Difference between Unicameral and Bicameral is explained here in detail. The two terms, Unicameral and Bicameral are related to the state legislatures of the world. The legislature is an important organ of the government which is responsible to administer the laws in the country. Members are elected/nominated in the legislature and are delegated duties to perform various functions.
The terms, ‘Unicameral’ and ‘Bicameral’ have often confused IAS Exam aspirants hence, this article will help candidates understand the basic differences between these two.
Difference between Unicameral and Bicameral Legislature PDF:- Download PDF Here
The article will aid candidates’ preparation for UPSC Prelims and Mains GS-II Polity section as it talks about the basic terms used in Political Science subjects often.
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What is Unicameral Legislature?
It is a form of legislature where only one house (one central unit) exists to make and implement laws for the state/country. To understand it clearly, let’s categorize it into two parts:
- Unicameral National Legislature
In the case of Unicameral Union Parliament, the first example can be given of the country China where the National People’s Congress is the national legislature and is the highest organ of the nation. There is no other organ in China which administers laws for the country. A few other examples of the nations that have Unicameral National Legislatures are:
- Iran
- Norway
- Sweden
- Hungary
- Unicameral State Legislature
In the case of the unicameral state legislature, Indian states are best examples to understand. Aspirants might know that in India, a few states’ parliaments are unicameral in nature i.e. they have only one house to make a law. In states, these are called as ‘legislative assemblies.’
Out of 28 Indian States, there are 24 states which have a unicameral structure. The list of these states are given below:
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Assam
- Chhattisgarh
- Delhi
- Goa
- Gujarat
- Haryana
- Himachal Pradesh
- Jharkhand
- Kerala
- Madhya Pradesh
- Manipur
- Meghalaya
- Mizoram
- Nagaland
- Odisha
- Puducherry
- Punjab
- Rajasthan
- Sikkim
- Tamil Nadu
- Tripura
- Uttarakhand
- West Bengal
Candidates can check out the following relevant links to prepare for the upcoming UPSC Civil Services exam comprehensively –
What is Bicameral Legislature?
It is a legislative body with two houses. India is one such example where there are two houses both at union and also at 6 of its 28 states. In a bicameral legislature, the function to administer and implement the laws are shared between the two houses.
At the central level, the Indian Parliament has two houses:
- Lok Sabha (Lower House)
- Rajya Sabha (Upper House)
To know the difference between Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, check the linked article.
At the state level, six of the 28 state legislatures have two houses:
- Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha)
- Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad)
The names of the six states having bicameral legislature are:
- Andhra Pradesh
- Bihar
- Karnataka
- Maharashtra
- Telangana
- Uttar Pradesh
Basic Differences between Unicameral and Bicameral
The differences that aspirants should know between the two for UPSC 2022Â are given in the table below:
| Difference between Unicameral and Bicameral | ||
| Difference | Unicameral | Bicameral |
| Number of House | One | Two |
| Sharing of Power | Concentrated in one house | Shared between two houses |
| System of Government | Unitary | Federal |
| Decision-Making | Flexible and efficient as bills are introduced and passed in only a single house | Time-Consuming as both the houses have to pass the bill hence, their approval is a tedious task
(To know more on how a bill is passed in Indian Parliament, check the linked article) |
| Deadlock | Rare to None | Common as the two houses can disagree on a bill hence, a deadlock appears which is sorted with the help of joint sitting |
| Members | Elected/Nominated | Elected/Nominated |
Aspirants should understand that unicameralism is mostly followed in countries or states having smaller sizes against bicameralism which appears in larger countries and states.
Difference between Unicameral and Bicameral Legislature PDF:- Download PDF Here
Frequently Asked Questions about Unicameral and Bicameral Legislation
What is the advantage of a bicameral legislation?
What is an example of unicameral legislation?
Candidates can find out what are the topics in the UPSC Exams by visiting the UPSC Syllabus page. For more preparation materials they can refer to the links given in the table below.
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