Parliament : Duration of Houses (3)

Duration of Rajya Sabha:

• The Rajya Sabha, also known as the Council of States, is a permanent body and is not subject to dissolution. It is a continuing chamber that maintains its composition over time.

• Every two years, one-third of the members of the Rajya Sabha retire, and fresh elections are held to fill their seats.

• Retiring members are eligible for re-election and renomination for an unlimited number of terms.

• The term of office for a member of the Rajya Sabha is six years, as outlined in the Representation of the People Act (1951).

• The President of India is empowered to curtail the term of members chosen in the first Rajya Sabha, and the initial batch of members retired according to a lottery system to determine their terms.

Duration of Lok Sabha:

• The Lok Sabha, also known as the House of the People, is not a permanent body like the Rajya Sabha; it has a fixed term of five years from the date of its first meeting after the general elections.

• The Lok Sabha automatically dissolves at the end of its five-year term, unless dissolved earlier by the President of India.

• The President has the authority to dissolve the Lok Sabha at any time before the completion of its five-year term, and this decision cannot be challenged in a court of law.

• The term of the Lok Sabha can be extended during a national emergency through a law passed by Parliament. This extension can be for one year at a time for any length of time but cannot continue beyond six months after the emergency has ceased.