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Rajya Sabha Election

The process of the Rajya Sabha election is followed to have elections for the Lok Sabha, one that the majority of us are already familiar with.

The President of India serves as the presiding officer of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha while the Indian Parliament is in session. The Rajya Sabha is the name given to the upper chamber of the Indian Parliament, and in some nations, it is sometimes referred to as the Upper House. Candidates for the Indian Administrative Service exam are expected to have a comprehensive understanding of the Rajya Sabha since this legislative chamber serves as the central pillar of the Indian political system.

How are individuals chosen to fill the numerous open positions in the Rajya Sabha, commonly known as the Council of States? The process of the Rajya Sabha election is a method that is more involved than the elections for the Loksabha, which are done on a more consistent basis.

Members Elected to Serve as Members of the Rajya Sabha

According to Article 80 of the Constitution, the composition of the Rajya Sabha is only allowed to have a maximum of 250 members at any one time. This limit was put in place to prevent the chamber from becoming too large. The President is in charge of choosing 12 of these 250 members, while the other 238 members serve as delegates for the states and the two territories that make up the Union. There are a total of 250 people participating in this body. There are now 245 members sitting in the Rajya Sabha despite this fact. Out of them, the allocation of seats to Rajya Sabha is 233 chosen to represent their respective states and union territories, including Delhi and Puducherry, among other places. The President of India is responsible for appointing Rajya Sabha’s remaining 12 members. Members who have specific knowledge or hands-on experience in several disciplines, such as the arts, literature, science, and community service, are eligible to be nominated for membership by the President. This includes, but is not limited to, the fields of community service, science, and literature.

Voting for Members of the Rajya Sabha

The process of the Rajya Sabha Election is used to pick the members of the Rajya Sabha who are chosen to represent the states and union territories in the legislature. These members are selected to serve as representatives in the Rajya Sabha. Depending on the situation, the elected members of the Legislative Assembly of that state and the individuals of the electoral college for that Union Territory. Each cast their vote for their respective state and union territory representatives using a system of proportional representation that permits a single voice to another individual. The relevant state and union territory representatives will be chosen through this vote. This ensures that each state and the two territories members of the Union have an equal representation in the Union’s governing bodies. In the Rajya Sabha, there are three different kinds of representation.

Members of the Rajya Sabha who are currently serving as representatives for their respective states are as follows:

  • The allocation of seats to the Rajya Sabha of the state legislative assemblies is the responsibility of those who have previously served in leadership roles within such legislatures.
  • The implementation of the voting strategy known as proportional representation is carried out using a system called the Single Transferable Vote (PR-STV).
  • One of the elements taken into account is the proportion of members of Parliament (MPs) from each state who represent that state in the Rajya Sabha about the population of that state.

The following persons are currently serving in the role of Rajya Sabha representatives for their respective Union Territories:

  • By conducting elections that are not directly available to the public. It is possible to choose who will serve as a representative for the Union Territories in the Rajya Sabha. An electoral college was established for the specific sake of performing this duty, and it has been in existence ever since.
  • The implementation of the voting strategy known as Proportional Representation is carried out through the use of a process called the Single Transferable Vote (PR-STV)

Note: The only places with representatives in the Rajya Sabha are Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi, and Puducherry. This leaves India with a total of eight union territories.

The Process of the Rajya Sabha Election

The Constituent Parliament of India decided that a single directly elected assembly would not be sufficient to handle the difficulties that a newly independent India faced. As a result, the Constituent Assembly of India decided to create many assemblies. A provision allowed the President to nominate twelve members to serve in the House of Representatives and the members who were elected to do so. This was in addition to the members who were elected to perform there. As a result, there are now twenty-four people serving as members of the House of Representatives.

Conclusion

The Constitution specifies that there shall be a total of 250 members in the Rajya Sabha, 12 of whom shall be nominated by the President from among those who have special knowledge or experience in literature, science, art, and social service, and not more than 238 reps of the States and the UTs. In addition, the President shall nominate 12 members from among those who have special knowledge or practical experience in fields such as social service. They will come from a pool of individuals who have specialised expertise or hands-on experience in sectors such as the humanities. In addition to this, the Rajya Sabha would be given the power to propose changes to the Constitution, vested in it by the government.

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Frequently asked questions

Get answers to the most common queries related to the UPSC Examination Preparation.

What is the process of the Rajya Sabha election?

Answer: The Rajya Sabha has 250 members, 238 chosen by the Vidhan Sabhas (stat...Read full

Who's Rajya Sabha Chairman?

Answer: Venkaiah Naidu is chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

Who is the first member of the Rajya Sabha?

Answer: First Rajya Sabha Chairman was S. Radhakrishnan.  ...Read full