Difference Between Lok Sabha And Rajya Sabha- All Details

The Indian Parliament, which consists of the President of India, the Lok Sabha, and the Rajya Sabha, is the country’s highest legislative body. The President leads the Indian Parliament. The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha are the two chambers of Parliament, with the Lok Sabha serving as the lower house and the Rajya Sabha serving as the upper house.

The fundamental distinction between these two houses of Parliament is in their powers and responsibilities. The Lok Sabha serves for five years before dissolving, whereas the Rajya Sabha is a permanent house with one-third of its members retiring every two years. 

Difference Between Lok Sabha And Rajya Sabha

What Are The Names Of The Lok Sabha And Rajya Sabha?

Lok Sabha: House of People, i.e., where those eligible to vote can elect their representatives through direct elections.

Rajya Sabha: Council of States. The delegates of the Council of States are elected indirectly by the elected representatives of the Assemblies of States and Union Territories.

What Is The Tenure Of The Lok Sabha And Rajya Sabha?

Lok Sabha:

It will last for 5 years.

It can be dissolved earlier if a motion of no confidence is passed.

Rajya Sabha:

It is an everlasting body.

Who Heads The Lok Sabha And Rajya Sabha?

Lok Sabha:

 Speaker

Rajya Sabha:

Vice president of India as chairman of the house.

What Is The Total Number Of Lok Sabha And Rajya Sabha Members?

The following is the breakdown of both houses:

Lok Sabha’s composition

• Maximum Strength – 552 
• 530 represent the States, 20 represent Union Territories and 2 from the Anglo-Indian Community chosen by the President.
• Current Strength – 545 
• 530 represent the States, 13 represent union territories and 2 from the Anglo-Indian Community chosen by the President.

Rajya Sabha’s composition

• Maximum Strength – 250
• 238 members elected indirectly to represent states and union territories.
• The President nominates 12 people. The current number of members is 233, which represents states and union territories.
• 12 are nominated by President

How Do Members Of The Lok Sabha And Rajya Sabha Get Elected?

Both houses have different election principles. In both houses, there are three types of representation:

• States’ Representation
• Union Territories Representation
• Members who have been nominated

In Terms Of State Representation, There Is A Difference Between The Lok Sabha And The Rajya Sabha.

Lok Sabha

• Members of the Lok Sabha are directly chosen by the people from territorial constituencies in the states, using the Universal Adult Franchise election principle. 
• Any Indian citizen above the age of 18 is eligible to vote.
• The 61st Constitutional Amendment Act of 1988 decreased the voting age from 21 to 18 years.

Rajya Sabha

• Members are elected by members of state legislative assemblies. 
• The election principle is Proportional Representation by Single Transferable Vote. 
• Seats are allocated based on population.

Note that the number of representatives varies in each state.

Differences Between The Lok Sabha And The Rajya Sabha In Terms Of Union Territories Representation

Lok Sabha 

• Parliament has the authority to select members from the UTs in any manner it sees fit.
• Direct Election was utilised as the election principle.

Note: The Union Territory (Direct Election to the House of the People) Act, 1965, established a direct election system for Lok Sabha members from the union territories.

Rajya Sabha

• Members are elected indirectly by members of an electoral college created specifically for this purpose.
• Proportional Representation by Single Transferable Vote was utilised as the election principle.

Note: The Rajya Sabha has representation from Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, and Puducherry, out of the eight UTs.

In Terms Of The Representation Of Nominated Members, There Is A Distinction Between The Lok Sabha And The Rajya Sabha.

Lok Sabha

If the Anglo-Indian Community is underrepresented, the President nominates two members.

Note: The 95th Amendment Act of 2009 extended the opportunity for nominating Anglo-Indians until 2020.

Rajya Sabha

The President appoints 12 members from among those with expertise and practical experience in the following areas: 

• Literature
• Social Service
• Art
• Science

Between The Lok Sabha And The Rajya Sabha, Who Is The Most Powerful?

The Parliament is made up of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, as well as the President. Powers have been granted on both houses. However, there is a minor difference in their abilities. On the following issues, the Lok Sabha has more power than the Rajya Sabha:

The Lok Sabha can voice dissatisfaction with the government in ways that the Rajya Sabha cannot:

• By rejecting a money bill
• By failing to pass a motion of thanks on the President’s inauguration speech
• By passing a motion of censure or adjournment 
• By defeating the government on a crucial subject 
• By passing a cut motion
• Only the Lok Sabha can introduce a Money Bill under Article 110. 
• Financial Bills can only be tabled in the Lok Sabha under Article 110 (1).
• However, with the approval of the bill, the powers remain the same.
• In the case of a combined session of both houses, the Lok Sabha with the bigger number invariably wins. 
• When it comes to the federal budget, Rajya Sabha can only debate the budget and cannot vote on grant demands.

Conclusion

We hope the article provides you with the relevant details regarding the difference between Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in detail. For any queries, contact us at Oliveboard.

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