Governance
Context: Recently, Rajya Sabha welcomed its new Chairman, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar.
About Chairman of Rajya Sabha:
- Vice-President of India is ex-officio Chairman of the Council of States i.e., Rajya Sabha.
- Powers and Functions:
- As Presiding Officer of the House
- Powers and Duties of the Chairman, as laid down by the Constitution of India
- As the Principal Spokesman of the House
- Powers Conferred on the Chairman under the Rules of Procedure of the Rajya Sabha
- Right of the Chairman to interpret the Constitution and Rules
- Role in the Deliberations of the House
- Casting of Vote by the Chairman
- Salaries and allowances:
- Fixed by the Parliament by law.
- Specified in the Second Schedule.
About Rajya Sabha:
- Rajya Sabha is a permanent House and is not subject to dissolution.
- To ensure continuity, one-third of its members retire after every second year.
- The House also elects a Deputy Chairman from among its members.
- Besides, there is also a panel of “Vice Chairmen” in the Rajya Sabha.
- The Fourth Schedule to the Constitution provides for allocation of Rajya Sabha seats to the states and Union Territories, on the basis of the population of each state.
- Of 245 members, 12 are nominated by the President and 233 are representatives of the States and Union territories of Delhi and Puducherry.
Source: Indian Express
Previous Year Questions
Q.1) Rajya Sabha has equal powers with Lok Sabha in (2020)
- the matter of creating new All India Services
- amending the Constitution
- the removal of the government
- making cut motions
Q.2) The Parliament of India acquires the power to legislate on any item in the State List in the national interest if a resolution to that effect is passes by the (2016)
- Lok Sabha by a simple majority of its total membership
- Lok Sabha by a majority of not less than two-thirds of its total membership
- Rajya Sabha by a simple majority of its total membership
- Rajya Sabha by a majority of not less than two-thirds of its members present and voting
