important gk topic general knowledge for all exam: Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha

Rajya Sabha - important gk

Rajya Sabha is a permanent body and not subject to dissolution its maximum strength is 250 (12 members nominated by the President having Special knowledge or practical experience in the field of science, literature, art and social service).

The total membership of the present Rajya Sabha is 245 however,one third members retire every second year .Their seats are filled up by fresh elections and presidential nomination at the beginning of every third year.

There are no seats reserved for SC s and ST s in Rajya Sabha.

Constitution has not fixed the term of office of members of the Rajya Sabha and left it to the Parliament.

Representation of People Act (1951) provide the term of office of a member of the Rajya Sabha shall be 6 years.

Lok Sabha

Lok Sabha is not a permanent body and subject to to dissolution .Its maximum strength is 550+2 members of its Anglo Indian Community. Which includes 530 members from states and 20 from Union Territories , present strength of Lok Sabha is 245.

Its normal term is 5 years from the date of its frist meeting after which it automatically dissolves.

The President is authorized to dissolve Lok Sabha at any time even before the completion of five years and this cannot be challenged in the Court of law.

Lok Ssbha can be extended during the National Emergency by a law of Parliament for one year at a time for any length of time, But this extension cannot go beyond a period of 6 months after the emergency has ceased to operate.

State member of parliament and Seats in Parliament

Sl No	States/ UTs	In Rajya Sabha	In lok Sabha
01	Andhra Pradesh	18	42
02	Arunachal Pradesh	1	2
03	Assam	7	14
04	Bihar	16	40
05	Chhattisgarh	05	11
05	Goa	02	02
06	Gujarat	11	26
07	Haryana	05	10
08	Himachal Pradesh	3	04
09	Jammu and kasmir	4	6
10	Jharkhand	06	14
11	Karnataka	12	28
12	Kerala	09	20
13	Madhya Pradesh	11	29
14	Maharastra	19	48
15	Manipur	1	02
16	Meghalaya	1	2
17	Mizoram	1	1
18	Nagaland	1	1
19	Odisha	10	21
20	Punjab	07	13
21	Rajasthan	07	25
22	Sikkim	1	01
23	Tamil Nadu	18	39
24	Tripura	01	02
25	Uttarakhand	03	05
26	Uttar Pradesh	31	80
27	Paschim Banga	16	42

Union Territories

01	Andaman and Nicobar island	_	01
02	Chandigarh	_	01
03	Dadra and Nagar Haveli	_	01
04	Daman and Diu	_	01
05	Delhi(The national Capital Territory of delhi)	03	07
06	Lakshadweep	_	01
07	Puducherry	_	01
Nominated Members		12	02
Total		245	545

Members of Parliament

Qualification (Article 84)

The constitution lays down the following qualification for a person to be chosen as a Member of the parliament.

Must be a citizen of india.

Must make and subscribe before the person authorized by the Election Commission an oath or affirment according, to the from prescribed in the third Schedule.

Must not be less than 30 years of age in the case of Rajya Sabha and not less than 25 years of age in the case of the Lok Sabha.

Must possess other qualifications as prescribed by Parliament.

Disqualification (Article 102)

Under he holds any office of profit under the Union or State Government (except that of a minister or any other office exempted by the Parliament

If he holds any office of profit under the union or State Government (except that of a minister or any other office exempted by the Parliament).if he is unsound mind.

If he is undischarged insolvent.

If he is not a citizen of india or has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a foreign state or is under any acknowledgment of allegiance to a foreign state; and if he is so disqualified under any law made by the Parliament

Under the following conditions, a member of parliament vacates his seat (Article 101)

Double membership

(both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha).

Absence(more than 60 days without permission).

If his election is declared void by the court.

If he is expelled by the House.

If he is elected to the oiffice of the President or vice President .

If he is appointed as a Governor of of a state.

Oath and Salary( Article 99)

Every members has to make and subscribe to an oath or affirmation before the President or some ther person appointed by him for the purpose .

Salaries and allowances are determined by Parliament.

Speaker of LokSabha (Article 93)

He is elected by lok Sabha from amongst its members as soon as , after the first meeting.

The date of delction is fixed by the President.

Usually, he remains in his offices during the life of the lok Sabha , he vacates office earlier in any of the following cases

If he ceases to be member of Lok Sabha;

If he resigns by writing to the Deputy Speaker; and

If he is removed by a resolution passed by a majority of all the members of the Lok Shabha .Such a resolution can be moved only after giving 14 days advance notice.

Under Resolution of removal, the Speaker cannot preside at the sitting of the House (he may be present) (Article 96)

Whenever the Lok Sabha is dissolved the Speaker does not vacate his office and continues till the newly elected Lok Sabha meets.

Role, Powers and Function of Speaker

He is the principal Spokesman of the House, and his decision in all Parliamentary matters is final.

He maintains order and decorum in the House for conducting its business .

He adjourns the House to suspend the meeting in the absence of quorum (presence of only 1/10^th of the total strength of the House.)

Speakers of lok Sabha

	Tenure
Name	From	To
GV Mavalankar	15.05.1952	07.02.1956
MA Ayyangar	08.03.1956	10.05.1957
MA Ayyangar	11.05.1957	06.04.1962
Hukam Singha	17.04.1962	06.03.1967
N Sanjeeva Reddy	17.03.1967	19.07..1969
Dr GS Dhillon	08.08.1969	19.03.1971
Dr GS Dhillon	22.03.1971	01.12.1975
Baliram Bhagat	05.01.1976	25.13.1977
N Sanjeeva Reddy	26.03.1977	13.07.1977
KS Hegde	21.07.1977	21.01.1980
Dr Balram Jakhar	02.01.1980	15.01.1985
Dr Balram Jakhar	16.01.1986	18.12.1989
Rabi Ray	19.12.1989	09.07.1991
Shiv Raj Patil	10.07.1991	22.05.1996
PA Sangma	23.05.1996	23.03.1998
GMC Balyogi	24.03.1998	23.03.1998
GMC Balyogi	27.10.1999	21.10.1999
Manohar Joshi	10.05.2002	20.02.2004
Somnath Chatterjee	05.06.2004	02.06.2009
Meira Kumar	03.06.2009	Till date

He does not vote in the first instance, but he can exercise a casting vote in the case of a tie (dead lock).

He presides over a joint sitting of two Houses of the Parliament.

He can allow a secret sitting of the House.

He certifies a Bill as Money Bill and his decision cannot be challenged.

He presides over a joint –sitting of the two houses. He appoints the Chairman of all the Parliamentary Committes of Lok Sabha.

Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha - important gk