The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. It currently has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using single transferable votes through Open Ballot while the President can appoint 12 members for their contributions to art, literature, science, and social services. Members sit for staggered terms lasting six years, with elections every year but almost a third of the 233 designates up for election every two years, specifically in even-numbered years.The Rajya Sabha meets in continuous sessions, and unlike the Lok Sabha, being the lower house of the Parliament, the Rajya Sabha, which is the upper house of Parliament, is not subjected to dissolution. However, the Rajya Sabha, like the Lok Sabha can be prorogued by the President.
The Rajya Sabha has equal footing in legislation with the Lok Sabha, except in the area of supply, where the latter has overriding powers. In the case of conflicting legislation, a joint sitting of the two houses can be held, where the Lok Sabha would hold greater influence because of its larger membership. The Vice President of India (currently, Venkaiah Naidu) is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, who presides over its sessions. The Deputy Chairman, who is elected from amongst the house's members, takes care of the day-to-day matters of the house in the absence of the Chairman. The Rajya Sabha held its first sitting on 13 May 1952.
Rajya Sabha meets in the eponymous chamber in Parliament House in New Delhi. Since 18 July 2018, the Rajya Sabha has facility for simultaneous interpretation in all the 22 official languages of India.
Qualifications
Article 84 of the Constitution lays down the qualifications for membership of Parliament. A member of the Rajya Sabha must
- Be a citizen of India.
- Make and subscribe before some person authorized in that behalf by the Election Commission an oath or affirmation according to the form set out for the purpose in the Third Schedule to the Constitution.
- Be at least 30 years old. (article 84 constitution of India)
- Be elected by the Legislative Assembly of States and Union territories by means of single transferable vote through proportional representation.
- Not be a proclaimed criminal.
- Not be a subject of insolvent, i.e. he/she should not be in debt that he/she is not capable of repaying in a current manner and should have the ability to meet his/her financial expenses.
- Not hold any other office of profit under the Government of India.
- Not be of unsound mind.
- Possess such other qualifications as may be prescribed in that behalf by or under any law made by Parliament.
In addition, twelve members are nominated by the President of India having special knowledge in various areas like arts and science. However, they are not entitled to vote in Presidential elections as per Article 55 of the Constitution.
List of members by State/Union Territory
| State and Union Territory | Seats |
|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | 11 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 1 |
| Assam | 7 |
| Bihar | 16 |
| Chhattisgarh | 5 |
| Goa | 1 |
| Gujarat | 11 |
| Haryana | 5 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 3 |
| Jammu and Kashmir | 4 |
| Jharkhand | 6 |
| Karnataka | 12 |
| Kerala | 9 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 11 |
| Maharashtra | 19 |
| Manipur | 1 |
| Meghalaya | 1 |
| Mizoram | 1 |
| Nagaland | 1 |
| National Capital Territory of Delhi | 3 |
| Nominees by the President | 12 |
| Odisha | 10 |
| Puducherry | 1 |
| Punjab | 7 |
| Rajasthan | 10 |
| Sikkim | 1 |
| Tamil Nadu | 18 |
| Telangana | 7 |
| tripura | 1 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 31 |
| Uttarakhand | 3 |
| West Bengal | 16 |
| TOTAL | 245 |
