The Indian Parliament is made up of three organs: the President, the Council of States (the Rajya Sabha), and the House of People (the Lok Sabha). Despite the fact that the President is not a member of either House of Parliament, he is an integral part of it and fulfils specific tasks related to its activities. The President of India summons the two Houses of Parliament, dissolves the House of People, and grants assent to bills.

Though the Indian Constitution provides for parliamentary government, unlike in the United Kingdom, the Parliament is not supreme. The Constitution of India is paramount. Laws passed by Parliament in England cannot be deemed unconstitutional, whereas the Indian Constitution clearly grants this power to the judiciary. The Indian Parliament is established by the Constitution and draws all of its powers from it. The Indian parliament's two main houses, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, are discussed as follows:

RAJYA SABHA:

The Rajya Sabha is the Parliament's upper house. It has a membership of 250 people. The states and union territories are represented by 238 members, while the remaining 12 are nominated by the President of India from individuals with unique knowledge or practical experience in the fields of literature, science, art, and social services. The representatives of the states are chosen by members of the state legislatures. These members are elected by an Electoral College in the Union Territories that do not have Legislative Assemblies, such as Delhi and Puducherry.

The Rajya Sabha members are elected using a single transferable vote in accordance with the principle of proportional representation. Unlike the Senate of the United States, the Raiya Sabha includes 12 nominated members in addition to the representatives of the states. Furthermore, all Indian Union states do not have equal representation in the Rajya Sabha. Seats have been assigned to the several states based on population. As a result, the state's representation ranges from 1 to 31.

Qualifications:

A person seeking membership of Rajya Sabha must possess the following qualifications:

• He must be a citizen in India.
• He must not be less than 30 years of age.
• He must make and subscribe before some persons authorised in that behalf, by the Election Commission an oath or affirmation asserting his allegiance to the Constitution of India and undertaking to uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India.
• He must possess such other qualifications as may be prescribed by the Parliament for that purpose from time to time.

 

Term of the House:

The Rajya Sabha is a perpetual house that cannot be dissolved. According to the requirements imposed by the Parliament by law, one-third of Rajya Sabha members retire every two years. Members of the Rajya Sabha are chosen for a six-year term. This system assures continuity while also reflecting shifting public opinion.

Presiding Officer:

The Rajya Sabha is chaired by the Vice-President of India on an ex-officio basis. The House also elects a Deputy Chairman from among its members. When the Vice-President is not present, the Deputy Chairman takes over. Except in the case of a tie, the chairman does not have the ability to vote. The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, as presiding officer, is responsible for preserving order and decorum in the House and conducting the proceedings in line with the rules. Because the chairman is not a member of the House, he does not have the right to vote, save in the case of a tie. He does, however, have the right to speak and otherwise participate in the proceedings of the House. A quorum of one-tenth of the Rajya Sabha's total membership is required to hold a meeting of the House.

LOK SABHA:

The Lok Sabha, often known as the House of People, is the most popular House of the Indian Parliament, consisting of elected representatives of the people. Its maximum strength has been set at 552 points. Out of these, no more than 530 are directly elected from state territorial seats, and no more than 20 are elected from Union Territories in the manner stipulated by Parliament by law.

The number of representatives that each state is likely to elect is influenced by its population. Within the state, the constituencies are drawn in such a way that, to the greatest extent possible, the population of each constituency is about the same. The Parliament now has 545 members, with 530 seats given to states, 13 seats to UTs, and two members selected by the President from the Anglo-Indian community. The 84th Amendment Act of 2001 limits the number of seats that can be added until 2026.

Qualifications:

A person seeking election to the Lok Sabha must possess the following qualifications:

• He must be a citizen of India.
• He must be at least 25 years of age.
• He must possess such other qualifications as may be prescribed by the Parliament.
• He must not hold any office of profit under the Union or State Governments.
• He must not be a person with unsound mind or an undischarged insolvent.
• He must make and subscribe before some person authorised in that behalf by the Election Commission an oath of affirmation asserting his allegiance to the Constitution of India and upholding the sovereignty and integrity of India.