Rajya Sabha facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rajya Sabha |
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| Type | |
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Upper house of the Parliament of India
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Term limits
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6 years |
| Leadership | |
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Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu
Since 11 August 2017 |
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Deputy Chairman
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Harivansh Narayan Singh, JD(U)
Since 14 September 2020 |
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Secretary General
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Desh Deepak Verma
Since 1 September 2017 |
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Leader of the House
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Thawar Chand Gehlot, BJP
Since 11 June 2019 |
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Deputy Leader of the House
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Piyush Goyal, BJP
Since 11 June 2019 |
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Leader of the Opposition
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Ghulam Nabi Azad, INC
Since 8 June 2014 |
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Deputy leader of the opposition
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Anand Sharma, INC
Since 8 June 2014 |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 245 (233 Elected + 12 Nominated) |
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| Elections | |
| 233 members by single transferable vote by state legislatures, 12 appointed by the President | |
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Last election
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19 June 2020 |
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Next election
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November 2020 |
| Meeting place | |
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| Rajya Sabha chamber, Sansad Bhavan, Sansad Marg, New Delhi, India - 110 001 |
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| Constitution | |
| Constitution of India | |
The Rajya Sabha, also known as the Council of States, is an important part of India's government. It is the upper house of the Parliament of India. India has a bicameral (two-house) Parliament, which means it has two main groups that make laws. The Rajya Sabha is one of these groups.
Currently, the Rajya Sabha can have up to 245 members. Most of these members (233) are chosen by the lawmakers in India's states and union territories. They use a special voting system called single transferable vote. The remaining 12 members are chosen by the President. These 12 people are usually famous for their work in art, literature, science, or helping society.
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How Rajya Sabha Members Are Chosen
The Indian Constitution says that the Rajya Sabha can have up to 250 members. This includes 238 elected members and 12 appointed by the President. Members of the Rajya Sabha serve for six years. Their terms are staggered, which means not everyone's term ends at the same time. About one-third of the elected members have elections every two years. This usually happens in even-numbered years.
What the Rajya Sabha Does
The Rajya Sabha meets all the time. Unlike the Lok Sabha (the other house of Parliament), the Rajya Sabha cannot be completely dissolved. This means it always exists. However, the President can temporarily stop its meetings, a process called prorogued.
The Rajya Sabha has similar powers to the Lok Sabha when it comes to making laws. But, when it comes to money matters and budgets, the Lok Sabha has more power. If the two houses disagree on a law, they can hold a joint meeting. Because the Lok Sabha has more members, it usually has more influence in these joint meetings.
Important People in the Rajya Sabha
The Vice President of India is the main leader of the Rajya Sabha. They are called the ex-officio Chairman and lead the meetings. If the Chairman is not there, the Deputy Chairman takes over. The Deputy Chairman is chosen by the members of the Rajya Sabha themselves. They help manage the daily work of the house.
The Rajya Sabha had its very first meeting on May 13, 1952.
Where the Rajya Sabha Meets
The Rajya Sabha meets in its own special room inside Parliament House in New Delhi. Since July 18, 2018, members can hear what is being said in any of India's 22 official languages. This is thanks to a system that provides live translation.
