The founders of the Constitution did not intend to equalise the two Houses of Parliament. "The Rajya Sabha was to delay action that could be hurriedly conceived, but not to prove a clog either to the law or to the government," Gopalswami Ayyangar addressed the Constituent Assembly. However, the actual functioning of the Indian Parliament has shown that the Rajya Sabha declined to operate as an initial assistance to the government machinery. This will be fully elucidated by a study of the relationship between the two houses.

1. Legislative Control:

The Constitution has placed both Houses of Parliament on an equal footing in legislative matters. An Ordinary Bill can originate in either house, but it must be accepted by both houses before it can be enacted into law. Only a joint session of the two houses summoned by the President can resolve differences and disagreements between the two chambers. Decisions are made by a majority vote at such a joint session. Because of its bigger membership, the Lok Sabha clearly had an edge over the Rajya Sabha.

The Speaker of the Lok Sabha also preside over such joint sessions. At such joint sittings, the outcome may sometimes be in favour of Rajya Sabha as well. This can occur if members of the Lok Sabha are significantly divided on an issue while members of the Rajya Sabha are united on the same matter. There have only been three combined sittings of the houses so far.

The first such joint sitting was held in 1961 due to disagreements over the Dowry Prohibition Bill, the second in 1978 to address disagreements over the Banking Service Commission (Repeal) Bill, 1977, and the third in 2002 over POTA.

2. Financial Control:

The Lok Sabha is obviously given precedence in the financial sector under the Constitution. It states that money bills can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha. After the Lok Sabha passes a Money Bill, it is sent to the Rajya Sabha for consideration. The Rajya Sabha has 14 days to offer suggestions on the bill. However, it is up to the Lok Sabha to adopt or reject the proposals. If the Rajya Sabha does not make the required recommendations within 14 days, the bill is presumed to have been enacted by the Rajya Sabha in the same form as the Lok Sabha and is sent to the President for his assent.

Similarly, if the Lok Sabha does not accept the Rajya Sabha's suggestions, it can transmit the bill in its original form to the President for his assent. The right to vote on grant requests is likewise the sole prerogative of the Lok Sabha, and the Rajya Sabha has no say in the matter. In short, the Rajya Sabha has a disadvantage in the financial realm. It can only postpone a Money Bill for a maximum of 14 days.

3. Administrative Control:

The Raiya Sabha is similarly in a weak position when it comes to exercising influence over the executive. The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha and remains in office as long as the majority of Lok Sabha members trust it. The Lok Sabha can remove the Council of Ministers by voting a no-confidence vote. Members of the Lok Sabha can also exert influence over several Ministries by raising inquiries about the activity of various departments and identifying their shortcomings.

The Rajya Sabha also has the authority to criticise the Council of Ministers' policies and actions, as well as to request information from them about various government activities. However, its control is made ineffectual due to the lack of the ability to vote a minister out. In this regard, the Rajya Sabha is unquestionably lower than the Lok Sabha.

4. Constitutional Powers:

The two houses have been placed on an equal footing when it comes to amending the Constitution. A proposal to modify the Constitution can come from either of the two Houses of Parliament and must be approved by both.