Chairman of Rajya Sabha

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)

1. the matter of creating new All India Services
2. amending the Constitution
3. the removal of the government
4. 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)

1. Lok Sabha by a simple majority of its total membership
2. Lok Sabha by a majority of not less than two-thirds of its total membership
3. Rajya Sabha by a simple majority of its total membership
4. Rajya Sabha by a majority of not less than two-thirds of its members present and voting