There are two houses of the Indian Parliament- Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. While Lok Sabha is the lower house, Rajya Sabha is the upper house. Both these houses derive their power from the Constitution of India. However, there are a few key differences between these two Houses which set them apart. This article will explore those differences in detail.
What is Lok Sabha?
- Lok Sabha is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of India. Lok means “people” and Sabha means “assembly” in Sanskrit. Lok Sabha is composed of representatives of the people chosen by direct election on the basis of adult universal suffrage and a secret ballot.
- Its maximum strength is 552, which is made up of elections from 543 constituencies spread across the states and union territories (UTs) of India, as well as a few nominated members. A Lok Sabha member represents a single constituency.
- The Lok Sabha meets in the Lok Sabhā Bhawan, a hari-colored building located in New Delhi. Lok Sabha has jurisdiction over all financial matters except those falling within the ambit of the Rajya Sabha, such as taxation, impeachment proceedings against the President of India, auditing accounts of the Union government, and approval of presidential appointments. Lok Sabha has ৭০ days in a year to conduct its business.
What is Rajya Sabha?
Rajya Sabha is the upper house of the Parliament of India. It is also known as the Council of States. Rajya Sabha is composed of Members of Parliament (MPs) who are directly elected by the state legislatures and by the union territories.
- Rajya Sabha has a maximum of 250 members, and out of these, 233 members represent the states and union territories, while the rest are nominated by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister. Rajya Sabha MPs have a tenure of 6 years, and one-third of Rajya Sabha members retire every two years.
- Rajya Sabha plays an important role in the lawmaking process in India, as it represents the interests of the states in the Union Parliament. Rajya Sabha also has the power to impeach the President of India.
- Rajya Sabha is a permanent body, and it cannot be dissolved like the Lok Sabha, which is the lower house of Parliament. Rajya Sabha meets for at least 160 days a year. Rajya Sabha has many important functions, including passing bills, participating in debates, and representing the interests of states in Parliament. Rajya Sabha plays an important role in safeguarding India’s federal structure.
Difference between Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha
- Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are the two houses of parliament in India. Lok Sabha is known as the house of the people because all the members of Lok Sabha are directly elected by the citizens of India.
- On the other hand, Rajya Sabha is known as the Council of States because its members are elected by the state legislatures. Lok Sabha has a maximum of 552 members and Rajya Sabha has a maximum of 250 members.
- The Lok Sabha is composed of representatives of the people chosen by direct election on the basis of universal adult suffrage. The Lok Sabha has more power than Rajya Sabha. The Lok Sabha can pass a money bill or a finance bill only when Rajya Sabha doesn’t give its consent within 14 days. The Lok Sabha can also impeach the president of India while Rajya Sabha cannot do so. The Lok Sabha has more power than Rajya Sabha but both houses play an important role in Indian democracy.
Conclusion
The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are two of the three branches that make up the Indian government. The Lok Sabha is the lower house, and the members are elected by the people. The Rajya Sabha is the upper house, and its members are appointed by the president. There are many differences between these two houses, including how they’re structured, their powers, and who can be a member.
