The Indian Parliament is a bicameral legislature consisting of two Houses: the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States). These two Houses play a complementary role in India’s legislative process, but they differ in terms of composition, powers, tenure, and functioning. Understanding the differences between Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha is crucial to appreciating how India’s parliamentary democracy operates.
Lok Sabha: The Lok Sabha is the lower House and represents the people of India directly. It can have a maximum of 552 members, out of which 530 are elected from the states, 20 from the Union Territories, and 2 may be nominated by the President from the Anglo-Indian community (though this provision was abolished by the 104th Constitutional Amendment in 2020).
Rajya Sabha: The Rajya Sabha is the upper House and represents the states and union territories. It can have up to 250 members, of which 238 are elected by the state legislatures, and 12 are nominated by the President for their expertise in literature, science, art, or social service.
Lok Sabha: Members are directly elected by the people of India through general elections using the first-past-the-post system. Each member represents a single constituency.
Rajya Sabha: Members are indirectly elected by the elected members of the State Legislative Assemblies using proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote system.
Lok Sabha: The tenure of Lok Sabha is five years, after which it is dissolved automatically, although it may be dissolved earlier by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister.
Rajya Sabha: It is a permanent body and cannot be dissolved. However, one-third of its members retire every two years, and elections are held to fill these vacant seats.
Lok Sabha: The Speaker is the presiding officer of the Lok Sabha, elected by its members. The Speaker plays a crucial role in maintaining order and decorum in the House.
Rajya Sabha: The Vice President of India is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. There is also a Deputy Chairman elected from among its members.
Legislative Powers: Both Houses have equal powers in passing ordinary legislation. However, in case of a deadlock, a joint sitting of both Houses is called, where the Lok Sabha’s numerical strength usually prevails.
Money Bills: This is a major difference. Money Bills can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha, and Rajya Sabha can only make recommendations. It must return the Bill within 14 days, and Lok Sabha may accept or reject those recommendations.
Control over Executive: The Lok Sabha has greater control over the executive. The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha, not the Rajya Sabha. A vote of no-confidence can only be passed in the Lok Sabha, leading to the resignation of the government.
Budget and Financial Control: The Lok Sabha has a dominant role in financial matters. The Annual Budget is presented only in the Lok Sabha and debated primarily there.
While the Lok Sabha is more powerful in financial and executive matters, the Rajya Sabha has certain exclusive powers, such as:
It can authorize the Parliament to make laws on a subject in the State List (Article 249) if it passes a resolution with a two-thirds majority.
It can create new All India Services (Article 312).
Lok Sabha: Represents the population. Larger states like Uttar Pradesh have more members.
Rajya Sabha: Represents the states. Even smaller states have representation, making it more federal in character.
Though the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are parts of the same Parliament, they differ in structure, powers, and functions. The Lok Sabha, being directly elected, plays a more dominant role in law-making and holding the government accountable. The Rajya Sabha, on the other hand, acts as a reviewing chamber and protects the interests of the states. Together, they uphold the principles of representative democracy and federalism, ensuring balanced governance in the country.