Parliament of India - President, Rajya Sabha & Lok Sabha

Parliament of India - President, Rajya Sabha & Lok Sabha

The Parliament of India

The Parliament of India consists of the President, the Lok Sabha, and the Rajya Sabha. [Ref.: Art. 79] The President is a part of the Legislature, even though he or she does not sit in Parliament.

Tenure of the First Lok Sabha

• The first Lok Sabha was from 13 May 1952 to 4 April 1957.

Main Functions of Parliament

• Providing the Cabinet

• Control of the Cabinet

• Criticism of the Cabinet and of individual Ministers

• Securing information authoritatively

• Legislation, i.e., making laws [Ref.: Arts. 107; 108; 245]

• Financial control

Bill passed by the House of Parliament cannot become law without the President's assent.

Parliament Building

• The Parliament building is a circular structure designed by architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker in 1912-13.

• The foundation was laid on 12.02.1921.

• Its exterior consists of 144 pillars of granite.

US Presidents Who Addressed The Indian Parliament

US Presidents Who Did Not Address the Indian Parliament

Rajya Sabha (Council of States)

• Composed of not more than 250 members, of whom 12 are nominated by the President and 238 are representatives of the states and Union Territories elected by indirect election. [Ref. Art. 80]

• The 12 nominated members are chosen by the President from persons specialised in science, art, literature, and social service.

• Rajya Sabha is not subject to dissolution, and members shall not be less than 30 years of age.

• Representatives of each state are elected by the elected members of the Legislative Assembly using proportional representation by single transferable vote.

Lok Sabha (House of the People)

• Prescribed composition [Art. 81]:

  1. Not more than 530 representatives of the States

  2. Not more than 20 representatives of Union Territories

  3. Not more than 2 members of the Anglo-Indian community, nominated by the President

• At present, the Lok Sabha consists of 543 members (530 from states, 13 from UTs).

• Representatives of the States are directly elected by the people based on adult suffrage.

• Every citizen 18 years or older and not disqualified can vote. [Ref. Art. 326]

• No reservation for minority communities except the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.

[Ref.: Arts. 330, 341, 342]

SC/ST Quota Extension Bill 2019

• The Constitution (126th Amendment) Bill 2019 was passed unanimously by the Rajya Sabha on 12th Dec 2019, two days after passing in Lok Sabha.

• Lok Sabha passed the Bill on 10th December 2019 with 352 members in favor and none against.

• The Bill extended reservation for SCs and STs in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for another 10 years.

• The Bill ended the provision for the nomination of Anglo-Indians after January 2020.

Tenure and Dissolution

• Rajya Sabha is permanent; 1/3 of members retire every second year.

• Normal term of the Lok Sabha is 5 years, but it can be dissolved earlier by the President.

• Extension of Lok Sabha term during Emergency cannot exceed 1 year at a time, and no more than 6 months after Emergency ends.

• Lok Sabha was extended twice in 1976 and dissolved 8 times before the normal term (1970, 1977, 1979, 1984, Nov 1989, Mar 1991, Dec 1997, Apr 1999).

Historical Tenures

• Tenure of 1st Lok Sabha: 17 April 1952 - 04 April 1957

• Rajya Sabha first constituted: 03 April 1952

• First sitting of Rajya Sabha: 13 May, 952

Sessions of Parliament

• Parliament must meet at least twice a year; no more than six months shall elapse between two sessions.

• Session: period between the first meeting and prorogation

• Recess: period between prorogation and re-assembly in a new session

• Daily sittings can be separated by adjournments, postponing business for a specified time

Termination of Sitting

• Dissolution: ends Lok Sabha, fresh elections required

• Prorogation: terminates a session

• Adjournment: postpones business, does not end the session

Pending Bills in Lok Sabha lapse on dissolution, but in Rajya Sabha they do not lapse. Joint sittings may continue if notified before dissolution.

Qualifications for Members of Parliament

• Must be a citizen of India

• Minimum age: 25 years for Lok Sabha, 30 years for Rajya Sabha

• Additional qualifications may be prescribed by Parliament [Ref. Art. 84]

Disqualifications

• Holding any office of profit under the Government

• Unsound mind, declared by a competent Court

• Not a citizen of India or voluntarily acquiring foreign citizenship

• Disqualified by law [Ref.: Art. 102]

Other Rules

• Rajya Sabha is permanent, not subject to dissolution.

• In disputes over qualification, the President’s decision, based on the Election Commission's opinion, is final. [Ref.: Art. 103]

• A seat can be declared vacant if a member is absent for 60 days without permission.

Final Thoughts

Studying the Parliament of India really helps us understand how our country is governed. It’s made up of the President, Lok Sabha, and Rajya Sabha, each playing a special role.

The Lok Sabha represents the people, while the Rajya Sabha represents the states and works continuously without dissolution. I found it interesting how Parliament not only makes laws but also controls finances and keeps the Cabinet accountable. The SC/ST reservation shows how the system tries to be inclusive. Every session, debate, and bill reflects the checks and balances that keep democracy alive.

Learning about this makes me appreciate how structured and fair our law-making process is. It’s like seeing the gears behind the engine of India’s democracy in action.