Parliament : Composition of Houses (3)

Composition of Rajya Sabha

• The maximum strength of the Rajya Sabha is capped at 250 members.

• Of these, 238 members are the representatives of states and union territories, elected indirectly, and 12 members are nominated by the President of India.

• The Rajya Sabha currently has a total of 245 members: 229 representing the states, 4 representing the union territories, and 12 nominated by the President.

• The Fourth Schedule of the Constitution allocates seats in the Rajya Sabha to the states and union territories.

Representation of States

• The elected members of state legislative assemblies indirectly elect representatives of states in the Rajya Sabha.

• The election follows the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.

• The number of representatives from each state in the Rajya Sabha is determined by the population of the state. For instance, Bihar has 16 members, while Tripura has only one.

Representation of Union Territories

• Representatives of each union territory in the Rajya Sabha are indirectly elected by members of a specially constituted electoral college.

• This election is also held in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.

• Only Delhi, Puducherry, and Jammu & Kashmir currently have representation in the Rajya Sabha, as the populations of the other six union territories are too small to have any representative.

Nominated Members

• The President of India nominates 12 members to the Rajya Sabha who have special knowledge or practical experience in art, literature, science, and social service.

• This nomination principle aims to provide a place for eminent individuals in the Rajya Sabha without going through the electoral process.

Composition of Lok Sabha

• The maximum strength of the Lok Sabha is capped at 550 members.

• Of these, 530 are representatives of the states, and 20 are representatives of the union territories.

• Currently, the Lok Sabha comprises 543 members: 530 representing the states and 13 representing the union territories.

Representation of States

• Representatives of the states in the Lok Sabha are directly elected by the people from territorial constituencies within the states. UP has highest number of seats in Loksabha - 80.

• The elections are based on the principle of universal adult franchise, with a voting age of 18 years, lowered from 21 years by the 61st Constitutional Amendment Act of 1988.

Representation of Union Territories

• Parliament has the authority to prescribe the manner of choosing representatives from the union territories in the Lok Sabha.

• Accordingly, members from the union territories are chosen by direct election according to the Union Territories (Direct Election to the House of the People) Act of 1965.

Nominated Members

• The President could nominate up to two members from the Anglo-Indian community to the Lok Sabha if the community was not adequately represented.

• This provision was extended until 2020 by the 95th Amendment Act, 2009, but it has not been extended after 2020. Consequently, there are no nominated members in the Lok Sabha at this time.