Rajya Sabha - Council of States

Rajya Sabha - Council of States

Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament. The name 'Rajya Sabha' was adopted by the Council of States in 1954. The Rajya Sabha was first constituted on April 3, 1952. Rajya Sabha held its first sitting on 13 May 1952. The Fourth Schedule of the Constitution provides for the distribution of seats in the Rajya Sabha from states and union territories. Rajya Sabha consists of 250 members out of which 238 shall be representatives of states and twelve members to be nominated by the President, who shall be persons having special knowledge or practical experience in the field of Literature, Science, Art and Social Service. The Council of State is a permanent house and is not subject to dissolution. Its one third members retire after every two years. Thus, a member of this house enjoys a term of six years. To become a member of the Rajya Sabha he/she must be atleast 30 years of age. Other qualifications are same as in becoming a member of the Lok Sabha. The candidates are elected by the Legislative Assembly of States and Union Territories by means of single transferable vote through proportional representation. With 31 seats, Uttar Pradesh has the largest membership in Rajya Sabha. Any bill (non - financial), in general, has to be approved by Rajya Sabha even if approved by Lok Sabha. The first hour of every sitting usually is the Question Hour, unless the chairman otherwise directs. The Question Hour starts at 11.00 am and concludes at 12.00 noon on five days a week (from Monday to Friday) when the House sits.

Election Process

The Rajya Sabha members are elected through indirect elections from states and union territories. The people directly elect representatives to the state legislatures and the elected Legislative Assembly Members (MLAs) elect the Rajya Sabha members from their states. In Union territories, they are indirectly elected by members of an electoral college, that is constituted for this purpose. The method of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote is used for both state and union territories. Out of 8 union territories, Puducherry (1), Delhi (3) and Jammu and Kashmir (4) have representation in Rajya Sabha.

Chairman

The Vice-President of India is the ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha. He presides over the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha as long as he does not act as the President of India during a vacancy in the office of the President.

Deputy Chairman

The Deputy Chairman is elected by the Rajya Sabha from amongst its members. In the absence of the Chairman, Deputy Chairman presides over the functions and proceedings of the House. In the presence of the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman has the status of an ordinary member. In this situation, the Deputy Chairman can speak in the House, cast votes, and take part in the proceedings of the House. Deputy Chairman shall vacate his office, if he ceased to be a member of the Council.

Leader of the House

Besides the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman there is the leader of the house. This is a cabinet minister - the Prime Minister if he is a member of the house or another nominated minister. The leader has a seat next to the chairman in the front row.

Panel of Chairperson in Rajya Sabha

The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha nominates a panel of Vice-Chairpersons from among the members. In the absence of the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman, a person from this panel conducts the proceedings of the House. In the absence of any member of the panel of Vice-Chairpersons, any other person designated by the House shall act as Chairman. However, when the office of Chairman or Deputy Chairman is vacant, a member of the panel of Vice-Chairpersons shall not be the Chairman of the House. In such cases, the duties of the Chairman shall be performed by a member of the House appointed by the President.