodies that make law, Parliament and the State Legislatures, and the steps a bill follows to become an Act.
The last topic covers delegated legislation. Parliament cannot write every detail of every law, so it lets the executive frame rules, regulations and bye-laws under an Act. You should know what it is, why it exists and why it is controlled.
This chapter is the base for the rest of Paper 1. Later chapters such as the Indian Contract Act, Sale of Goods Act and Negotiable Instruments Act are all Acts passed through this process. Knowing how an Act is born, and how rules sit under it, makes those chapters easier to place in context.
The chapter is short, factual and very scoreable in an MCQ paper. Questions are usually direct: which list a subject belongs to, which House has a certain power, which bill needs which kind of introduction or approval. If you learn the structure once, you can answer these in seconds and save time for the calculation-heavy papers in the same session. There is no negative marking, so even a half-remembered fact can be narrowed by elimination and answered.
Legislative Process in India: topics in the order to study them
- 1Indian Constitution and Sources of LawStart here because everything else in the chapter draws its authority from the Constitution.
- 2Union, State and Concurrent ListsNext, see how the Constitution divides law-making power, before you study the bodies that use it.
- 3Structure of Parliament and State LegislatureNow learn who makes the laws: the Houses, their members and their roles.
- 4Types of Bills and Legislative ProcedureThis needs the structure of the Houses first, since each bill type depends on which House does what.
- 5Delegated Legislation, Rules and RegulationsFinish with law made under an Act, which makes sense only after you know how the Act itself is passed.
How to prepare Legislative Process in India
This is a recall chapter, so your aim is clear structure and quick retrieval. Plan for short, repeated sessions rather than one long read.
- Read the Constitution topic once and list the main sources of law in your own words: Constitution, statutes, delegated legislation, case law and custom.
- Make a three-column sheet for the Union, State and Concurrent Lists. Add two or three well-known subjects under each and revise it daily.
- Draw a simple chart of Parliament (President, Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha) and a State Legislature, noting who is part of each.
- Write the bill journey as a numbered sequence: introduction, readings, committee stage, passage, assent. Then note how each bill type differs from an ordinary bill.
- For delegated legislation, learn the meaning, the reason it exists and the idea of control by the legislature and courts.
- Solve MCQs on each topic right after studying it. For every wrong answer, write the correct fact on a revision card.
- In the last week, revise only your list sheet, chart and cards.
Common mistakes in Legislative Process in India
Mixing up which list a subject belongs to
Fix: Learn a few clear subjects per list and revise them as a table. Ask which level of government would normally handle the subject.
Confusing Parliament with the Lok Sabha
Fix: Remember that Parliament includes the President as well as both Houses. A question about Parliament is wider than one about a single House.
Treating all bills as following the same path
Fix: Note one distinguishing point for each bill type, such as where it can be introduced and the role of each House.
Thinking delegated legislation is not real law
Fix: Remember that rules and regulations made within the powers of the parent Act have the force of law, but they cannot go beyond that Act.
Ignoring the sources of law topic as too general
Fix: Make a short list of sources and learn one line on each. Direct MCQs on this are easy marks.
Last-day revision: Legislative Process in India
- The Constitution is the supreme law of India; every other law must conform to it.
- Law-making powers are divided through the Union List, State List and Concurrent List.
- Both Parliament and State Legislatures can make laws on Concurrent List subjects.
- Parliament consists of the President, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
- Lok Sabha is the House of the people; Rajya Sabha represents the States.
- A bill is a draft of a proposed law; it becomes an Act after passage and assent.
- An ordinary bill goes through readings in each House before assent.
- Bills are broadly ordinary bills, money bills, financial bills and constitution amendment bills (Article 368). Financial bills have two categories, under Article 117(1) and Article 117(3), and each type has its own procedure.
- Delegated legislation means rules and regulations framed by authorities under power given by an Act.
- Delegated legislation stays under control of Parliament and the courts.
Legislative Process in India practice questions
- A Money Bill is passed by the Lok Sabha and sent to the Rajya Sabha. What is the Rajya Sabha's power regarding it?
- Under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, which list contains subjects on which both Parliament and State Legislatures can make laws?
- A subject is not mentioned in any of the three lists of the Seventh Schedule. According to the Constitution of India, who has the power to m…
- Which of the following is the usual name for a provision in an Act by which Parliament authorises the executive or another authority to make…
- In the context of Indian law, what is meant by delegated (subordinate) legislation?
- The Lok Sabha passes a Bill and the Speaker certifies it as a Money Bill. Which statement is correct about the effect of this certification?
- A State Government issues a notification that contradicts a provision of the Constitution. Which statement best reflects the hierarchy of so…
- A local municipal corporation, acting under power given by a State Municipal Act, frames bye-laws regulating street vending in its area. Whi…
Legislative Process in India in other exams
The same ground in other exams, if you are preparing for more than one or want another angle on it.
Legislative Process in India: frequently asked questions
How much time should I give the Legislative Process chapter?
It is a short, factual chapter, so a few focused sessions are enough for most students. Spend more time on the lists and bill types, as these produce most direct questions. Revise it briefly each week.
Do I need to memorise every item in the three lists?
No. You need a working sense of the main subjects in each list and the logic behind them. Learn clear examples and use elimination for the rest.
Is this chapter useful for the rest of the Business Laws paper?
Yes. Every Act you study later was made through this process. Knowing the role of rules and regulations also helps you place provisions correctly.
Is there negative marking for wrong answers in this chapter?
No. CMA Foundation has no negative marking, so attempt every question. If you are unsure, remove options you know are wrong and choose from the rest.