Composition of Legislative Assembly
- Direct Election: Members of the legislative assembly are directly elected by the people based on universal adult franchise.
- Strength: The strength of the assembly ranges from 60 to 500 depending on the state's population size.
➤ For smaller states like Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Goa, the minimum strength is set at 30.
➤ For Mizoram and Nagaland, the minimum strength is 40 and 46, respectively.
- Additional Election Methods: In Sikkim and Nagaland, some members are also elected indirectly.
- Representation: The assembly is the directly elected house and is analogous to the Lok Sabha in terms of its role and functions.
Composition of Legislative Council
- Indirect Election: Members of the legislative council are indirectly elected through various methods.
- Strength: The maximum strength is fixed at one-third of the total strength of the legislative assembly, and the minimum is fixed at 40 members.
➤ Election Methods:
- Local Bodies: One-third of the members are elected by the members of local bodies like municipalities and district boards.
- Graduates: One-twelfth are elected by graduates of three years standing residing in the state.
- Teachers: One-twelfth are elected by teachers of three years standing in the state, not below secondary school level.
- Assembly Members: One-third are elected by members of the state legislative assembly from among persons who are not assembly members.
- Governor Nomination: The remainder are nominated by the governor from individuals with special knowledge or practical experience in fields such as literature, science, art, cooperative movement, and social service.
- Proportional Representation: Members are elected using a system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote.
Duration of Legislative Assembly
- Term: The legislative assembly's normal term is five years from its first meeting date after general elections.
- Dissolution: The assembly can be dissolved at any time by the governor to allow for fresh elections.
- Extension: During a national emergency, the term of the assembly can be extended by Parliament for one year at a time, though this extension cannot continue beyond six months after the emergency ends.
Duration of Legislative Council
- Permanent Body: The legislative council is a permanent body and is not subject to dissolution.
- Staggered Retirement: One-third of its members retire every two years, and fresh elections and nominations are held to fill the vacant seats.
- Term Length: Each member serves for six years.
- Re-election and Re-nomination: Retiring members are eligible for re-election or re-nomination as many times as they want.
The structure and functioning of state legislatures aim to ensure a balance of direct and indirect representation and to maintain a consistent legislative process for state governance.
67th BPSC
Q. The members of a State Legislative Council are not chosen by which of the following categories of persons?
A. Members of the local bodies/Panchayats
B. Teachers
C. Industrialists
D. None of the above
