Note on the Officials of Rajya Sabha

Rajya Sabha serves as an important part of the Indian Parliament. The number of members of the Rajya Sabha is not more than 250 and is a permanent body and cannot be dissolved at any time. All the members of the Rajya Sabha are given equal voting rights. The members of the Rajya Sabha take part in major law passing decisions for the parliament.

Rajya Sabha Officials: The Basics

Proportional representation is the only method for selecting members of the Rajya Sabha. All the members of the state legislative assembly hold the right to elect the members of the Rajya Sabha. The number of seats for the members of rajya sabha is based on the population of each state. 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.

Chairman In Rajya Sabha

The ex-officio chairman position is given to the vice president of India in Rajya Sabha. All the members of Rajya Sabha have the right to vote for and select the deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha.  

The chairman of Rajya Sabha is treated as the leader of the House of Elders. This means the chairman can make major decisions for Rajya Sabha. The removal of the chairman from the Rajya Sabha is done in a different manner. 

Removal of Rajya Sabha Chairman

The Vice President can be dismissed from office by a resolution voted by the Rajya Sabha with an effective majority (i.e., a majority of all members of the house at the time) and approved by the Lok Sabha with a simple majority (Article 67(b)).

Rights of Rajya Sabha Chairman

Rajya Sabha’s chairman has no mandatory voting rights, but he can vote under exceptional conditions. If there is an equal voting count for any situation or candidate, then the chairman is given voting rights. The salary of the chairman of Rajya Sabha is charged from the consolidated funds of India. 

The chairman of Rajya Sabha receives a salary as fixed by the Parliament of India. If, by any chance, the chairman of Rajya Sabha is given the position and power of the president. Then the salary of the president is given to the chairman of the Rajya Sabha. The chairman of Rajya Sabha holds the lead position in the meeting or gathering if the president is not present.

Deputy Chairman In Rajya Sabha

The deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha is an elected member by other members of Rajya Sabha. There are a few situations when the power of the chairman is given to the deputy chairman. The deputy chairman presides over the Rajya Sabha if the chairman is not holding the position or if the chairman is not holding any authority. 

Sometimes, the chairman is required to hold the position and power of a president. In simple terms, if the vice president has to serve the country as president due to any reason, then the deputy chairman can get the powers of the chairman. If the chairman is not present in the meeting of Rajya Sabha due to any reason, then the deputy chairman can act as the chairman of Rajya Sabha. 

Removal of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman

The removal of the deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha depends on the members of Rajya Sabha. 

The Deputy Chairman can be removed for a variety of reasons, including breaking the law, violating parliamentary rules, or resigning from his position.

An absolute resolution made by all members present in the house during the session can dismiss the Deputy Chairman from its position.

This means that if two-thirds of the members vote against the Deputy Chairman, he must be dismissed from his position.

Rights of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman

The deputy chairman exercises voting rights only if there are equal votes (or a tie) from both sides. During the presence of the chairman, the deputy chairman has similar and ordinary rights to other members of the Rajya Sabha. The deputy chairman receives the salary from the consolidated funds of India. The salary of the deputy chairman is decided and fixed by the Parliament of India.

Other Members

All the other members of the Rajya Sabha can participate in the meeting and gathering of Rajya Sabha. The members of the Rajya Sabha have the right to vote for any important decisions. The members of the Rajya Sabha are an important part to form the House of Elders and work under the chairman.

Conclusion

The seat allocations of Rajya Sabha are done under the Fourth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. Rajya Sabha has an important and essential role in passing important laws for India. The Rajya Sabha members ensure that the executive  government is performing its duties in a correct manner and to represent the views of the people of their constituency in the Parliament of India. The officials of Rajya Sabha hold both legislative and oversight responsibilities.