Rajya Sabha And Its Roles

The Rajya Sabha, known officially also as Council of States, is India’s bicameral Parliament’s upper chamber. It has a total strength  of 245 members, with 233 members elected by state and union territory legislators via single – member constituencies voting in an Open Ballot process, and 12 members appointed by the President recognizing achievements to artwork, philosophy, research, and welfare services. 

As per Article 80 of  Indian Constitution,  Rajya Sabha has a strength of 250, 238 elected, 12 nominated. Members serve six-year term, with around a quarter of the 233, designated after seeking reelection every two years in odd-numbered years.

Rajya Sabha isn’t like Lok Sabha, which is the lower house, Rajya Sabha continues in uninterrupted periods which are not vulnerable to Dissoultion. The Rajya Sabha, such as the Lok Sabha, can always be called into session by the President.

Except maybe in the domain of finance, in which the Lok Sabha possesses special powers, the Rajya Sabha would be on an equal ground with Lok Sabha in accordance with legislative requirements. A joint sitting of both the houses can sometimes be called in the event of conflicting laws, with the Lok Sabha having more authority due to its larger composition. 

How Are Members Elected In Rajya Sabha?

The Rajya Sabha members are chosen democratically mostly by voters. Representatives of the legislative council are chosen by the public from each state, who subsequently elect members of said Rajya Sabha using a proportional voting transferable new voting system. Every State Legislative Assembly appoints the number of representatives specified by the Constitution. These 147 legislators of the Odisha Legislative Assembly elect 12 Rajya Sabha representatives.

Privileges for Rajya Sabha Members

Representatives of the Rajya Sabha have a number of advantages. They have the complete right to express themselves in the Parliament. There is no legal recourse for them against whatsoever they say in the Parliament. They cannot  be prosecuted for any misdemeanor crime during the Rajya Sabha sessions or even for 40 days preceding and following. The Committee on Privileges has already been in place ever since Rajya Sabha’s creation to defend the entitlements of House of Representatives.

Some Roles Of Rajya Sabha

Powers Regarding Legislation:

In terms of routine legislative process, the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha are on the same footing. Regular bills can be introduced in the Rajya Sabha, but they must be accepted for them to become a law. Unless there is an impasse between both the two Houses of Parliament over such an ordinary bill which has gone unaddressed for about six months, the President can call a special meeting of both the Houses to resolve the crisis.

Executive Powers

By casting a motion of no confidence, the Lok Sabha may compel the Council of Ministers to dissolve.

Even though the Rajya Sabha has no authority to remove the Ministry from office, it really can exert considerable influence over the ministries by condemning its programs, asking more questions and adding inquiries, and initiating suspension motions. Several of the ministers also are Rajya Sabha members. If the dominant party inside the Lok Sabha elects or adopts someone as its leader, this elected leader that is the Prime Minister can now be a member who is from Rajya Sabha.

The Rajya Sabha seems to have little electoral authority. The President of India is chosen mostly by assembly members of the Rajya Sabha, the Lok Sabha and along with all of the State Legislative Assemblies combined. The representatives of the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha vote for India’s Vice President. The Rajya Sabha typically chooses its Deputy Chairman from among its members.

Financial Powers

The Rajya Sabha seems to be a weak House inside the financial sector. In the Rajya Sabha, a financial bill can never be presented. It can only be introduced inside the Lok Sabha.

In short, The Rajya Sabha is far from being neither a relatively weak body like that of the British Parliament of Lords nor even a massively capable body such as the American Senate, according to an examination of its own powers. Its location is somewhere in the middle between both the two. It’s not as strong as the Lok Sabha, yet it was neither weak nor unimportant. Since 1950, the Rajya Sabha continuously exercised its rights and responsibilities in line with the Constitution, fulfilling its position as the Union Parliament’s second chamber.

Conclusion

The article talks about Rajya Sabha and what it does in the Indian constitution. Being an important organisation that serves the common people and as a regulatory body it is important to know about Rajya Sabha and it’s functioning.