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Parliament of India

~11 min read

In 30 seconds
  • Two houses: Lok Sabha (lower, max 552 members) + Rajya Sabha (upper, max 250) + President.
  • Sessions: Three per year — Budget (Feb-May), Monsoon (Jul-Sep), Winter (Nov-Dec). Max gap between two sessions: 6 months.
  • Officers: Lok Sabha: Speaker + Deputy Speaker. Rajya Sabha: Chairman (VP, ex officio) + Deputy Chairman.

Parliament is India's law-making body. It comprises the President and two houses. NDA tests strength, composition, sessions, officers, and the special powers of each house.

Lok Sabha (House of the People)

  • Strength: Max 552 (530 from states + 20 from UTs + 2 nominated Anglo-Indians, the last category removed by 104th Am. 2019). Current actual strength: 543.
  • Tenure: 5 years. Can be dissolved earlier by President on PM's advice; can be extended by 1 year at a time during emergency (max).
  • Qualification: Citizen of India, 25+ years.
  • Election: Direct, universal adult franchise. First-past-the-post system in single-member constituencies.
  • Quorum: 1/10 of total membership (~55 members).
  • Reserved seats: SC (84) + ST (47).

Speaker: Elected by LS from among its members. Presides over sittings; decides whether a bill is a money bill (Article 110); has casting vote in case of tie. Speaker is not subordinate to the executive.

Rajya Sabha (Council of States)

  • Strength: Max 250 — 238 elected by state legislative assemblies (and UTs of Delhi, Puducherry, J&K) + 12 nominated by President for excellence in literature, arts, science, social service.
  • Current actual strength: 245.
  • Tenure: Permanent body — never dissolved. 1/3 of members retire every 2 years; each member serves 6 years.
  • Qualification: Citizen of India, 30+ years.
  • Election: Indirect — by elected members of state Legislative Assemblies via single transferable vote.
  • Quorum: 1/10 of total membership.

Chairman: Vice-President of India is ex officio Chairman. Deputy Chairman is elected by RS members.

Special powers of RS (under Articles 249 and 312):

  • RS can authorise Parliament to legislate on State List subjects in national interest (Article 249) — 2/3 majority required.
  • RS can create new All-India Services (Article 312).

Sessions and Sittings

  • Three sessions per year:
    • Budget session (Feb–May)
    • Monsoon session (Jul–Sep)
    • Winter session (Nov–Dec)
  • Constitutional minimum: Gap between two sessions cannot exceed 6 months (Article 85). So Parliament must meet at least twice a year.
  • Summoning: By the President.
  • Prorogation: Ends a session; pending bills don't lapse.
  • Dissolution: Only Lok Sabha can be dissolved; ends its tenure. Bills pending in LS lapse; bills passed by LS and pending in RS don't lapse.

Quorum, Decorum, Whip

  • Quorum: 1/10 of total membership for both houses.
  • Question Hour: First hour of each sitting (11 am-12 pm); MPs ask questions to ministers. Three types: Starred (oral answer + supplementary), Unstarred (written answer), Short Notice (urgent).
  • Zero Hour: 12 noon onwards. MPs raise issues without prior notice. Not constitutionally provided — an Indian innovation.
  • Whip: A party direction issued to its MPs on how to vote. Defying a whip can trigger anti-defection action.

NDA PYQ Examples

Q: The maximum strength of Lok Sabha is:

(a) 545 (b) 550 (c) 552 (d) 555

Answer: (c) 552 (530 states + 20 UTs + 2 nominated; the last category removed by 104th Am.).

Q: Rajya Sabha members are elected by:

(a) Direct public vote (b) State legislative assemblies via STV (c) Lok Sabha (d) Electoral college

Answer: (b) State legislative assemblies via single transferable vote.

Q: Who presides over the Rajya Sabha?

(a) President (b) Speaker (c) Vice-President (d) Prime Minister

Answer: (c) Vice-President (ex officio Chairman).

Q: The maximum gap between two sessions of Parliament is:

(a) 3 months (b) 4 months (c) 6 months (d) 1 year

Answer: (c) 6 months — Article 85.

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NDA-pattern items on Parliament of India with answer keys and explanations.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the Rajya Sabha called a permanent house?

Because it is never dissolved — unlike Lok Sabha which can be dissolved early. One-third of RS members retire every 2 years; the remaining 2/3 continue. So the house exists in perpetuity.

What is the difference between starred and unstarred questions?

Starred (* mark) — answered orally on the floor; supplementary questions allowed. Unstarred — answered in writing; no supplementaries. Each MP can ask one starred and one unstarred per day.

Can the Lok Sabha be extended beyond 5 years?

Yes — only during national emergency (Article 352). Parliament can extend LS tenure by 1 year at a time, indefinitely as long as emergency continues. Six months after emergency ends, LS dissolves.

What happened to the Anglo-Indian seats in Lok Sabha?

104th Amendment (2019) abolished the 2 nominated Anglo-Indian seats. They had been added under Article 331 to ensure representation; the amendment was effective from January 2020.

What is the role of the Speaker of Lok Sabha?

Presides over LS sittings, maintains decorum, decides admissibility of motions, casts vote in case of tie. Decides whether a bill is a Money Bill (Article 110) — decision final. Custodian of LS rights and privileges.