Legislative Branch of Government in India
There shall be a Parliament for the Union which shall consist of the President and two houses, the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and the House of the People (Lok Sabha). Government of India is bicameral. Rajya Sabha is the upper house and Lok Sabha is the lower house. Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha, Standing committee (India), State legislative assemblies of India are the legislative branch of India Government. The most important function of them is to legislate i.e., make legislations for the development which benefits the society. The second most important function is to exercise control over the Executive.
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or the lower house is the house of representatives directly elected by the people. Its maximum strength cannot exceed 552. Out of these, a maximum of 530 members are from the states and up to 20 members are from the union territories. Two members are Anglo-Indian representatives nominated by the President. This is in case the Anglo-Indian representatives are not elected. The term of the Lok Sabha is for five years from the first session. However, the President can extend the term once for a year during a state of emergency. Moreover, if the state of emergency is lifted, it cannot be extended for more than six months. Our Constitution has also prescribed the grounds for disqualification for membership of the House. A member can contest from anywhere in India and contest from more than one seat, but if he wins, he must retain one seat and withdraw from the others. Similarly, a member can be a member of only one of the state legislatures or both houses of Parliament at a time. Otherwise, if elected, he will have to retain only one seat and resign from the others. Failure to participate in the proceedings of the House for more than sixty days without the permission of the House will result in loss of membership. Other circumstances that may result in loss of membership include: becoming bankrupt, becoming mentally unstable, engaging in gainful employment, being convicted of a crime, acquiring foreign citizenship, establishing ties with foreign countries, etc. Any Indian citizen who has completed the age of 25 and whose name is on the electoral roll can contest for the Lok Sabha.
Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha or the Upper House. It is a 250-member permanent body consisting of 238 representatives from various states and union territories and 12 members chosen by the President from among the talents who have proven their expertise in various fields. One member is elected for a term of six years. Every two years, one-third of the members are re-elected for the post. Any Indian citizen who has completed the age of 30 and whose name is on the electoral roll can contest for the Rajya Sabha.
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