Working of Institutions | Social Science (Civics) Grade 9 CBSE

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The institutions at work

A democracy does its work through institutions. Tap each term to see what it does — and how the three organs, the heads of state and government, and the idea of checks and balances all fit together.

Explore · The organs of governmenttap a term

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The three big ideas

Institutions — a democracy does its work through institutions, not through one person. The country’s power is shared among three organs of government, each with its own job.
The legislature — the law-making body. It makes the laws and represents the people who elect it.
The executive — the part that runs the government and puts the laws into action, day after day.
The judiciary — the courts, which interpret the laws, settle disputes and protect citizens’ rights. The judiciary is independent of the other two.

Worked example. Which organ of government makes the laws?

Step 1 — what is being asked. The question is about the job of making laws — writing the rules everyone must follow.

Step 2 — match the job to the organ. Making laws is the work of the legislature. In India that is Parliament.

Step 3 — the answer. The legislature (Parliament) makes the laws. The executive then carries them out, and the judiciary interprets them.

Common mistake: the three organs do three different jobs. The legislature MAKES the laws, the executive IMPLEMENTS them, and the judiciary INTERPRETS them — do not mix them up.

Parliament — India’s legislature. It has two Houses: the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States).
Lok Sabha — its members are directly elected by the people. Because it speaks for the voters directly, it has the final say in many important matters.
Rajya Sabha — it represents the states of the country, so that the regions also have a voice in making laws.
How a law is made — a proposed law starts as a bill (a draft). It is discussed and passed by both Houses, and then it needs the assent of the President. Only then does the bill become a law.

Prime Minister — the head of government. The PM leads the Council of Ministers and guides the day-to-day running of the country.
Council of Ministers — the ministers who, with the Prime Minister, take charge of different departments (such as health, education or defence) and carry out the laws.
President — the head of state. The President’s role is mainly to act on the advice of the Council of Ministers, and to give assent that turns bills into laws.
The judiciary — the system of courts (the Supreme Court, the High Courts and the lower courts). It interprets the laws, settles disputes and protects citizens’ rights. Its independence lets it decide fairly, even in cases that involve the government.

Where you'll meet it

Institutions, at work

How a bill becomes a law

Every law you live under began as a bill — a draft. It is debated and passed by both Houses of Parliament and then receives the President’s assent before it becomes a law. This careful path means a rule is examined by many elected representatives before it can bind everyone.

Why an independent judiciary matters

Because the courts are independent of the legislature and the executive, they can decide a case purely on the law — even when the government is one of the sides. That independence is what lets the judiciary protect your rights and make sure the other organs stay within the law.

Check yourself

Competency quiz

Modelled on the competency-based pattern — MCQ, assertion–reason and a case study, testing whether you can use the ideas, not just recall them.

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