FAQs Related to Rajya Sabha

Question 1: When was the Rajya Sabha first constituted?
Answer: The Rajya Sabha was constituted on 3 April, 1952.

Question 2: When did the Rajya Sabha meet for the first time?
Answer: The Rajya Sabha met for the first time on 13 May, 1952.

Question 3: When was the Council of States named as Rajya Sabha in Hindi?
Answer: It was named Rajya Sabha 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.

Question 4: Who was the first Chairman of Rajya Sabha?
Answer: The first Chairman of Rajya Sabha was Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. He was elected unopposed for two consecutive terms (13.5.1952—12.5.1957 and 13.5.1957—12.5.1962).

Question 5: Are there other Chairmen of Rajya Sabha who have held office consecutively for two terms?
Answer: Yes, Shri M. Hamid Ansari who served as the Vice-President of India for two terms.

Question 6: Who was the first Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha?
Answer: The first Deputy Chairman was Shri S. V. Krishnamoorthy Rao. He was also elected unopposed for two consecutive terms (31.5.1952—2.4.1956 and 25.4.1956 — 1.3.1962).

Question 7: What is the maximum strength of Rajya Sabha?
Answer: The maximum strength of Rajya Sabha is 250 Members, of which 238 are to be elected and 12 are to be nominated by the President of India.

Question 8: How many members does each State have in Rajya Sabha?
Answer: The number of members varies from State to State. The Fourth Schedule to the Constitution provides for the allocation of seats to various States and Union Territories. The State of Uttar Pradesh has maximum number of members (31). The States of Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura have got only 1 member each.

Question 9: How many members are elected from Union Territories?
Answer: In total eight members are elected from the Union territories (3 from Delhi, 1 from Puducherry and 4 from Jammu & Kashmir). Other Union territories are not represented in Rajya Sabha.

Question 10: What is the term of a member of Rajya Sabha?
Answer: The term of a member is six years; but a member elected in a bye-election serves for the remainder of the term of the vacancy caused.

Question 11: What is the quorum to constitute a meeting of Rajya Sabha?
Answer: It is one-tenth of the total members of the House, i.e., 25 members.

Question 12: Who is the Chairman of Rajya Sabha?
Answer: The Vice-President of India is the ex officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha.

Question 13: How is the Vice-President of India elected?
Answer: 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.

Question 14: What is the term of office of Vice-President of India?
Answer: The term of office of the Vice-President is five years from the date he enters upon his office.

Question 15: How is the Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha elected?
Answer: The Deputy Chairman is elected by the members of Rajya Sabha from among its members.

Question 16: What are the responsibilities of the Deputy Chairman?
Answer: He performs the duties of the office of the Chairman when the office of Chairman is vacant; and during any period when the Vice-President is acting as, or discharging the functions of the President.

Question 17: Who presides over proceedings of the Rajya Sabha in the absence of both the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman?
Answer: 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 choose any other member present to preside.

Question 18: What are the responsibilities of the Leader of the House?
Answer: The 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 Rajya Sabha as Leader of the House, but if the Prime Minister himself is a member of Rajya Sabha, he will be the Leader of the House.

Question 19: How is the Leader of Opposition appointed?
Answer: The Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act of 1977 defines the Leader of the Opposition in relation to either House of Parliament, as a “Member of the Council of States or the House of the People, as the case may be, who is, for the time being, the Leader in that House of the Party in opposition to the Government having the greatest numerical strength and recognized as such by the Chairman of the Council of States or the Speaker of the House of the People, as the case may be.” The Leader of Opposition is accorded statutory recognition and given salary and certain other facilities and amenities under the Act.

Question 20: What happens when two or more parties in opposition have the same numerical strength?
Answer: Where there are two or more parties in opposition to the Government, having the same numerical strength, the Chairman, having regard to the status of 3the parties, recognizes anyone of the Leaders of such parties as the Leader of the Opposition and such recognition is final and conclusive.

Question 21: What are the responsibilities of the Leader of the Opposition?
Answer: The Leader of the Opposition watches for encroachments on the rights of minorities, demands debates when Government is trying to slide away without parliamentary criticism. He must be in his place often and must be familiar with the skills of a parliamentarian and all the opportunities available under the rules of the House.

Question 22: How is the Secretary-General appointed?
Answer: The Secretary-General who is an officer of the Rajya Sabha is appointed by the Chairman, Rajya Sabha.

Question 23: What is the role of the Secretary-General?
Answer: The Secretary-General has a wide array of functions which include among others, assisting the Presiding Officer in conducting the proceedings of the House by giving them advice and expert opinion; reporting messages from the Lok Sabha about Bills or any other matter to the House; receiving all notices under the rules which are addressed to him; being the custodian of the records of the House; preparing full report of the proceedings of the House and also issuing the List of Business for the day. He does not participate in the debate. He is also the administrative head of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat. Members of Rajya Sabha

Question 24: How are members of Rajya Sabha elected?
Answer: 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 a single transferable vote.

Question 25: What are the requirements to become a member of Rajya Sabha?
Answer: A person should be a citizen of India; be not less than 30 years of age and should possess such other qualifications as may be prescribed by law made by Parliament.

Question 26: Should a member be a domicile of the State from which he is elected to Rajya Sabha?
Answer: No. He has to be an elector in a parliamentary constituency anywhere in India.

Question 27: How many nominated members are there in Rajya Sabha?
Answer: There are twelve members who are nominated by the President of India from amongst persons having special knowledge or practical experience in literature, science, art and social service.

Question 28: Do the nominated members vote in the election of the Vice-President of India and the President of India?
Answer: The nominated members of Rajya Sabha have a right to vote in the election of the Vice-President of India but they are not entitled to vote in the election of the President of India.

Question 29: Who was the first nominated woman member of the Rajya Sabha?
Answer: The first nominated woman member of the Rajya Sabha was Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale (1952-56 and 1956-62).

Question 30: Can a Minister who is a member of Lok Sabha participate in the proceedings of Rajya Sabha?
Answer: A Minister who is a member of Lok Sabha has the right to speak in and take part in the proceedings of Rajya Sabha but has no right to vote in Rajya Sabha and vice-versa.

Question 31: What are the names of the members of Rajya Sabha who became the Prime Answer: Minister of India? Smt. Indira Gandhi, Shri H.D. Deve Gowda, Shri Inder Kumar Gujral and Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Question 32: Can a member of Rajya Sabha be disqualified?
Answer: A person can be disqualified for being chosen as, and for being a member of Rajya Sabha if he holds any office of profit under the Government of India or the Government of any State, other than an office declared by Parliament by law not to disqualify its holder;

if he is not a citizen of India, or has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a foreign State, or is under any acknowledgement of allegiance or adherence to a foreign State;

if he is so disqualified by or under any law made by Parliament; and if he is so disqualified under the Tenth Schedule which provides for disqualification on grounds of defection. The same rules apply for a member of the Lok Sabha.

Question 33: Who decides if the member is disqualified from being a member of Rajya Sabha?
Answer: If any question arises as to whether a member of the House has become subject to disqualification under Article 102(1) of the Constitution, the question is referred for the decision of the President and his decision is final.

However, before giving his decision on such question the President obtains the opinion of the Election Commission of India and acts according to such opinion. On the other hand, if 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. In the case of Lok Sabha, the question is referred to the Speaker, Lok Sabha and her decision would be final.