Parliament consists of the President and two Houses: the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and the House of the People (Lok Sabha). The President is not a member of either House but is an integral part of Parliament, because no bill becomes law without the President's assent.
Article 79: President + Rajya Sabha + Lok Sabha.
Quick check: Under Article 79, Parliament consists of:
The Prime Minister, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha
The President, the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha only
The Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha and the state legislatures
Answer: B.
Lok Sabha: Strength and Term
Article 81 and 83
The Lok Sabha can have up to 550 members: up to 530 from the states and up to 20 from the Union Territories, all directly elected. It currently has 543 elected seats. Its normal term is five years, which can be extended by a year at a time during a National Emergency. The two seats for nominated Anglo-Indians ended in 2020 (104th Amendment).
Maximum: 550.
Currently 543 elected members.
Minimum age: 25.
Quick check: What is the maximum strength of the Lok Sabha under the Constitution today?
550
543
545
552
Answer: A.
Rajya Sabha: Strength and Permanence
Article 80 and 83
The Rajya Sabha can have up to 250 members: 238 representatives of the states and Union Territories, elected by the elected members of the legislative assemblies by proportional representation through the single transferable vote, and 12 members nominated by the President for their knowledge or experience in literature, science, art and social service. It is a permanent body and is never dissolved; one-third of its members retire every second year.
Maximum: 250 (238 elected + 12 nominated).
Minimum age: 30.
Term of a member: six years.
Quick check: Members are nominated to the Rajya Sabha for special knowledge in literature, science, art and:
Law
Social service
Business
Sports
Answer: B.
1952
The First Parliament
1952
After the first general elections of 1951–52, the Rajya Sabha was constituted on 3 April 1952 and the first Lok Sabha on 17 April 1952. Both Houses held their first sessions in May 1952. The Hindi names Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were formally adopted in 1954.
First Speaker: G.V. Mavalankar.
First Chairman of the Rajya Sabha: S. Radhakrishnan.
Quick check: Who was the first Chairman of the Rajya Sabha?
S. Radhakrishnan
Zakir Husain
Rajendra Prasad
G.V. Mavalankar
Answer: A.
Four Kinds of Bills
Ordinary, Money, Financial and Constitution Amendment
Ordinary bills can start in either House and need a simple majority in each. Money Bills (Article 110) can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha on the President's recommendation, and the Rajya Sabha can only make recommendations within 14 days. Financial Bills (Article 117) are those with some money-bill provisions plus other matters. Constitution Amendment Bills (Article 368) need a special majority in each House, and there is no joint sitting for them.
Quick check: Which type of bill can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha?
Constitution Amendment Bill
Ordinary Bill
Private Member's Bill
Money Bill
Answer: D.
47 more entries under this heading
The Only Three Joint Sittings · Article 108
Quorum · Article 100
Sessions of Parliament · Article 85
Question Hour and Zero Hour · Tools of accountability
No-Confidence Motions · The Lok Sabha controls the government
Private Members' Bills · Only 14 have ever become law
The Union Budget · Article 112: the "Annual Financial Statement"
Cut Motions · Policy, economy and token cuts
The Financial Committees · PAC, Estimates and Public Undertakings
Department-Related Standing Committees · Since 1993
Parliamentary Privileges and the Bribery Case · Article 105
Raja Ram Pal and the Cash-for-Query Expulsions · 2007
The Old Parliament House: Samvidhan Sadan · Lutyens and Baker, 1927
The New Parliament Building · Inaugurated 28 May 2023
Leader of the Opposition · A statutory office
The Pro Tem Speaker · For the first sitting of a new House
The Speaker's Casting Vote · Article 100
Longest-Serving Speaker · Balram Jakhar
State Legislative Councils · Article 169
Ordinances and Their Limits · D.C. Wadhwa and Krishna Kumar Singh
Joint Parliamentary Committees · Ad hoc inquiries
Delimitation and the Freeze · Articles 82 and 170
Adjournment motion · Interrupts normal business to discuss an urgent matter of public importance
Calling attention motion · Draws a minister's attention to an urgent matter and seeks a statement
Censure motion · A motion criticising specific policies or actions of the government
Motion of thanks · Parliament's response to the President's address
Point of order · A member's objection that proceedings are not following the rules
Guillotine · Putting all remaining demands for grants to vote without discussion
Vote on account · An advance grant to meet expenses until the budget is passed
Appropriation Bill · Authorises withdrawal of money from the Consolidated Fund
Finance Bill · Gives effect to the government's tax proposals
Speaker's certificate on Money Bills · The Speaker's decision that a bill is a Money Bill is final
Prorogation · Ending a session of Parliament by order of the President
Adjournment sine die · Adjourning a House without naming a day for reassembling
Lapse of bills · Which bills die when the Lok Sabha is dissolved
Whip · A party direction to members on how to vote
Short duration discussion · A discussion on an urgent matter without a formal motion
Rule 267 (Rajya Sabha) · Suspension of listed business in the Rajya Sabha
Committee on Estimates · The largest parliamentary committee
Public Accounts Committee · Examines the CAG's audit reports
Committee on Privileges · Examines questions of breach of privilege
Ethics Committees · Oversee the conduct of members
Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha · Twelve members nominated by the President
Special powers of the Rajya Sabha · Only the Rajya Sabha can authorise Parliament to legislate on a State List subject or create all-India services
The Union Budget Date · The budget is presented on 1 February
The Sengol · A ceremonial sceptre installed in the new Lok Sabha
Sansad TV · Parliament's television channel
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