Rajya Sabha facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rajya Sabha |
|
|---|---|
|
|
| Type | |
| Type |
Upper house of the Parliament of India
|
|
Term limits
|
6 years |
| Leadership | |
|
Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu
Since 11 August 2017 |
|
|
Deputy Chairman
|
Harivansh Narayan Singh, JD(U)
Since 14 September 2020 |
|
Secretary General
|
Desh Deepak Verma
Since 1 September 2017 |
|
Leader of the House
|
Thawar Chand Gehlot, BJP
Since 11 June 2019 |
|
Deputy Leader of the House
|
Piyush Goyal, BJP
Since 11 June 2019 |
|
Leader of the Opposition
|
Ghulam Nabi Azad, INC
Since 8 June 2014 |
|
Deputy leader of the opposition
|
Anand Sharma, INC
Since 8 June 2014 |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 245 (233 Elected + 12 Nominated) |
 |
|
| Elections | |
| 233 members by single transferable vote by state legislatures, 12 appointed by the President | |
|
Last election
|
19 June 2020 |
|
Next election
|
November 2020 |
| Meeting place | |
 |
|
| Rajya Sabha chamber, Sansad Bhavan, Sansad Marg, New Delhi, India - 110 001 |
|
| Constitution | |
| Constitution of India | |
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. It currently has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using single transferable votes through Open Ballot while the President can appoint 12 members for their contributions to art, literature, science, and social services. The potential seating capacity of the Rajya Sabha is 250 (238 elected, 12 appointed), according to article 80 of the Indian Constitution. Members sit for staggered terms lasting six years, with elections every year but almost a third of the 233 designates up for election every two years, specifically in even-numbered years. The Rajya Sabha meets in continuous sessions, and unlike the Lok Sabha, being the lower house of the Parliament, the Rajya Sabha, which is the upper house of Parliament, is not subjected to dissolution. However, the Rajya Sabha, like the Lok Sabha can be prorogued by the President.
The Rajya Sabha has equal footing in legislation with the Lok Sabha, except in the area of supply, where the latter has overriding powers. In the case of conflicting legislation, a joint sitting of the two houses can be held, where the Lok Sabha would hold greater influence because of its larger membership. The Vice President of India is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, who presides over its sessions. The Deputy Chairman, who is elected from amongst the house's members, takes care of the day-to-day matters of the house in the absence of the Chairman. The Rajya Sabha held its first sitting on 13 May 1952.
Rajya Sabha meets in the eponymous chamber in Parliament House in New Delhi. Since 18 July 2018, the Rajya Sabha has facility for simultaneous interpretation in all the 22 scheduled languages of India.
See also
In Spanish: Rajya Sabha para niños
