When was the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) first constituted?
Ans: On 3 April 1952.
When did the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) meet for the first time?
Ans: On 13 May 1952.
When was the Council of States named as Rajya Sabha in Hindi?
Ans: On
23 August 1954. The Chairman, Rajya Sabha made an announcement in the
House that the Council of States would now be called ‘Rajya Sabha’ in
Hindi.
Who was the first Chairman of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Dr. S. Radhakrishnan.
Who are the Chairman of Rajya Sabha who have held office consecutively for two terms?
Ans: Dr. S. Radhakrishnan was the first Chairman of
Rajya Sabha for two consecutive terms (13.5.1952 to 12.5.1962). The
current Chairman, Shri Mohammad Hamid Ansari is also continuing as the
Vice-President of India for a second term (11.08.2007 to 10.08.2012 and
again from 11.08.2012 till date).
Ans: Twohundred and fifty (250), of which 238 are to be elected and 12 are to be nominated by the President of India.
What is the actual strength of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Two hundred and forty five (245), of which 233 are elected and 12 are nominated.
How many members does each state have in Rajya Sabha?
Ans: The
allocation of seats in Rajya Sabha to the States is based on
population. It is given in the Fourth Schedule to the
Constitution, which is as follows:
States No. of seats
Andhra Pradesh
18
Arunachal Pradesh 1
Assam 7
Bihar 16
Chhattisgarh
5 Goa
1
Gujarat 11
Haryana 5
Himachal Pradesh 3
Jammu and Kashmir
4
Jharkhand 6
Karnataka 12
Kerala 9
Madhya Pradesh
11
Maharashtra
19
Manipur 1
Meghalaya 1
Mizoram 1
Nagaland 1
National Capital Territory of
Delhi 3
Odisha 10
Puducherry 1
Punjab 7
Rajasthan 10
Sikkim
1
Tamil Nadu 18
Tripura 1
Uttarakhand
3 Uttar
Pradesh 31
West Bengal
16
Currently how many members are elected from Union territories?
Ans: In
total four members are elected from the Union territories (3 from Delhi
and 1 from Puducherry). However, currently one seat from Delhi and one
from Puducherry is vacant. Other Union territories are not represented
in Rajya Sabha.
Why is Rajya Sabha called a permanent body?
Ans: Rajya
Sabha is not subject to dissolution; as nearly as possible, one-third
of its members retire every second year.
What is the term of a member of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: It
is six years; but a member elected in a bye-election serves for the
remainder of the term of the vacancy caused.
What is the quorum to constitute a meeting of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: It is one-tenth of the total members of the House, i.e., 25 members.
Which is the party will maximum members in the House?
Ans: Indian National Congress.
Officers of Rajya Sabha
Who acts as the Chairman, Rajya Sabha?
Ans: The Vice-President is the ex officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha.
How is the Vice-President of India elected?
Ans:
The Vice-President is elected by the members of an
electoral college consisting of the members of both
Houses of Parliament in accordance with the system of
proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.
What is the term of office of Vice-President of India?
Ans: The Vice-President holds office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office.
Currently who is the Chairman of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Shri Mohammad Hamid Ansari
How is the Deputy Chairman elected?
Ans: The Deputy Chairman is elected by the members of Rajya Sabha from amongst its members.
What are the responsibilities of the Deputy Chairman?
Ans:
While the office of Chairman is vacant, or during any
period when the Vice-President is acting as, or
discharging the functions of the President, the duties of the
office of the Chairman are performed by the Deputy Chairman.
Currently who is the Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Prof. P. J. Kurien
who presides over the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha in the absence of both the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman?
Ans: Under
Rule 8 of the of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of
States (Rajya Sabha),the Chairman, Rajya Sabha nominates six members on
the panel of Vice-Chairmen, one of whom presides over the House in the
absence of both the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman. When neither the
Chairman nor the Deputy Chairman and none of the Vice Chairmen is
present to preside, the House may decide about any other member
present to preside.
Currently who is the Leader of the House?
Ans: Dr. Manmohan Singh
What are the responsibilities of the Leader of the House?
Ans: Leader
of the House plays an important role in drawing up the programme of
official business in the House. Normally, the Prime
Minister nominates a Minister who is a member of the Rajya Sabha as
Leader of the House, but if the Prime Minister himself is a
member of Rajya Sabha, he will act as the Leader of the
House.
Currently who is the Leader of the Opposition?
Ans: Shri Arun Jaitley.
Currently who is the Secretary-General of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Shri Shumsher K. Sheriff
How is the Secretary-General appointed?
Ans: The
Secretary-General is appointed by the Chairman, Rajya
Sabha and holds a rank equivalent to the Cabinet
Secretary, the highest civil servant of the Union
Government.
What is the role of the Secretary-General?
Ans: He
assists the Presiding Officers in conducting the
proceedings of the House by giving them advice and expert
opinion. He does not participate in the debate except for
reporting messages from the Lok Sabha about Bills or
any other matter. All notices under the rules are
addressed to him. He is the custodian of the records of the
House. He prepares full report of the proceedings of the House and
also issues the List of Business for the day. He is the
administrative head of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat.
Members of Rajya Sabha
How are members of Rajya Sabha elected?
Ans: Members
of Rajya Sabha are elected by the elected members of the Assemblies of
States and Union territories in accordance
with the system of proportional representation by means of the single
transferable vote.
What are the requirements to become a member of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: He
should be a citizen of India above 30 years of age and possessing such
other qualifications as may be prescribed by law of Parliament.
Should a Member be a domicile of the State from which he is elected to Rajya Sabha?
Ans: No.
It is no longer essential. He has to be an elector in
a parliamentary constituency anywhere in India.
Are there nominated members in Rajya Sabha ?
Ans: Yes,
there are twelve members nominated by the President of India from
amongst persons having special knowledge or practical
experience in literature, science, art and social
service.
Do the nominated members vote in the election of the Vice-President and the President?
Ans: While
the nominated members of Rajya Sabha have a right to vote in the
election of the Vice-President of India, they are not
entitled to vote in the election of the President of
India.
Who was the first woman nominated member of the Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale (1952-56 and 1956-62).
Who are the current nominated members in Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Seven(7). Prof. M.S Swaminathan,Shri H.K. Dua,Dr.
Ashok S.Ganguly,Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar,Shri Javed Akhtar,Smt.
B.Jayashree and Dr. Bhalchandra Mungekar.
Currently how many members of Rajya Sabha are there in the Council of Ministers?
Ans: Twelve (12). They are Dr. Manmohan Singh,Shri Anand
Sharma, Shri A.K. Antony, Smt. Ambika Soni, Shri G.K. Vasan, Shri
Gulam Nabi Azad, Shri Jairam Ramesh, Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan, Shri S.M.
Krishna, Shri Vayalar Ravi, Shri Ashwani Kumar and Shri Rajeev Shukla.
Can a Minister who is a Member of Lok Sabha participate in the proceedings of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: A
Minister who is a Member of Lok Sabha has the right to speak in
and otherwise to take part in the proceedings of Rajya Sabha
but has no right to vote in Rajya Sabha and vice versa.
Currently how many women members are there in Rajya Sabha and what is their percentage?
Ans: Twenty Six (26), 10.6%
Who is currently the youngest member in Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Shri Dilip Kumar Tirkey
Who is currently the oldest member in Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Shri Rishang Keishing.
Who is currently the longest serving member in Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Dr. Najma A. Heptulla
Among the current members of Rajya Sabha, who has the longest legislative experience?
Ans: Shri Rishang Keishing.
Who decides if the member is disqualified from being a member of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: If
any question arises as to whether a member of the House has become
subject to disqualification under article 102 (1), the question is
referred for the decision of the President and his decision is final.
Before giving any decision on any such question, the President obtains
the opinion of the Election Commission of India and acts according to
such opinion. If under article 102 (2) any question arises as to whether
a member of the House has become subject to disqualification under the
Tenth Schedule to the Constitution, the question is referred to the
Chairman, Rajya Sabha and his decision is final.
Role and functions
What are the special powers of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Rajya Sabha being a federal chamber - representing States/Union territories, enjoys certain special powers:
to empower Parliament to make laws in respect of any
matter enumerated in the State List in the national
interest by adopting a resolution to this effect (article 249),
creation of All India Services (article 312) and
approving Proclamations
(issued under article 352 or article 356 or article 360)
if the Lok Sabha stand dissolved or the dissolution of the Lok
Sabha takes place within the period allowed for the approval of
the Proclamation by Parliament.
What is the legislative relationship between Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha?
Ans: In
legislative matters, Rajya Sabha enjoys almost equal powers with Lok
Sabha, except in the case of Money Bills where the latter
has overriding powers. Such Bills cannot be introduced
in Rajya Sabha and are deemed to have been passed if
these are not returned to Lok Sabha within fourteen days.
Is any deadlock between the two Houses possible?
Ans: Yes.
In the case of Bills, a disagreement between the two Houses may
arise when a Bill passed by one House is rejected by the other
House; or the Houses have finally disagreed as to the
amendments to be made in the Bill; or more than six
months lapse from the date of the reception of the Bill by the
other House without the Bill being passed by it.
What is the mechanism for resolving the deadlock between the two Houses?
Ans:
A joint sitting of the Houses is convened for this
purpose. In the case of Money Bills, there is no
question of a deadlock as the Rajya Sabha has a limited
say in such matters. There is no provision for a joint sitting in
case of a deadlock over a Constitution Amendment Bill.
How many joint sittings of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have been convened so far?
Ans: In
the history of Parliament of India, there have been
three occasions when both Houses of Parliament held a joint sitting to
resolve deadlock on Bills between them, i.e.,
6 and 9 May 1961 on the Dowry Prohibition Bill, 1959;
17 May 1978 on the Banking Service Commission (Repeal) Bill, 1977; and
26 March 2002 on the Prevention of Terrorism Bill, 2002.
What are the powers of the Rajya Sabha with respect to the Money Bill?
Ans: A
Money Bill is introduced only in Lok Sabha and after it is passed by
that House, it is transmitted to Rajya Sabha for its
concurrence or recommendation. Rajya Sabha has to return
the Money Bill to Lok Sabha within a period of fourteen
days from its receipt. Rajya Sabha cannot amend the Money
Bill directly; it can only recommend amendments to the Bill. Lok Sabha
may either accept or reject all or any of the
recommendations made by the Rajya Sabha. If Lok Sabha
accepts any of the recommendations made by Rajya Sabha, the
Bill is deemed to have been passed by both the Houses with the
amendments so recommended and accepted. If, however, Lok
Sabha does not accept any of the recommendations of Rajya
Sabha, the Money Bill is deemed to have been passed by
both Houses of Parliament in the form in which it was passed by Lok
Sabha without any of the amendments recommended by Rajya
Sabha.
Committees
What are the different categories of Parliamentary Committees of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Parliamentary Committees of the Rajya Sabha may be categorized as ad hoc Committees and Standing Committees.
What are ad hoc Committees?
Ans: Ad hoc
Committees are those Committees which may be constituted
by the House or by the Chairman or by the Presiding Officers of
both Houses jointly to consider and report on specific matters.
Such Committees become functusofficio as soon as they complete their work. These Committees may be divided into two categories:
Select/Joint
Committees on Bills constituted by the House(s) on specific
motion to consider and report on Bills; and
Committees which are constituted from time to time to enquire into and report on specific subjects.
What are Standing Committees?
Ans: Standing
Committees are permanent Committees whose members are
either elected by the House or nominated by the Chairman
every year or from time to time. These are: Business
Advisory Committee, General Purposes Committee, Committee on
Government assurances, House Committee, Committee on Petitions,
Committee on Subordinate Legislation, Committee on Papers
Laid on the Table, Committee of Privileges, Committee on
Rules, Committee on Ethics, Committee on Provision of Computers to
Members of Rajya Sabha, Committee on Member of Parliament
Local Area Development Scheme and the Department-related
Standing Committees.
What are Department-related Standing Committees?
Ans: DRSCs
were set up in 1993 to scrutinize the functioning of the various
Ministries/ Departments of the Union Government assigned to them in
order to further strengthen the accountability of the Government to
Parliament.
How many DRSCs have been Constituted?
Ans: Twenty-four
DRSCs have been constituted consisting of not more than thirty-one
members, out of which twenty-one members are nominated by the
Speaker, Lok Sabha and ten members are nominated by the
Chairman, Rajya Sabha.
What are the main functions of the DRSCs?
Ans: These Committees are entrusted with the following functions
to consider the Demands for Grants of the related Ministries/ Departments and report thereon;
to examine Bills, pertaining to the related Ministries/Departments, referred to the Committee and report thereon;
to consider the annual reports of the Ministries/ Departments and report thereon; and
to consider national basic long term policy documents and report thereon.
How many DRSCs are there under the jurisdiction of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha?
Ans: Eight
DRSCs function under the control and direction of the Chairman, Rajya
Sabha, while sixteen such Committees function under the
control and direction of the Speaker, Lok Sabha.
Which are the DRSCs under Rajya Sabha and the Ministries/ Departments under their purview?
Ans: Details of the Committees and the Ministries/Departments under them are given as under:
Sl. No. Name of the
Committee Ministries/ Departments
1
Committee on Commerce Commerce and Industry
2 Committee on Home Affairs
Home Affairs
Development of North-Eastern Region
3 Committee on Human Resource Development
Human Resource Development
Youth Affairs and Sports
Women and Child Development
4 Committee on Industry
Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME)
5 Committee on
Science & Technology, Environment & Forests
Science and Technology
Space
Ocean Development
Atomic Energy
Environment and Forests
Earth Sciences
6 Committee on Transport, Tourism & Culture
Civil Aviation
Shipping, Road Transport and Highways
Tourism and Culture
7 Committee on Personnel,
Public Grievances, Law & Justice
Law and Justice
Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
8 Committee on Health
and Family Welfare Health and Family
Welfare
What are the details regarding Chairmanship of the Committees of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: The
Chairman, Rajya Sabha is the Chairman of the Business Advisory
Committee, General Purposes Committee and Committee on Rules. The Deputy
Chairman is the Chairman of the Committee of Privileges. In the case of
other Standing Committees, namely, Committee on Petitions, Committee on
Government Assurances, Committee on Subordinate Legislation, Committee
on Papers Laid on the Table and the House Committee, the Chairmanship is
shared between the ruling and the opposition parties in proportion to
their numerical strength in the House. The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha
appoints Chairman of Committees in consultation with the leaders of
parties/groups concerned. The Chairmanship of Committees allotted to the
opposition parties may rotate amongst themselves.
What are the functions of the Committee on Ethics?
Ans: Under
Rule 290 of the Rule of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the
Council of States, the Committee on Ethics has the following functions: (i) to oversee the moral and ethical conduct of members: (ii) to
prepare a Code of Conduct for members and to suggest amendments or
additions to the Code from time to time in the form of reports to the
Council; (iii) to examine cases concerning the alleged breach of the
Code of Conduct by members as also cases concerning allegations of any
other ethical misconduct of members; and (iv) to tender advice to
members from time to time on questions involving ethical standards
either suo motu or on receiving specific requests.
What
sanctions the Committee on Ethics can impose on proved
unethical behavior or misconduct of a member?
Ans: The Committee may recommend imposition of one or more of the following sanctions, viz.
censure;
reprimand;
suspension from the Council for a specific period; and
any other sanction determined by the Committee to be appropriate.
What
is the Code of Conduct for Members enumerated by the
Committee on Ethics adopted by the Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Yes. The Code of Conduct is as follows:
The Members of Rajya Sabha should acknowledge
their responsibility to maintain the public trust reposed
in them and should work diligently to discharge their
mandate for common good of the people. They must hold in high esteem
the Constitution, the Law, Parliamentary Institutions and
above all the general public. They should constantly
strive to translate the ideals laid down in the Preamble
to the Constitution into a reality. The following are the
principles which they should abide by in their dealings:
Members must not do anything that brings disrepute to the Parliament and affects their credibility.
Members must utilise their position as Members of Parliament to advance general well-being of the people.
In
their dealing if Members find that there is a conflict between their
personal interests and the public trust which they hold, they should
resolve such a conflict in a manner that their private interests are
subordinated to the duty of their public office.
Members should
always see that their private financial interests and those of the
members of their immediate family do not come in
conflict with the public interest and if any such
conflict ever arises, they should try to resolve such a conflict in a
manner that the public interest is not jeopardised.
Members
should never expect or accept any fee, remuneration or
benefit for a vote given by them on the floor of the
House, for introducing a Bill, for moving a resolution or
desisting from moving a resolution, putting a question or
abstaining from asking a question or participating in the
deliberations of the House or a Parliamentary Committee.
Members
should not take a gift which may interfere with honest
and impartial discharge of their official duties.
They may, however, accept incidental gifts or inexpensive
mementoes and customary hospitality.
Member holding
public offices should use public resources in such a manner as may
lead to public good.
If Members are in
possession of a confidential information owing to
their being Members of Parliament or Members of Parliamentary
Committees, they should not disclose such information for
advancing their personal interests.
Members should
desist from giving certificates to individuals and institutions of
which they have no personal knowledge and are not based
on facts.
Members should not lend ready support to any cause of which they have no or little knowledge.
Members should not misuse the facilities and amenities made available to them.
Members should not be disrespectful to any religion and work for the promotion of secular values.
Members
should keep uppermost in their mind the Fundamental
Duties listed in Part IVA of the Constitution.
Members are expected to maintain high standards of morality, dignity, decency and values in public life.
In
pursuance of the Rajya Sabha (Declaration of Assets and Liabilities)
Rules, 2004 what information is required to be furnished
by Members to the Chairman, Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Under
Rule 3 of the Members of the Rajya Sabha (Declaration of
Assets and Liabilities) Rules, 2004, every elected
member of Rajya Sabha is required to furnish the following information
to the Chairman, Rajya Sabha within 90 days from the date
of his taking oath/affirmation –
the
movable and immovable property of which he, his spouse
and his dependent children are jointly or severally owners or
beneficiaries;
his liabilities to any public financial institution; and
his liabilities to the Central Government or to the State Governments
What
are the pecuniary interests and the ingredients thereof, identified by
the Committee on Ethics, in respect of which information
is to be furnished by Members?
Ans:
The Committee on Ethics has identified the
following five pecuniary interests and the ingredients thereof,
in respect of which information is to be furnished by Members
for registration in the ‘Register of Member’s
Interests’ under sub-rule (1) of Rule 293 of the Rules
of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States:-
I Remunerative Directorship Name and address of the company Nature of company business Salary/fees/allowance/benefits or any other receipts which are taxable (per annum)II Regular Remunerated Activity Name and address of the Establishment Nature of business Position held Amount of remuneration received (per annum) III Shareholding of Controlling Nature Name and address of the company Nature of business of the company Percentage of shares held IV Paid Consultancy Name of consultancy Business activity of the organisation Where engaged as Consultant Total value of benefits derived from the Consultancy V Professional Engagement Description Fee/Remuneration earned therefrom (per annum)
Whether pecuniary interests of Members outside the country come under its purview?
Ans: Yes.
Under the said Rule, information that Members furnish has to be in
respect of their pecuniary interests, whether held within
the country or outside.
Legislation
What is a Bill?
Ans: A Bill is a legislative proposal brought before the House for its approval.
What are the types of Bills?
Ans: The
Bills initiated by Ministers are called Government Bills and those
introduced by Members who are not Ministers, are known as Private
Members’ Bills. Depending on their contents, Bills may further be
classified broadly into
original Bills which embody new proposals,
amending Bills which seek to amend existing Acts,
consolidating Bills which seek to consolidate existing law on a particular subject,
Expiring Laws (Continuance) Bills which, otherwise, would expire on a specified date,
repealing Bills,
Bills to replace Ordinances,
Money and financial Bills and
Constitution Amendment Bills.
What is the difference between a Bill and an Act?
Ans: A
Bill passed by both Houses of Parliament becomes an Act only after it
has been assented to by the President.
What are the steps involved in the passage of a Bill?
Ans: A
Bill while being considered has to undergo three stages
in each House of Parliament. The first stage is the
Introduction, which is done on a motion moved by either a
Minister or a Member.
During the second stage
any of the following motions can be moved: that the Bill
be taken into consideration; or that it be referred to a
Select Committee of Rajya Sabha; or that it be referred to a
Joint Committee of the two Houses; or that it be circulated for the
purpose of eliciting opinion thereon. Thereafter, the
Bill is taken up for the clause-by-clause consideration
as introduced or as reported by the Select/Joint
Committee.
The third stage is confined to the discussion on the
motion that the Bill be passed and the Bill is
passed/rejected either by voting or voice vote (or
returned to Lok Sabha, in the case of a Money Bill).
Does the Chairman have a right to cast a vote?
Ans: The Chairman has a casting vote in the case of an equality of votes.
What are the methods of voting in Rajya Sabha?
Ans: In
Rajya Sabha, generally four methods of voting are adopted: Voice vote,
Counting, Division by automatic vote recorder and Division by going into
the Lobbies
What are the effects of dissolution of Lok Sabha on the Business of Rajya Sabha?
Ans:
Bills originating in Rajya Sabha which are still pending in that House do not lapse on the dissolution of Lok Sabha.
Bills
originating in Rajya Sabha which having been passed by the House and
transmitted to Lok Sabha and pending there lapse on the dissolution of
Lok Sabha.
Bills originating in Lok Sabha which having been
passed by that House and transmitted to Rajya Sabha and still pending
there on the date of dissolution of Lok Sabha, lapse.
Bills
originating in Rajya Sabha and returned to that House by Lok Sabha with
amendments and still pending there on the date of its dissolution,
lapse.
A Bill upon which the Houses have disagreed and the
President has notified his intention to summon a Joint Sitting of the
Houses to consider the Bill prior to dissolution does not lapse on
dissolution of Lok Sabha.
A Bill passed by the two Houses of
Parliament and sent to the President for assent does not lapse on the
dissolution of Lok Sabha.
A Bill returned by the President to
Rajya Sabha for reconsideration of the Houses does not lapse if the
dissolution of Lok Sabha takes place without the Houses having
considered the Bill
Procedure for raising Matters of Public Interest
What is Calling Attention?
Ans: Rule
180 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Rajya Sabha
provides that a Member may with the previous permission of the Chairman
call the attention of a Minister to any matter of urgent public
importance and the Minister may make a brief statement or ask for time
to make a statement at a later hour or date. The Calling Attention is an
Indian innovation in the parliamentary procedure.
What is Special Mention?
Ans: Under
Rules 180A - 180E, a Member may mention a matter of public importance
in the House; he has to give a notice in writing along with the text of
the matter to be raised not exceeding 250 words. No member is permitted
to make more than one Special Mention during a week.
What is a Motion?
Ans: Rules
167-174 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Rajya
Sabha provide that no discussion on a matter of general public interest
shall take place except on a motion made with the consent of the
Chairman. The term ‘motion’ in parliamentary parlance means any
proposal made for the purpose of eliciting a decision of the House. It
is phrased in such a way that, if passed, it will purport to express the
will of the House.
What are the types of Motion?
Ans: Motions
may be classified as Substantive or Subsidiary. A substantive motion is
a self-contained proposal made in reference to a subject which the
mover wishes to bring forward. A subsidiary motion as its name suggests,
relates to a substantive motion.
What is No-Day-Yet-Named-Motion?
Ans: If
the Chairman admits notice of a motion and no date is fixed for the
discussion on such a motion, it is immediately notified in the Bulletin
Pt. II under the heading‘No-Day-Yet-Named-Motion’ Date and time is
allotted for discussion on such motions by the Chairman, in consultation
with the Leader of the House after taking into consideration the state
of business before the House.
What is a Resolution?
Ans: The
House declares its own opinions and purposes by its resolutions. Every
question, when agreed to, by the House, assumes the form of either a
resolution or an order. Resolutions may be categorized as: Private
Members’ Resolutions (which are moved by a member not a Minister);
Government Resolutions (which are moved by Ministers); and Statutory
Resolutions (which are moved in pursuance of a provision contained in
the Constitution or an Act of Parliament).
What is the President's Address?
Ans: The
President of India addresses both Houses of Parliament assembled
together at the commencement of the first session after a new Lok Sabha
has been constituted and also at the commencement of first session each
year. The matters referred to in the President’s Address to the Houses
are discussed on a Motion of Thanks moved by a Member and seconded by
another Member.
What is point of order?
Ans: A
Point of Order is a point relating to the interpretation or enforcement
of the Rules of Procedure or such articles of the Constitution as
regulate the business of the House and submitted to the decision of the
Chair. Rule 258 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in
Rajya Sabha makes a provision to enable a member to raise a point of
order. Any member may at any time submit a point of order for the
decision of the Chairman, but in doing so, shall confine himself to
stating the point. The Chairman shall decide all points of order which
may arise, and his decision shall be final.
What is Dilatory Motion?
Ans: Rule
230 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Rajya Sabha
explains Dilatory motion. At any time after a motion has been made, a
member may move that the debate on the motion be adjourned. If the
Chairman is of opinion that a motion for the adjournment of a debate is
an abuse of the rules of the Council, he may either forthwith put the
question thereon from the Chair or decline to propose the question.
What is a Short Duration Discussion?
Ans: Rules
176-179 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Rajya
Sabha explains about the short duration discussion. If the Chairman is
satisfied, after calling for such information from the member who has
given notice and from the Minister as he may consider necessary, that
the matter is urgent and is of sufficient public importance to be raised
in the Council at an early date, he may admit the notice and in
consultation with the Leader of the Council fix the date on which such
matter may be taken up for discussion and allow such time for
discussion, not exceeding two and a half hours, as he may consider
appropriate in the circumstances.
How does a member ask a question in Rajya Sabha?
Ans: He has to give a notice about it on a prescribed form at least 15 days before he wants to ask question.
What are starred and unstarred questions?
Ans: A
question for which an oral answer is desired by a member is
distinguished by an asterisk and is called a starred question. A
question without an asterisk is called unstarred and is admitted for
written answers.
Who decides the admissibility of questions?
Ans: The
Chairman, Rajya Sabha decides whether a question or a part thereof is
or is not admissible. He may disallow any question or a part thereof
when, in his opinion, it is an abuse of the right of questioning or
calculated to obstruct or prejudicially affect the procedure of the
House or is in contravention of the rules under the Rules of Procedure
and Conduct of Business of the Council of States(Rajya Sabha). The
Chairman may direct that a question be placed on the list of questions
for answers, on a date later than that specified by a member in his
notice, if he is of the opinion that a longer period is necessary to
decide whether the question is or is not admissible.
What is the total limit of questions admitted for a particular day?
Ans: The
total number of questions to be admitted for any one day shall be
limited to 175, of which 20 would be for oral answers and 155 for
written answers.
Parliamentary Privileges
What are parliamentary privileges?
Ans: Each
House of Parliament collectively and the Members individually, enjoy
certain powers and privileges without which they may not be able to
discharge their functions, efficiently and effectively. Article 105 of
the Constitution deals with such powers, privileges and immunities of
Members of Parliament.
Are the parliamentary privileges codified in India?
Ans: No
law so far has been enacted by Parliament (and State Legislatures) to
define the powers, privileges and immunities available to each House,
its Members and Committees thereof.
What is the difference between the ‘Breach of Privilege’ and ‘Contempt of the House’?
Ans: When
any of the privileges either of the Members individually or of the
House in its collective capacity are disregarded or attacked by any
individual or authority, the offence is called a breach of privilege. Any
obstruction or impediment put before Houses or its Members in due
discharge of their duties, or which have a tendency of producing such
result, may amount to contempt of the House.
What is the procedure regarding a question of privilege?
Ans: The
procedure for dealing with a question of privilege is laid down in Rule
187 – 203 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Rajya
Sabha. A question of privilege may either be considered and decided by
the House itself or it may be referred to the Committee of Privileges by
the Chairman for examination, investigation and report.
Media and Rajya Sabha
Are the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha televised?
Ans: Yes.
An exclusive satellite channel of Doordarshan, namely, DD Rajya Sabha
on National Network of Doordarshan was launched on 14 December 2004
which telecasts the live proceedings of the House.
Right to Information and Rajya Sabha Secretariat
Whether
the functioning of Rajya Sabha Secretariat comes under
the purview of the Right to Information Act, 2005?
Ans: Yes,
functioning of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat comes under the purview of
the Right to Information Act, 2005. To facilitate the supply of
information to anyone desirous of getting it, the Chairman, Rajya Sabha
has made rules for the Secretariat as per Section 28 of the Act.
Who are the persons to be contacted and what are their details?
Ans: Contact Persons in this regard are as follows:-
Shri Deepak Goyal Director (Central Public Information Officer of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat) 201, Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi-110001 Tel. No. 011-23034201
Shri Mahesh Chandra Tiwari Joint Director (Central Assistant Public Information Officer) 528A , Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi-110001 Tel. No. 011-23034353
Shri N.C. Joshi Secretary (Appellate Authority in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat) 34, Parliament House, New Delhi-110001 Tel. No. 011-23034604 23011328 (telefax)
Parliamentary Forums
What is a Parliamentary Forum? At present, how many such forums are there?
Ans: A
Parliamentary Forum is a group of Members of Parliament
who are nominated by the Speaker, Lok Sabha and the
Chairman, Rajya Sabha, as the case may be, from amongst the Leaders of
various Political Parties/Groups or their nominees who
have special knowledge/keen interest in the subject. Each
Forum consists of not more than 31 Members (excluding
the President and ex officio Vice-Presidents) out of whom not more than 21 are from Lok Sabha and not more than 10 are from Rajya Sabha
There are at present five Parliamentary Fora, viz.
Parliamentary Forum on Water Conservation and Management;
Parliamentary Forum on Children;
Parliamentary Forum on Youth;
Parliamentary Forum on Population and Public Health; and
Parliamentary Forum on Global Warming and Climate Change.
How are the forums distinct from the Parliamentary Committees?
Ans: Unlike
the Department-related Committees which are governed by
the Rules of Procedure, these forums are governed by a
separate set of guidelines issued by the Speaker, Lok
Sabha in consultation with the Chairman, Rajya Sabha.