Unicameral

adjective

/ˌjuːnɪˈkæmərəl/

Having a single legislative chamber. Among Indian states, 22 states and all Union Territories with legislatures are unicameral (with only a Vidhan Sabha); six states — Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka — have bicameral legislatures (Vidhan Sabha + Vidhan Parishad) under Articles 168–169. A state legislature can be converted from bicameral to unicameral or vice versa by a resolution under Article 169.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

Most Indian states operate unicameral legislatures, but Article 169 provides a constitutional mechanism by which a state may create a Legislative Council, converting the unicameral setup to bicameral through a state assembly resolution and Parliamentary legislation.

Synonyms

single-chamberone-housemonochambered

Antonyms

bicameraltwo-chamberdual-house

🌱 Word Family

unicameralism (noun), bicameral (antonym adjective), camera (cognate noun), unicameralist (noun)

🔡 Root

Latin uni- (one) + camera (chamber, vault) ← Greek kamara (vaulted room)

📜 Etymology

Formed from Latin uni- (one, single) and camera (a chamber, from Greek kamara — a vaulted room, later any room or house). The word unicameral was coined in the 19th century as a descriptive counterpart to bicameral, both entering political science vocabulary with debates over upper-house reform.

🧠 Memory Hook

UNI = one (unicycle = one wheel, unicorn = one horn). UNICAMERAL = one CAMERA (chamber). ONE legislative room. A unicycle has ONE wheel — a unicameral legislature has ONE house.

⚖️ Polity & Constitution 📖 Seen in: Preamble of the Indian Constitution

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