Which of the houses of the Indian Parliament is more powerful and why? Explain.

Or

Describe the powers and functions of Rajya Sabha.

Or

Do you agree with the statement that Rajya Sabha is less powerful in comparison to Lok Sabha?

Relations between the Two Houses of India Parliament:

1. Ordinary Bills: Ordinary Bills can originate in the either House of Parliament. Unless passed by both the Houses they cannot be sent to the President for his assent. A bill passed by one House is sent to the other House. If the other House passes the Bill in the form in which it was passed by the originating House, it is sent to the President for his assent. The other House may propose amendments in the Bill or may even reject the Bill.

In the situation when the two Houses do not agree on the proposed amendments or if the two Houses finally disagree on the bill, the President, under Article 108 of the Constitution, is empowered to call a joint session of the two Houses. If at the joint meeting of the two Houses the Bill is passed by a majority of the total number of members of both the Houses present and voting, it shall be deemed to have been passed by both the Houses. At the joint sitting of the two Houses, the voice of the Lok Sabha should prevail because of its numerical strength.

2. Financial Powers: Money Bills and Budget can originate in the Lok Sabha only. The Rajya Sabha is the receiving end. When a Money Bill is passed by the Lok Sabha it is sent to the Rajya Sabha. The Rajya Sabha, has the right to propose amendments in the Money Bill. It must return the Bill to the Lok Sabha, with or without amendments within 14 days, but Lok Sabha may or may not agree to these recommendations. If the Rajya Sabha does not return the Money Bill within 14 days from the date of the receipt of the Bill, the same shall be considered to have been passed by both the Houses of Parliament in the same form in which it was passed by the Lok Sabha. All these provisions clearly prove that the hold of the Lok Sabha over the finance of the country is absolute. It should be noted that in case of disagreement over Money Bill, there cannot be a joint sitting of the two Houses.

3. Control over the Executive: In India, Parliamentary system of Government has been established. The essence of this form of Government is that the executive is responsible to the Legislature for its actions and policies. In practice it is answerable to the Popular House. Thus, according to the Constitution of India, the Council of Ministers has been made collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. No doubt, the Rajya Sabha can exert its influence on the Government in a number of ways and it may even put the Government in an awkward position, but it cannot remove the Government from the office. This power belongs to the Lok Sabha only. This power of the Lok Sabha is exclusive and not concurrent.

The Government must enjoy the confidence of the Lok Sabha or else resign. The Lok Sabha can experience the lack of confidence in a number of ways, for example, by rejecting a Government Bill, a Money Bill or by passing a no-confidence resolution. Thus, the Government must either be in tune with the Lok Sabha or face expulsion.

Conclusion: The Lok Sabha is more powerful than the Rajya Sabha in India. For example, the Ordinary Bill can be introduced in any House of Parliament but if there is a deadlock about some Bill then the President can call the joint meeting of the two Houses. At the joint sitting the voice of the Lok Sabha should prevail because of its numerical strength. The Lok Sabha is more powerful than Rajya Sabha in Financial matters also, as the Money Bill can be presented only in the Lok Sabha. Moreover, if the Rajya Sabha does not pass the Bill within 14 days from the date of its receipt the same shall be considered to have been passed by both the Houses of the Parliament.

Tips: -

M. Imp.