Know In Detail About Rajya Sabha

What is the Rajya Sabha?

The Rajya Sabha is largely responsible for representing India’s States in Parliament. It can also propose legislation, which must first pass through the Rajya Sabha, in a bill, before becoming law. 

Rajya Sabha

The ‘Council of States’, commonly known as the Rajya Sabha, a nomenclature proclaimed by the Speaker of the House on August 23, 1954, has its unique characteristics. The Montague-Chelmsford Report of 1918 was the catalyst for the formation of the second chamber. The Government of India Act of 1919 established a ‘Council of State’ as a second chamber of the then legislature, with a limited franchise, which was established in 1921. The Governor-General presided over the Council of State as an ex-officio member. The Government of India Act, 1935, rarely changed the makeup of the government. 

The Constituent Assembly, which convened for the first time on December 9, 1946, also served as the Central Legislature until 1950, when it was renamed ‘Provisional Parliament. Until the first elections in 1952, the Central Legislature, known as the Constituent Assembly (Legislative) and later the Provisional Parliament, was unicameral. 

The Constituent Assembly debated the utility of a Second Chamber in Independent India for a long time, and in the end, it was decided to have a bicameral legislature for independent India, primarily because a federal system was thought to be the most feasible form of government for such a vast country with such great diversity. In reality, a single directly elected House was deemed insufficient to handle free India’s challenges. 

As a result, a second chamber known as the ‘Council of States’ was established, with a completely different makeup and election mechanism than the directly elected House of People. It was envisioned as a separate chamber from the Lok Sabha, with a smaller membership (House of the People). It was intended to be the federal chamber, consisting of a House elected by elected members of the state assemblies and two Union Territories with unequal representation. 

In addition to the elected members, the President has the authority to nominate twelve members to the House. The Lower House has a minimum age of twenty-five years, whilst the Upper House has a minimum age of thirty years. The Vice-President of India was made ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, which presides over its sittings, giving the Council of State House a sense of respect and prestige. 

Eligibility

Article 84 of the Constitution lays out the requirements for becoming a member of Parliament. To be eligible for membership in the Rajya Sabha, a person must meet the following criteria:

1. He must be an Indian citizen and take and sign an oath or affirmation in the form prescribed in the Third Schedule to the Constitution before a person authorised by the Election Commission in that capacity;
2. He must not be less than thirty years of age; and 
3. He must also meet any additional requirements imposed by or under any law passed by Parliament in this regard. 

Allocation of  Seats

The Constitution’s Fourth Schedule allocates seats in the Rajya Sabha to the states and Union Territories. The population of each state is used to determine seat allocation. Since 1952, the number of elected seats in the Rajya Sabha given to states and Union territories has altered due to the rearrangement of States and the establishment of new States.

Strength/Composition

The Rajya Sabha has a maximum strength of 250 members, with twelve members nominated by the President and 238 representing the States and Two Union Territories, according to Article 80 of the Constitution. The Rajya Sabha currently has 245, with 233 members representing the States and the Union Territories of Delhi and Puducherry and 12 members selected by the President. 

Chairman of Rajya Sabha 

As Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, the vice-president presides over the House’s meetings. The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is the undisputed defender of the House’s respect and dignity in his capacity as Presiding Officer. He is also the House’s main spokesman, representing the House’s collective voice to the outside world. He guarantees that the House’s proceedings are conducted in line with applicable constitutional provisions, rules, practices, and conventions, and that the House is kept in order. 

He is the keeper and guardian of the House’s and its members’ rights and privileges. He presides for the first hour of the House’s sitting, Question Hour. He effectively manages the situation, ensuring that members’ rights to ask questions and receive full answers are upheld and issuing judgements on privilege and other procedural issues. He is always the Chair of key debates or landmark talks, such as those on Constitution Amendment Bills. Except in the event of a tie, he does not have a vote. 

Conclusion:

Rajya Sabha plays a very crucial role in our Indian Democracy. All the basic and important details about Rajya Sabha can be learned easily through this article.