1. The Rajya Sabha is the upper house of India's parliament that represents the states. It has a maximum of 250 members with 238 members elected by state assemblies based on population and 12 nominated by the president.
2. Members serve 6-year terms with one-third retiring every 2 years. The vice-president of India acts as the ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
1. The Rajya Sabha is the upper house of India's parliament that represents the states. It has a maximum of 250 members with 238 members elected by state assemblies based on population and 12 nominated by the president.
2. Members serve 6-year terms with one-third retiring every 2 years. The vice-president of India acts as the ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
1. The Rajya Sabha is the upper house of India's parliament that represents the states. It has a maximum of 250 members with 238 members elected by state assemblies based on population and 12 nominated by the president.
2. Members serve 6-year terms with one-third retiring every 2 years. The vice-president of India acts as the ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
1. The Rajya Sabha is the upper house of India's parliament that represents the states. It has a maximum of 250 members with 238 members elected by state assemblies based on population and 12 nominated by the president.
2. Members serve 6-year terms with one-third retiring every 2 years. The vice-president of India acts as the ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
Composition, Functions and Powers of the Rajya Sabha
Background • The ‘Council of States’ which is also known as Rajya Sabha, a nomenclature that was announced by the chair in the House on the 23rd August, 1954 has its own distinctive features. • Montague-Chelmsford Report of 1918. • The Government of India Act, 1919 provided for the creation of a ‘Council of State’ as a second chamber of the then legislature with a restricted franchise which actually came into existence in 1921. • The Governor-General was the ex-officio President of the then Council of State. • Continue-The Government of India Act, 1935. • The Constituent Assembly, which first met on 9 December 1946, also acted as the Central Legislature till 1950, when it was converted as ‘Provisional Parliament’. • During this period, the Central Legislature which was known as Constituent Assembly (Legislative) and later Provisional Parliament was unicameral till the first elections were held in 1952. • Dr.Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was the first chairman of Rajya Sabha from 13.5.1952 to 12.5.1957 • A second chamber, was created with altogether different composition and method of election from that of the directly elected House of the People. Introduction Rajya Sabha: • The Rajya Sabha, i.e., the Council of States, is the Upper House of the Union Parliament. • It gives representation to the States of the India. • However, the states do not enjoy an equal representation in the Rajya Sabha. • These have been given representations on the basis of the size of their populations. I. Composition of the Rajya Sabha: Art. 80 Clause 1: maximum strength - 250 nominated – 12 representatives of the States and UTs- 238 • Article 80(3) persons having special knowledge or practical experience in respect of such matters as literature, science, art and social service. • At present, the Rajya Sabha has 245 members 233 (229+4)elected and 12 nominated. • Members of each State Legislative Assembly, together elect their allotted number of MPs for Rajya Sabha. Allocation of Seats • The Fourth Schedule to the Constitution provides for allocation of seats to the States and Union Territories in Rajya Sabha. • The allocation of seats is made on the basis of the population of each State. • Consequent on the reorganization of States and formation of new States, the number of elected seats in the Rajya Sabha allotted to States and Union Territories has changed from time to time since 1952. Year Elective Members Total* 1952 204 216
1954 207 219
1956 220 232
1960 224 236
1964 226 238
1966 228 240
1972 231 243
1976 232 244
1987 233 245
Till date 233 245
Si No Name of State Seats of Rajya Sabha 1 Andhra Pradesh 11 2 Arunchal Pradesh 1 3 Assam 7 4 Bihar 16 5 Chhattisgarh 5 6 Goa 1 7 Gujarat 11 8 Haryana 5 9 Himachal Pradesh 3 10 Jammu and Kashmir 4 11 Jharkhand 6 12 Karnataka 12 13 Kerala 9 14 Madhya Pradesh 11 15 Maharashtra 19 16 Manipur 1 17 Meghalaya 1 18 Mizoram 1 19 Nagaland 1 20 Odisha 10 21 Punjab 7 22 Rajasthan 10 23 Sikkim 1 24 Tamil Nadu 18 25 Telangana# 7 26 Tripura 1 27 Uttarakhand 3 28 Uttar Pradesh 31 29 West Bengal 16 30 NCT of Delhi 3 31 Puducherry 1 Total 233 * 1. Representation of States • The 229 representatives of states in the Rajya Sabha are elected by the elected members of state legislative assemblies. • The election is held in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. • The seats are allotted to the states in the Rajya Sabha on the basis of population. Hence, the number of representatives varies from state to state. • However, in USA, all states are given equal representation in the Senate irrespective of their population. • USA has 50 states and the Senate has 100 members—2 from each state. 2. Representation of Union Territories • The 4 representatives of union territory in the Rajya Sabha are indirectly elected by members of an electoral college specially constituted for the purpose. • This election is also held in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. • Out of the seven union territories, only two (Delhi 3 and Puducherry 1) have representation in Rajya Sabha. • The populations of other five union territories are too small to have any representative in the Rajya Sabha. 3. Nominated Members • The president nominates 12 members to the Rajya Sabha from people who have special knowledge or practical experience in art, literature, science and social service. • The rationale behind this principle of nomination is to provide eminent persons a place in the Rajya Sabha without going through the process of election. Eligibility II. Qualifications- Article 84 • he must be a citizen of India and • oath or affirmation according to the Third Schedule to the Constitution; • he must be not less than 30 years of age; • he must possess such other qualifications as may be prescribed in that behalf by or under any law made by Parliament. • Now any person residing in any part of India can contest election to the Rajya Sabha from any state. • For this purpose residence of the concerned state is not essential. Disqualifications • Article 102 of the Constitution lays down Certain condition that a person shall be disqualified for being chosen as, and for being, a member of either House of Parliament. • If he is so disqualified by or under any law made by Parliament. • Besides, the Tenth Schedule to Constitution provides for disqualification of the members on ground of defection. III. Process for Election/Nomination Electoral College: • The representatives of the States and of the Union Territories in the Rajya Sabha are elected by the method of indirect election. • The representatives of each State and two Union territories are elected by the elected members of the Legislative Assembly of that State and by the members of the Electoral College for that Union Territory, as the case may be, in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. • The Electoral College for the National Capital Territory of Delhi consists of the elected members of the Legislative Assembly of Delhi, and that for Puducherry consists of the elected members of the Puducherry Legislative Assembly. Biennial/Bye-election • Rajya Sabha is a permanent House and is not subject to dissolution. • However, one-third Members of Rajya Sabha retire after every second year. • A member who is elected for a full term serves for a period of six years. • The election held to fill a vacancy arising otherwise than by retirement of a member on the expiration of his term of office is called ‘Bye-election’. • A member elected in a bye-election remains member for the remainder of the term of the member who had resigned or died or disqualified to be member of the House under the Tenth Schedule. IV. Tenure: • The Rajya Sabha is a permanent House. • It is not subject to dissolution as a whole. • One third of its members retire after every two years and elections are held only for the vacant seats. • The tenure of each member of the Rajya Sabha is six years. V. Sessions: • The President convenes the sessions of the Rajya Sabha usually along with the sessions of the Lok Sabha or whenever he feels it necessary. • However, there cannot be a gap of more than six months within the two sessions of the Rajya Sabha. • The President can call a special session of Rajya Sabha for getting approved an emergency declaration at a time when Lok Sabha stands dissolved. VI. Quorum for the Meetings of Rajya Sabha: • The quorum for the meetings of Rajya Sabha is 1/10th of its members. • It means that at least 1/10th of the members of the Rajya Sabha must be present for carrying out the work of the House. VII. Privileges of Members: • The members of the Rajya Sabha enjoy several privileges. • They enjoy unrestricted freedom to express their views in the House. • He action can be taken against them for anything said by them in the House. • They cannot be arrested for any civil offence during, and 40 days before and after the session of the Rajya Sabha. • For protecting the privileges of the members of the House, the Committee on Privileges has been in existence since the inception of the Rajya Sabha. VIII. Presiding Officers - Chairman and Deputy Chairman • The Presiding Officers of Rajya Sabha have the responsibility to conduct the proceedings of the House. • The Vice-President of India is ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha. • He is not a member of the House • Rajya Sabha also chooses from amongst its members, a Deputy Chairman. • There is also a Panel of Vice-Chairmen in Rajya Sabha, the members of which are nominated by the Chairman, Rajya Sabha. • In the absence of the Chairman and Deputy Chairman, a member from the Panel of Vice-Chairmen presides over the proceedings of the House. Secretary-General • The Secretary-General is appointed by the Chairman of Rajya Sabha and holds rank equivalent to the highest civil servant of the Union. • The Secretary-General works with anonymity and is readily available to the Presiding Officers for rendering advice on parliamentary matters. • The Secretary-General is also the administrative head of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat and the custodian of the records of the House. • He works under the direction and control of the Chairman, Rajya Sabha. Chairman of Rajya Sabha • The presiding officer of the Rajya Sabha is known as the Chairman. • The vice-president of India is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. • During any period when the Vice-President acts as President or discharges the functions of the President, he does not perform the duties of the office of the Chairman of Rajya Sabha. • The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha can be removed from his office only if he is removed from the office of the Vice-President. • As a presiding officer, the powers and functions of the Chairman in the Rajya Sabha are similar to those of the Speaker in the Lok Sabha. • However, the Speaker has two special powers which are not enjoyed by the Chairman: • 1. The Speaker decides whether a bill is a money bill or not and his decision on this question is final. • 2. The Speaker presides over a joint sitting of two Houses of Parliament. • Unlike the Speaker (who is a member of the House), the Chairman is not a member of the House. • But like the Speaker, the Chairman also cannot vote in the first instance. • He too can cast a vote in the case of an equality of votes. • The Vice-President cannot preside over a sitting of the Rajya Sabha as its Chairman when a resolution for his removal is under consideration. • However, he can be present and speak in the House and can take part in its proceedings, without voting, even at such a time (while the Speaker can vote in the first instance when a resolution for his removal is under consideration of the Lok Sabha). • As in case of the Speaker, the salaries and allowances of the Chairman are also fixed by the Parliament. • They are charged on the Consolidated Fund of India and thus are not subject to the annual vote of Parliament. • During any period when the Vice-President acts as President or discharges the functions of the President, he is not entitled to any salary or allowance payable to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. • But he is paid the salary and allowance of the President during such a time Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha • The Deputy Chairman is elected by the Rajya Sabha itself from amongst its members. • Whenever the office of the Deputy Chairman falls vacant, the Rajya Sabha elects another member to fill the vacancy. • The Deputy Chairman vacates his office in any of the following three cases: • 1. if he ceases to be a member of the Rajya Sabha; • 2. if he resigns by writing to the Chairman; and • 3. if he is removed by a resolution passed by a majority of all the members of the Rajya Sabha. Such a resolution can be moved only after giving 14 days’ advance notice. • The Deputy Chairman performs the duties of the Chairman’s office when it is vacant or when the Vice-President acts as President or discharges the functions of the President. • He also acts as the Chairman when the latter is absent from the sitting of the House. • In both the cases, he has all the powers of the Chairman. • It should be emphasised here that the Deputy Chairman is not subordinate to the Chairman. • He is directly responsible to the Rajya Sabha. • Like the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman, while presiding over the House, cannot vote in the first instance; he can only exercise a casting vote in the case of a tie. • Further, when a resolution for the removal of the Deputy Chairman is under consideration of the House, he cannot preside over a sitting of the House, though he may be present. • When the Chairman presides over the House, the Deputy Chairman is like any other ordinary member of the House. • He can speak in the House, participate in its proceedings and vote on any question before the House. • Like the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman is also entitled to a regular salary and allowance. • They are fixed by Parliament and are charged on the Consolidated Fund of India. Panel of Vice-Chairpersons of Rajya Sabha • Under the Rules of Rajya Sabha, the Chairman nominates from amongst the members a panel of vice chairpersons. 6 members • Any one of them can preside over the House in the absence of the Chairman or the Deputy Chairman. • He has the same powers as the Chairman when so presiding. • He holds office until a new panel of vice-chairpersons is nominated. • When a member of the panel of vice-chairpersons is also not present, any other person as determined by the House acts as the Chairman. • It must be emphasised here that a member of the panel of vice-chairpersons cannot preside over the House, when the office of the Chairman or the Deputy Chairman is vacant. • During such time, the Chairman’s duties are to be performed by such member of the House as the president may appoint for the purpose. • The elections are held, as soon as possible, to fill the vacant posts. • Secretariat of Parliament Each House of Parliament has separate secretarial staff of its own, though there can be some posts common to both the Houses. • Their recruitment and service conditions are regulated by Parliament. The secretariat of each House is headed by a secretary-general. • He is a permanent officer and is appointed by the presiding officer of the House. LEADERS IN Rajya Sabha Leader of the House • He is a minister and a member of the Rajya Sabha and is nominated by the prime minister to function as such. • The leader of the house in either House is an important functionary and exercises direct influence on the conduct of business. • The same functionary in USA is known as the ‘majority leader’. Leader of the Opposition (LOP) • The office of the Leader of the Opposition in a legislature is of great public importance. Its importance emanates from the central role accorded to the Opposition in a parliamentary democracy. • The role of the Leader of the Opposition, in fact, is more difficult as he has to criticize, find fault and present alternative proposals/policies with no power to implement them. He has, thus, to perform a special responsibility to Parliament and to the nation. Powers and Functions of the Rajya Sabha: 1. Legislative Powers: • In the sphere of ordinary law-making the Rajya Sabha enjoys equal powers with the Lok Sabha. • An ordinary bill can be introduced in the Rajya Sabha and it cannot become a law unless passed by it. • In case of a deadlock between the two Houses of Parliament over an ordinary bill and if it remains unresolved for six months, the President can convene a joint sitting of the two Houses for resolving the deadlock. • This joint sitting is presided over by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. • If the bill is passed in the joint sitting, it is sent to the President for his signatures. But if the deadlock is not resolved, the bill is deemed to have been killed. 2. Financial Powers: • In the financial sphere, the Rajya Sabha is a weak House. • A money bill cannot be first introduced in the Rajya Sabha. It can be initiated only in the Lok Sabha. • A money bill passed by the Lok Sabha comes before the Rajya Sabha for its consideration. However, if within a period of 14 days, the Rajya Sabha fails to pass the bill, the bill is taken to have been passed by the Parliament irrespective of the fact whether the Rajya Sabha has passed it or not. • If the Rajya Sabha proposes some amendments and the bill is returned to the Lok Sabha, it depends upon the Lok Sabha to accept or reject the proposed amendments. 3. Executive Powers: • “The Union Council of Ministers is collectively responsible before the Lok Sabha and not the Rajya Sabha.” • Lok Sabha alone can cause the fall of the Council of Ministers by passing a vote of no-confidence. • Although the Rajya Sabha cannot remove the Ministry from its office yet the members of the Rajya Sabha can exercise some control over the ministers by criticising their policies, by asking questions and supplementary questions, and by moving adjournment motions. • Some of the ministers are also taken from the Rajya Sabha. Now the Prime Minister can also be from Rajya Sabha if the majority party in the Lok Sabha may elect/adopt him as its leader. 4. Amendment Powers: • Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha can together amend the constitution by passing an amendment bill with 2/3 majority in each House. 5. Electoral Powers: • The Rajya Sabha has some electoral powers also. • The elected members of the Rajya Sabha along with the elected members of the Lok Sabha and all the State Legislative Assemblies together elect the President of India. • The members of the Rajya Sabha Lok Sabha together elect the Vice- President of India. Members of the Rajya Sabha also elect a Deputy Chairman from amongst themselves. 6. Judicial Powers: • (a) The Rajya Sabha acting along with the Lok Sabha can impeach the President on charges of violation of the Constitution. • (b) The Rajya Sabha can also pass a special address for causing the removal of a judge of the Supreme Court or of any High Court. • (c) The charges against the Vice-President can be leveled only in the Rajya Sabha. • (d) The Rajya Sabha can pass a resolution for the removal of some high officers like the Attorney General of India, Comptroller and Auditor General and Chief Election Commissioner. 7. Miscellaneous Powers: • The Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha jointly perform the following functions: • (a) Approval of the ordinances issued by the President, • (b) Ratification of an emergency proclamation, • (c) Making any change in the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and the High Courts, and • (d) Making any change in the qualifications for the membership of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. • 16, - Domicile • 246, - Union list • 247, - Establish additional courts • 248, - Residuary powers, • 249, - State list • 250, - National Emergency • 252, - Two or more state request • 253, International Treaty • 262, - Interstate river water dispute settlement tribunal • 302, - Impose restriction on trade and commerce • 304, - Scarcity of any good • 307, - Interstate commerce commission Other Issues • Ministers may belong to either House of Parliament. • The Constitution does not make any distinction between the Houses in this regard. • Every Minister has the right to speak and take part in the proceedings of either House but he is entitled to vote only in the House of which he is a member. • Similarly, with regard to powers, privileges and immunities of the Houses of Parliament, their members and committees thereof, the two Houses are placed absolutely on equal footing by the Constitution. • Other important matters in respect of which both Houses enjoy equal powers are election and impeachment and removal of the President, election of the Vice-President, approving the Proclamation of Emergency, the proclamation regarding failure of constitutional machinery in States and financial emergency. • In respect of receiving reports and papers from various statutory authorities, etc., both Houses have equal powers. • It is thus clear that except in the case of collective responsibility of the Council of Ministers and certain financial matters, which fall in the domain of Lok Sabha only, both Houses enjoy equal powers. 8. Two Special Powers of Rajya Sabha. • (i) The Power to declare a subject of State List as a subject of National Importance: Article 249 • Rajya Sabha being a federal chamber enjoys certain special powers under the Constitution. • All the subjects/areas regarding legislation have been divided into three Lists - Union List, State List and concurrent List. • Union and State Lists are mutually exclusive - one cannot legislate on a matter placed in the sphere of the other. • The Rajya Sabha can pass a resolution by 2/3rd majority of its members for declaring a State List subject as a subject of national importance. • Such a resolution empowers the Union Parliament to legislate on such a state subject for a period of one year. Such resolutions can be repeatedly passed by the Rajya Sabha. • However, if Rajya Sabha passes a resolution by a majority of not less than two-thirds of members present and voting saying that it is “necessary or expedient in the national interest” that Parliament should make a law on a matter enumerated in the State List, Parliament becomes empowered to make a law on the subject specified in the resolution, for the whole or any part of the territory of India. • Such a resolution remains in force for a maximum period of one year but this period can be extended by one year at a time by passing a similar resolution further. (ii) Power in respect of Creation or Abolition of an All India Service: Article 312. • The Rajya Sabha has the power to create one or more new All India Services. • It can do so by passing a resolution supported by 2/3rd majority on the plea of national interest. • In a similar way, the Rajya Sabha can disband an existing All India Service. • If Rajya Sabha passes a resolution by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting declaring that it is necessary or expedient in the national interest to create one or more All India Services common to the Union and the States, Parliament becomes empowered to create by law such services. Proclamations in the event of national emergency • Under the Constitution, the President is empowered to issue Proclamations in the event of national emergency, in the event of failure of constitutional machinery in a State, or in the case of financial emergency. • Every such proclamation has to be approved by both Houses of Parliament within a stipulated period. • Under certain circumstances, however, Rajya Sabha enjoys special powers in this regard. • If a Proclamation is issued at a time when Lok Sabha has been dissolved or the dissolution of Lok Sabha takes place within the period allowed for its approval, then the proclamation remains effective, if the resolution approving it is passed by Rajya Sabha within the period specified in the Constitution under articles 352, 356 and 360. Relation between the two Houses • Apparently parity to both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha has been accorded in the legislative domain. Hence the participation and collaboration of both the Houses of the Parliament is indispensable for all legislative activities. • Yet the Constitution has recognized superiority of the House of the People (Lok Sabha) over the Council of the States (Rajya Sabha) in some other specified matters which are as follows: • Under article 75(3) of the Constitution, the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to Lok Sabha which means Rajya Sabha cannot make or unmake the Government. • It can, however, exercise control over the Government and this function becomes quite prominent, particularly when the Government does not enjoy majority in Rajya Sabha. • To resolve a deadlock between the two Houses, in case of an ordinary legislation, the Constitution provides for the joint sitting of both Houses. • In fact, there have been three occasions in the past when the Houses of Parliament had met in joint sitting to resolve differences between them. • Issues in joint sitting are decided by a majority of the total number of members of both Houses present and voting. • The joint sitting is held in the Central Hall of Parliament House presided over by the Speaker, Lok Sabha. • However, in the case of a Money Bill, there is no provision in the Constitution for a joint sitting of both Houses as Lok Sabha clearly enjoys pre-eminence over Rajya Sabha in financial matters. • As regards a Constitution amendment Bill, it has been provided in the Constitution that such a Bill has to be passed by the specific majority, as prescribed under article 368 of the Constitution, by both Houses. • There is, therefore, no provision for resolving a deadlock between the two Houses in regard to a Constitution amendment Bill. • (i) The control over Executive establishes superiority of the House over the Council, beyond any doubt. As already discussed in the preceding pages, the Council of Ministers is collectively as well as individually responsible to the Lok Sabha. The Rajya Sabha can seek information regarding matters connected with the governments’ activities on the floor of the Houses but it cannot pass a motion of censure against the government of the day on that account. “The confidence of the Parliament means the confidence of the House of the People (Lok Sabha) and the responsibility of the Executive means responsibility to the House of the People.” • (ii) The power of the Rajya Sabha with regard to Money bill is almost insignificant. • Every Money-bill is to be initiated in the lower House. The Upper House can detain the Money bill only for a period of fourteen days. Though the Rajya Sabha is not altogether prevented from scrutinizing Money bills, yet its power is only of an advisory type. The lower House in fact has the final say in the financial matters. • (iii) As regards the non- money bills, the powers of the two Houses are co-equal and co-ordinate. Even in legislation concerning constitutional amendments, the extent of the Rajya Sabha’s power is the same as that of the lower House. The Rajya Sabha is fully authorized to amend or reject a bill passed by the lower House. If the House does not approve the amendments effected, or rejection is made by the Rajya Sabha, the contested measure is placed before a joint session of both the Houses and passed by a majority vote. • Since the total membership of the House is more than double to that of the Rajya Sabha, the will of the former will prevail. • Thus unlike its counterpart in the U.S.A. i.e., the Senate, the Rajya Sabha has comparatively much less powers. It can at the most detain the non-money bills for six months. • A critical analysis of the above-quoted facts makes it crystal clear that the Constitution recognizes the supremacy of the Lok Sabha over the Rajya Sabha in certain matters but not in all. • The co-equal powers of the two Houses regarding the constitutional amendment are, of course, of importance. • It reveals that the Constitution is not amendable unless the Rajya Sabha, as the custodian of the interests of the individual states agrees to such an amendment. • Besides, two other provisions confer upon the Rajya Sabha powers in its own right and to the exclusion of the House. Under Article 249, by majority of its total and 2/3rd of its members present and voting, it is authorized to proclaim that a particular matter included in the State list is of national importance and hence the Parliament should make laws regarding that subject. On the passing of such a resolution, the Parliament is legally authorized to make laws with regard to that subject for the whole or any part of India for a period of one year. • Article 312 vests with the Rajya Sabha an exclusive power of setting up an All-India Services by a resolution, supported by not less than 2/3rd of its members present and voting. Thus, a law is passed which provides for the creation of one or more all-India services common to the Union and the States and also regulates the recruitment and conditions of service of persons appointed to any such service. • Evidently, in both the above cases, the lower Houses come into the picture only after the upper House has acted. In other words, the upper House matters the most under the above-mentioned two contingencies. It is thus not merely an ornamental structure or a non-essential adjunct. It was not designed to play a second fiddle to the lower House. • Its small and compact size, its representative and permanent character, its having number of seasoned elder statement has enabled the Rajya Sabha to establish itself not only as a glamorous House like House of Lords in U.K. but also act as a revisory and effective chamber . • However, it would not be in position to claim parity with the lower House so far as legislative, financial and executive powers are concerned. In the words of Dash, “…………………. the Indian Parliament has maintained a balance between the two Houses and it is not possible for the lower chamber to override the Rajya Sabha in any matter other than financial legislation…Both in normalcy and in emergency, the Lok Sabha must carry the Rajya Sabha with it if it means to organize a smooth administration for the country”. Position of the Rajya Sabha: • A study of the powers of the Rajya Sabha leads us to the conclusion that it is neither a very weak house like the British House of Lords nor a very powerful house as the American Senate. • Its position is somewhat mid-way between the two. • It has been less powerful than Lok Sabha but it has been not a very weak or insignificant House. • Since 1950, the Rajya Sabha has been using its powers and functions in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and performing its due role as the second House of Union Parliament. Sources: • Indian Government and Politics by Peu Ghosh • Our Parliament by Subhash Kashyap • Indian Government and Politics by Chakrabarty and Pandey • Introduction to the constitution of India by D.D. Basu • Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth