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Frequently Asked Questions on Lok Sabha (As on 21.12.2009)
About Lok Sabha and its History
Questions on the Composition of Lok Sabha
Questions on the Officers of Lok Sabha
Questions on members of Lok Sabha
Questions on Role and Functions of Lok Sabha
Questions relating to Legislation
Procedural Devices for raising matters of public interest
Parliamentary Privileges/Immunities, Salaries and Emoluments
Cell on Parliamentary Forums
Contacting Lok Sabha

Question 1. No. of MPs in Fifteenth Lok Sabha
Answer. 544 (as on 21.12.2009)
Question 2. No. of MPs in each party
Answer. List enclosed (Annexure I)
Question 3. No. of male MPs
Answer. 485
Question 4. No. of woman MPs
Answer. 59
Question 5. Oldest MP
Answer. Das, Shri Ram Sundar 88 (9.1.1921)
Question 6. Youngest MP
Answer. Sayeed, Shri Hamdullah 27 (11.4.1982)
ABOUT LOK SABHA AND ITS HISTORY
Question 7. When was the Lok Sabha (the House of the People) first constituted?
Answer. The Lok Sabha (House of the People) was duly constituted for the first time on 17 April
1952 after the first General Elections held from 25 October 1951 to 21 February 1952.
Question 8. When was the first Session of the Lok Sabha held?
Answer. The first Session of the First Lok Sabha commenced on 13 May 1952.
Question 9. Why is the Lok Sabha called the popular chamber?
Answer. The Lok Sabha is composed of representatives of the people chosen by direct election
on the basis of adult suffrage. That is why it is called the popular chamber.
Question 10. How many General Elections to the Lok Sabha have been held till date?
Answer. As many as fifteen General Elections
[1]
to the Lok Sabha have been held till date. The
first General Elections were held from 25 October 1951 to 21 February 1952; the second
from 24 February to 14 March 1957; the third from 19 to 25 February 1962; the fourth
from 17 to 21 February 1967; the fifth from 1 to 10 March 1971; the sixth from 16 to
20 March 1977; the seventh from 3 to 6 January 1980; the eighth from 24 to 28
December 1984; the ninth from 22 to 26 November 1989; the tenth from 20 May to 15
June 1991; the eleventh from 27 April to 30 May 1996; the twelfth from 16 to 23
February 1998; the thirteenth from 5 September to 6 October 1999; the fourteenth
from 20 April to 10 May 2004; and the fifteenth General Elections from 16 April to 13
May 2009.
Question 11.Who was the first Speaker of Lok Sabha?
Answer. Shri G.V. Mavalankar was the first Speaker of Lok Sabha (15 May 1952- 27 February
1956).
Question 12.Who was the first Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha?
Answer. Shri M. Ananthasayanam Ayyangar was the first Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha (30 May
1952-7 March 1956).

QUESTIONS ON THE COMPOSITION OF LOK SABHA
Question 13.What is the strength of the Lok Sabha as prescribed in the Constitution?
Answer. The Lok Sabha, as per the Constitution, consists of not more than five hundred and
thirty members chosen by direct election from territorial constituencies in the States,
not more than twenty members to represent the Union Territories [Article 81] and not
more than two members of the Anglo-Indian Community to be nominated by the
President, if he/she is of the opinion that the Anglo-Indian Community is not adequately
represented in the Lok Sabha [Article 331]. The limit on the maximum number of
members chosen directly from territorial constituencies in States may be exceeded if
such an increase is incidental to the reorganisation of States by an Act of Parliament.
Question 14.What is the life of the Lok Sabha?
Answer. Unless sooner dissolved by the President, the Lok Sabha continues for five years from
the date appointed for its first meeting and no longer, as the expiration of the period of
five years operates as a dissolution of the House. However, while a Proclamation of
Emergency is in operation, this period may be extended by Parliament by law for a period
not exceeding one year at a time and not exceeding in any case beyond a period of six
months after the Proclamation has ceased to operate.
Question 15. What is the quorum to constitute a sitting of the Lok Sabha?
Answer. The quorum to constitute a sitting of the House is one-tenth of the total number of
members of the House under article 100(3) of the Constitution.
Question 16. Which is the party having the largest number of members in the Fifteenth Lok
Sabha?
Answer. The Indian National Congress is the party having the largest number of members (206)
in the Fifteenth Lok Sabha followed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (116). (as on
21.12.2009)

QUESTIONS ON THE OFFICERS OF LOK SABHA
Question 17. Who is the Presiding Officer of the Lok Sabha?
Answer. The Speaker and the Deputy Speaker are the Presiding Officers of the Lok Sabha.
Question 18. What is the term of Office of the Speaker?
Answer. The Speaker holds office from the date of his/her election till the first sitting of the Lok
Sabha after the dissolution of the one to which he/she was elected.
Question 19. Who presides over the Lok Sabha when the Speaker is absent from the sitting of
the House?
Answer. The Deputy Speaker presides over the Lok Sabha when the Speaker is absent from the
sitting of the House.
Question 20. Who presides over the Lok Sabha when both the Speaker's and the Deputy
Speaker's offices fall vacant?
Answer. When the Offices of both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker fall vacant, the duties of
the Office of the Speaker are performed by such member of the Lok Sabha as the
President may appoint for the purpose. The person so appointed is known as the
Speaker pro tem.
Question 21. Who presides over the House in the absence of both the Speaker and the Deputy
Speaker?
Answer. The Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha provide that at the
commencement of the House or from time to time, as the case may be, the Speaker
shall nominate from amongst the members a Panel of not more than ten Chairmen, any
one of whom may preside over the House in the absence of the Speaker and the Deputy
Speaker when so requested by the Speaker or, in his/her absence, by the Deputy
Speaker. A Chairman so nominated, holds office until a new Panel of Chairmen is
nominated, unless he/she resigns earlier from the Panel or is appointed a Minister or
elected as Deputy Speaker. Generally, a Chairman from the Panel holds Office for one
year but the same person may be renominated from time to time.
Question 22. Who is the present Speaker of the Lok Sabha?
Answer. Smt. Meira Kumar.
Question 23. Who is the present Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha?
Answer Shri Kariya Munda.
Question 24. Who is the Leader of the House in the Fifteenth Lok Sabha?
Answer. Shri Sushil Kumar Sambhajirao Shinde.
Question 25. Who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha?
Answer. Smt. Sushma Swaraj.
Question 26. Who is the Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha?
Answer. Shri T. K. Viswanathan.

QUESTIONS ON MEMBERS OF LOK SABHA
Question 27. How are the members of the Lok Sabha elected?
Answer. The members of the Lok Sabha are elected through General Elections, held on the basis
of universal adult suffrage. Parliament, from time to time, by law makes provision with
respect to all matters relating to, or in connection with, elections to the Lok Sabha,
including the preparation of electoral rolls, the delimitation of constituencies and all
other matters necessary for securing the due constitution of the Lok Sabha. When the
seat of a member elected to the House becomes vacant or is declared vacant, or
his/her election is declared void, the same is filled through bye-election.
Question 28.What are the qualifications to become a member of the Lok Sabha?
Answer. To become a member of the Lok Sabha, a person should be a citizen of India, not less
than 25 years of age and possess such other qualifications as may be prescribed by or
under any law made by Parliament [Art. 84]
Question 29. Who are the nominated members of the Fifteenth Lok Sabha?
Answer. In the Fifteenth Lok Sabha, two members, i.e. Smt. Ingrid Mcleod and Shri Charles Dias
are the nominated members.
Question 30. Who is the longest serving member in the Fifteenth Lok Sabha?
Answer. Shri Basudeb Acharia and Shri Manikrao Hodlya Gavit are the longest serving members in
the Lok Sabha.
Question 31. Which member of the Lok Sabha has become the Speaker of the House in his
very first term?
Answer. The members of the Lok Sabha who became the Speaker of the House in their first term
itself are:
Sl.No Name of the Speaker Period Lok Sabha
1. Shri Ganesh Vasudev
Mavalankar
15.5.1952 to
27.2.1956
First
2. Shri M.Ananthasayanam
Ayyangar
8.3.1956 to
10.5.1957
First *
3. Dr. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy 17.3.1967 to
19.7.1969
Fourth
4. Dr. Gurdial Singh Dhillon 8.8.1969 to
19.3.1971
Fourth **
5. Shri Kawdoor Sadananda
Hegde
21.7.1977 to
21.1.1980
Sixth
6. Dr. Bal Ram Jakhar 22.1.1980 to
15.1.1985
Seventh
7. Shri Manohar Joshi 10.5.2002 to
2.6.2004
Thirteenth
* Shri M.A. Ayyangar became the Speaker in the first Lok Sabha due to the sudden demise of the
then Speaker, Shri G.V. Mavalankar
** Following the resignation of the then Speaker Dr. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy to contest the
Presidential elections, Dr.G.S. Dhillon was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha
on 8 August 1969.

QUESTIONS ON ROLE AND FUNCTIONS OF LOK SABHA
Question 32. What are the powers of Lok Sabha relating to Money Bills?
Answer. A Bill is deemed to be a 'Money Bill' if it contains only provisions dealing with all or any of
the following matters: (a) the imposition, abolition, remission, alteration or regulation of
any tax; (b) the regulation of the borrowing of money or giving of any guarantee by the
Government of India, or the amendment of the law with respect to any financial
obligations undertaken or to be undertaken by the Government of India; (c) the custody
of the Consolidated Fund or the Contingency Fund of India, the payment of moneys into
or the withdrawal of moneys from any such Fund; (d) the appropriation of moneys out of
the Consolidated Fund of India; (e) the declaring of any expenditure to be expenditure
charged on the Consolidated Fund of India or the increasing of the amount of any such
expenditure; (f) the receipt of money on account of the Consolidated Fund of India or
the public account of India or the custody or issue of such money or the audit of the
accounts of the Union or of a State; or (g) any matter incidental to any of the matters
specified in sub-clauses (a) to (f) [Art.110].
A Money Bill can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha. The Rajya Sabha cannot make
amendments in a Money Bill passed by the Lok Sabha and transmitted to it. It can,
however, recommend amendments in a Money Bill. It is open to the Lok Sabha to
accept or reject any or all of the recommendations of the Rajya Sabha with regard to a
Money Bill. If the Lok Sabha accepts any of the recommendations of the Rajya Sabha,
the Money Bill is deemed to have been passed by both Houses with amendments
recommended by the Rajya Sabha and accepted by the Lok Sabha and if the Lok Sabha
does not accept any of the recommendations of the Rajya Sabha, the Money Bill is
deemed to have been passed by both Houses in the form in which it was passed by the
Lok Sabha without any of the amendments recommended by the Rajya Sabha. If a
Money Bill passed by the Lok Sabha and transmitted to the Rajya Sabha is not
returned to the Lok Sabha within the said period of fourteen days, it is deemed to have
been passed by both Houses at the expiration of the said period in the form in which it
was passed by the Lok Sabha.
Question 33.What is the legislative relationship between the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha?
Answer. In legislative matters, both the Houses enjoy almost equal powers except in the case of
Money Bills. The main function of both the Houses is to pass laws. Every Bill has to be
passed by both the Houses and assented to by the President before it becomes law. In
case of Money Bills, the Lok Sabha has overriding powers.
Question 34. Is any deadlock between the two Houses possible?
Answer. Yes. In the case of Bills other than Money Bills and Constitution Amendment Bills, a
disagreement between the two Houses may arise when a Bill passed by one House is
rejected by the other House; or the Houses have finally disagreed as to the
amendments to be made in the Bill; or more than six months have elapsed from the date
of receipt of the Bill by the other House without the Bill being passed by it.
Question 35. What is the mechanism for resolving such a deadlock between the two Houses?
Answer. A joint sitting of both Houses is convened by the President for this purpose. [Article
108]
Question 36. How many joint sittings of the Houses have been convened so far?
Answer. So far, joint sittings of the two Houses have taken place on three occasions. The first
joint sitting was held on 6 May 1961 following a disagreement between the two Houses
over certain amendments to the Dowry Prohibition Bill, 1959. This was followed by
another sitting on 9 May 1961 when the Bill, as amended, was finally passed. The
second joint sitting was held on 16 May 1978, following the rejection by the Rajya
Sabha of the Banking Service Commission (Repeal) Bill, 1977 and the Bill was passed.
The third joint sitting was held on 26 March 2002 when the motion to consider the
Prevention of Terrorism Bill, 2002, seeking to replace the Prevention of Terrorism
Ordinance (POTO) as passed by the Lok Sabha was rejected by the Rajya Sabha. At
this sitting held for the purpose of deliberating and voting on the Prevention of Terrorism
Bill, 2002, the Bill was passed.
Question 37. Who presides over the joint sitting of the two Houses?
Answer. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha presides over the joint sitting of the two Houses. [Article
118(4)]
Question 38. Does the Speaker have the right to vote?
Answer. The Speaker has a casting vote in the event of a tie. It is customary for the Presiding
Officer to exercise the casting vote in such a manner as to maintain the status quo.
Question 39. How many Sessions of the Lok Sabha are held in a year?
Answer. Normally three Sessions of the Lok Sabha are held in a year, viz.,
Budget Session - February - May
Autumn or Monsoon Session - July - August
Winter Session - November - December
Question 40.What is meant by Adjournment, Prorogation and Dissolution of the Lok Sabha?
Answer. "Adjournment" is a postponement of the sitting or proceedings of the House from one
time to another specified for the reassembling of the House. During the course of a
Session, the Lok Sabha may be adjourned from day to day or for more than a day. It
may also be adjourned sine die which means the termination of a sitting of the House
without any definite date being fixed for its next sitting.
"Prorogation" means the termination of a Session of the House by an order made by the
President under article 85(2)(a) of the Constitution. The Prorogation of the House may
take place any time, even while the House is sitting. However, usually, prorogation
follows the adjournment of the sitting of the House sine die.
"Dissolution" of the House means the end of the life of the Lok Sabha either by an order
made by the President under article 85 (2) (b) of the Constitution or on the expiration
of the period of five years from the date appointed for its first meeting. Dissolution puts
an end to the representative character of the individuals who at the time compose the
Lok Sabha.
On adjournment of the Lok Sabha or its adjournment sine die, the pending business does
not lapse. Bills pending before either House or Select/Joint Committee, Motions,
Resolutions, and amendments which have already been moved and pending in the House,
and business pending before a Parliamentary Committee do not lapse on prorogation
whereas all business pending before the House or any of its Committee lapse on
dissolution. Prorogation terminates a Session and does not constitute an interruption in
the continuity of life of the Lok Sabha which is brought to an end only by dissolution.
Question 41. What are the methods of voting in the Lok Sabha?
Answer. The procedure regarding Voting and Divisions in the House is governed by article 100(1)
of the Constitution and Rules 367, 367A, 367AA and 367B of the Rules of Procedure and
Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha. The various methods adopted for voting in the Lok
Sabha are:
(i) Voice Vote: It is a simple method for deciding a question put by the Chair on a
motion made by a member. Under this method, the question before the House is
determined by the `Ayes' or the `Noes', as the case may be.
(ii) Division: There are three methods of holding a Division, i.e. (a) by operating
the Automatic Vote Recording Equipment; (b) by distributing `Ayes' and `Noes' slips in
the House; and (c) by members going into the Lobbies. The Speaker directs the
members for "Ayes" to go to the right Lobby and those for "Noes" to the left Lobby
where their votes are recorded. However, the method of recording of votes in the
Lobbies has become obsolete ever since the installation of the Automatic Vote Recording
Machine.
(iii) Secret Ballot: During an 'open' voting period, the individual results are shown
by the three characters 'A', 'N' and 'O' on the Individual Result Display Panel. Secret
voting, if any, is on similar lines except that the Light Emitting Diode (LED) on the
Individual Result Display Panel shows P sign in amber light to show that the vote
has been recorded.
(iv) Recording of votes by distribution of slips: The method of recording of votes
by members on `Aye' and `No' slips is generally resorted to in the eventuality of (i)
sudden failure of the working of the Automatic Vote Recording Equipment; and (ii) at the
commencement of the new Lok Sabha, before the seats/division numbers have been
allotted to members.
(v) Physical count of Members in their places instead of a formal division: If in
the opinion of the Chair, a Division is unnecessarily claimed, he/she may ask the
members who are for `Aye' and those for `No', respectively, to rise in their places and
on a count being taken, he/she may declare the determination of the House. In such a
case, the particulars of voting of the members are not recorded.
(vi) Casting Vote: If in a Division the number of `Ayes' and `Noes' is equal, the
question is decided by the casting vote of the Chair. Under the Constitution, the
Speaker or the person acting as such cannot vote in a Division; he/she has only a
casting vote which he/she must exercise in the case of equality of votes.
Question 42: What is Question Hour?
Answer. Rule 32 of the Rules of Procedure and conduct of Business in Lok Sabha provides that
unless the Speaker otherwise desires the first hour of every sitting of the House shall be
available for the asking and answering of Questions. Thus, it is taken up from 1100 hrs
to 1200 hrs in every sitting. Normally, there is no Question Hour during the first Session
of the new Lok Sabha and also on the day when the President addresses both Houses
assembled together or on the day when General Budget is presented in Lok Sabha and
on the sittings held during the extended period of session or on Saturdays/Sundays and
Holidays.
Question 43. What is a Parliamentary Question?
Answer. Question is one of the important Parliamentary device available to the Members to seek
information on a matter of urgent public importance subject to conditions imposed by
the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha and the Directions by the
Speaker. A member may ask question for the purpose of obtaining information on a
subject matter of public importance within the special cognizance of the minister to
whom it is addressed.
Question 44. What are the different types of Questions?
Answer. There are basically four types of Questions:-
Starred: A member who desires an oral answer to his question is required to
distinguish it by an asterix. Maximum 20 Questions are included in the list of Starred
Questions for a particular day. This is printed on green paper. Minimum of 15 clear days
notice is required for tabling Starred Questions. The Questions not orally answered in
the Starred list of questions are treated as a Unstarred Questions and their replies are
laid on the Table of the House.
Unstarred: These do not carry the asterix mark and are meant for obtaining written
reply. Not more than 230 Questions can be placed on the Unstarred list for a particular
sitting. This list is printed on white paper. Minimum of 15 clear days notice is required for
tabling Unstarred Questions. Written answers given by the Ministers are deemed to have
been laid on the Table of the House at end of Question Hour.
Short Notice Question: Question can also be asked on a matter of urgent public
importance at a notice of less than the period specified for ordinary Question. The list of
admitted SNQ is printed on a pink paper. The procedure of SNQ is regulated by Rule 54
and the basic test for its admissibility is the urgency of matter. SNQ is asked and
answered soon after the Question Hour.
Question to Private Members: A Question may also be addressed to a Private
Member under Rule 40 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha,
which provides that the subject matter of the question should be related to some Bill,
Resolution or other matter connected with the Business of the House for which that
member is responsible. For instance, the Questions which relates to matters under the
purview of Parliamentary Committees can be addressed to respective Chairman.
Similarly, Members piloting Private Members Bills and Resolutions can be addressed
questions, which are within cognizance of them under this provision. The procedure in
regard to such questions is the same as that followed in the case of questions
addressed to a Minister with such variations as the Speaker may consider necessary.
Question 45. What is the maximum number of Questions admitted for a particular day?
Answer. The maximum number of Questions to be placed on the list of Questions for oral answers
(Starred Question) on a particular day is 20, while the maximum number of questions to
be placed on the list of Unstarred Question is 230. However, the number of Unstarred
Questions may exceed by a maximum of 25 Questions pertaining to State/States under
Presidents Rule.
Question 46. Whether there is any restriction regarding the number of notices that each
member may give with regard to Questions?
Answer. A Member is permitted to give not more than 10 notices of Questions both Starred and
Unstarred combined for any day. But not more than five admitted questions, both
Starred and Unstarred combined, by one member are placed on the list of questions for
any one day. Out of these 5 questions, not more than one Question distinguished by the
member with asterisk* as Starred is placed on the list of Questions for oral answer. This
limit of one question for oral answer does not include any Short Notice Question of the
member which may have been admitted for answer on that day. However, a member can
have more than one Starred question in the list in the event of transfer or
postponement of Questions in the printed list from one day to another.
Question 47. Who decides the admissibility of Questions?
Answer Admissibility of questions is governed by Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in
Lok Sabha, Directions by the Speaker as also the past precedents. The Speaker, Lok
Sabha, decides whether a question or a part thereof, is or is not admissible under the
Rules, He/she may disallow any question, or a part thereof, when in his/her opinion, it is
an abuse of the right of questioning or is calculated to obstruct or prejudicially affect
the procedure of the House or is in contravention of the Rules. The right to ask a
question is governed by certain conditions like it should be pointed, specific and
confined to one issue only. It should not contain arguments, inferences, ironical
expressions, imputations, epithets or defamatory statements.
Question 48. What is an Half-an-Hour Discussion?
Answer. Another instrument available to the members of Lok Sabha for raising issue of public
importance is the Half-an-Hour Discussion. Under this, a Member may raise discussion
on a matter of sufficient public importance which has been the subject of a recent
question, Starred, Unstarred or Short Notice Question and the answer to which needs
further elucidation on a matter of fact.
Question 49. What is the procedure for Half-an-Hour Discussion?
Answer. The procedure regarding Half-an-Hour Discussion is regulated by Rule 55 of the Rules of
Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha and Direction 19 of the Directions by
the Speaker. Under this, a member may give notice to raise a discussion on a matter of
sufficient public importance and which has been the subject of a recent question,
Starred, Unstarred or Short Notice Question, and the answer to which needs further
elucidation on a matter of fact. A notice is also required to be accompanied by an
Explanatory Note stating the reasons for raising the discussion and should also be
signed. Normally, only one notice of Half-an-Hour Discussion is put down for a sitting
and no formal motion is moved in the House nor does voting take place. The member
who has given notice makes a short statement and the members who have previously
intimated the Speaker and have secured one of the four places in the ballot are
permitted to put a question each for the purpose of further elucidating any matter of
fact. Thereafter, the Minister concerned replies briefly.
Question 50. When a Half-an-Hour Discussion is taken up?
Answer. Half-an-Hour Discussions are normally held on three sittings in a week namely, Monday,
Wednesday and Friday. Normally, Half-an-Hour Discussion is not held on the first sitting
of the session. Further, normally the Half-an-Hour Discussion is not held till the passage
of the Finance Bill by the House. As the name suggests, normally the discussion is for
half an hour on the said days and is taken up during the last half an hour of the sitting.
Question 51. What are Parliamentary Forums and what are their objectives?
Answer. Parliamentary Forums have been constituted with the objective of equipping members with
information and knowledge on specific issues of national concern and in assisting them
to adopt a result-oriented approach towards related issues. These Forums provide an
opportunity to members to come together and discuss a particular issue and its wider
ramifications.
Question 52. How many Parliamentary Forums have been constituted so far?
Answer. The first Parliamentary Forum on Water Conservation and Management was
constituted by the Speaker, Lok Sabha, on 12 August 2005. Subsequently, four more
Parliamentary Forums were constituted, namely the Parliamentary Forum on Youth,
which has four sub-Forums, viz. on Sports and Youth Development, on Health, on
Education, and on Employment; Parliamentary Forum on Children; Parliamentary Forum
on Population and Public Health; and Parliamentary Forum on Global Warming and Climate
Change.
Question 53. What is the structure of the Parliamentary Forums?
Answer. Each Parliamentary Forum consists of not more than 31 members, excluding the Speaker
of Lok Sabha, who is the ex officio President, and the Deputy Speaker, Lok Sabha, the
Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, the Ministers-in-charge of the Ministries concerned with
the subject and the Chairman of the Departmentally Related Standing Committee
concerned who are the ex officio Vice-Presidents. Each Forum has 21 members from the
Lok Sabha and 10 members from the Rajya Sabha.

QUESTIONS RELATING TO LEGISLATION
Question 54. What is a Bill?
Answer. A Bill is the draft of a legislative proposal brought before the House for its approval.
Question 55. What are the different types of Bills?
Answer. Bills initiated by Ministers are called Government Bills and those introduced by members
who are not Ministers are known as Private Members' Bills. Depending on their contents,
Bills may further be classified broadly into (a) Original Bills (Bills embodying new
proposals, ideas or policies); (b) Amending Bills (Bills which seek to modify, amend or
revise the existing Acts); (c) Consolidating Bills (Bills which seek to consolidate existing
laws on a particular subject; (d) Expiring Laws (Continuance) Bills (Bills to continue an
expiring Act); (e) Repealing Bills (Bills seeking to repeal existing Acts); (f) Bills to replace
Ordinances; (g) Constitution (Amendment) Bills; and (h) Money and Financial Bills.
Question 56. Who decides whether a Bill is an ordinary Bill or a Money Bill?
Answer. In case any question arises whether a Bill is a Money Bill or not, the decision of the
Speaker, Lok Sabha, thereon, is final. When a Bill is held by the Speaker to be a Money
Bill, he/she endorses a certificate thereon signed by him/her to that effect that it is a
Money Bill before the bill is sent to the Rajya Sabha or presented to the President for
assent.
Question 57. What is the difference between a Bill and an Act?
Answer A Bill is a draft legislative proposal before the House. It becomes an Act only when
passed by both the Houses of Parliament and assented to by the President.
Question 58. What are the various steps involved in the passage of a Bill?
Answer. A Bill while being considered has to undergo three stages in each House of Parliament.
The first stage consists of the introduction of the Bill which is done on a motion moved
by either a Minister or a member.
During the second stage, any of the following motions can be moved: that the Bill be
taken into consideration; that it be referred to a Select Committee of the House; that it
be referred to a Joint Committee of the two Houses; or that it be circulated for the
purpose of eliciting opinion thereon. Thereafter, the Bill is taken up for clause-by-clause
consideration as introduced or as reported by the Select/Joint Committee.
The third stage is confined to the discussion on the motion that the Bill be passed and
the Bill is passed/rejected either by voting or voice vote (or returned to the Lok Sabha
by the Rajya Sabha in the case of a Money Bill).
Question 59. What is Budget?
Answer. Budget is the `Annual Financial Statement' or the Statement of the Estimated Receipts
and Expenditure of the Government of India in respect of each financial year, presented
to the Lok Sabha on such day as the President may direct. A copy of the Budget is laid
in the Rajya Sabha soon after its presentation in the Lok Sabha. The preparation and
presentation of the Budget for the approval of the Legislature is a constitutional
obligation on the part of the Government, both at the Centre and in the States.
Question 60. When is the Budget Session of Parliament held?
Answer. The Budget Session of Parliament is normally held during February to May of the year.
During this period, the Budget comes before the Parliament for its deliberation, voting
and approval; the Departmentally related Standing Committees consider the Demands for
Grants of Ministries/Departments and report on the same to the Houses of Parliament.
Question 61. Who presents the Budget in the House?
Answer. Two types of Budgets are usually presented in the House namely, the General Budget
and the Railway Budget. The General Budget is presented by the Minister of Finance and
the Railway Budget by the Minister of Railways.

PROCEDURAL DEVICES FOR RAISING MATTERS OF PUBLIC INTEREST
Question 62. What is a Calling Attention ?
Answer. Under this procedural device, a member may, with the prior permission of the Speaker,
call the attention of a Minister to any matter of urgent public importance and the
Minister may make a brief statement or ask for time to make a statement later. There
can be no debate on such a statement at the time it is made. But, brief clarifications
can be sought from the Minister by the member who has initiated the Calling Attention
and other members who are called by the Speaker. Only those matters which are
primarily the concern of the Union Government can be raised through a Calling Attention
notice. The Calling Attention procedure is an Indian innovation which combines asking
a question with supplementaries and making brief comments; the Government also gets
adequate opportunity to state its case. The Calling Attention matter is not subject to
the vote of the House.
Question 63. What is a Motion?
Answer. The term `motion' in parliamentary parlance means any formal proposal made to the
House by a member for the purpose of eliciting a decision of the House. It is phrased in
such a way that, if adopted, it will purport to express the judgement or will of the
House. Any matter of importance can be the subject matter of a motion. The mover of
a motion frames it in a form in which he/she wishes it ultimately to be passed by the
House and on which a vote of the House can conveniently be taken.
Question 64. What are the different types of Motion?
Answer. Motions may be classified into three broad categories, namely, substantive motions,
substitute motions and subsidiary motions.
A substantive motion is a self-contained, independent proposal made in reference to a
subject which the mover wishes to bring forward. All Resolutions, Motions for election
of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, and Motion of Thanks on the Address by the
President, etc. are examples of substantive motions.
A substitute motion, as its name suggests, is moved in substitution of the original
motion for taking into consideration a policy or situation or statement or any other
matter. Amendments to substitute motions are not permissible.
Subsidiary motions depend upon or relate to other motions or follow up on some
proceedings in the House. By itself, it has no meaning and is not capable of stating the
decision of the House without reference to the original motion or the proceedings of the
House.
Question 65. What is an Adjournment Motion?
Answer. Adjournment Motion is the procedure for adjournment of the business of the House for
the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance, which can be
moved with the consent of the Speaker. The Adjournment Motion, if admitted, leads to
setting aside of the normal business of the House for discussing the matter mentioned in
the motion. To be in order, an adjournment motion must raise a matter of sufficient
public importance to warrant interruption of normal business of the House and the
question of public importance is decided on merit in each individual case. The purpose
of an Adjournment Motion is to take the Government to task for a recent act of omission
or commission having serious consequences. Its adoption is regarded as a sort of
censure of the Government.
Question 66. What is a Motion of No-confidence?
Answer. The Government must always enjoy majority support in the popular House to remain in
power. If need be, it has to demonstrate its strength on the floor of the House by
moving a Motion of Confidence and winning the confidence of the House. In view of the
express constitutional provision regarding collective responsibility of the Council of
Ministers to the Lok Sabha, a motion expressing want of confidence in an individual
Minister is out of order; under the Rules, only a motion expressing want of confidence in
the Council of Ministers as a body is admissible. Rule 198 of the Rules of Procedure and
Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha lays down the procedure for moving a Motion of No-
Confidence in the Council of Ministers. The usual format of such a motion is that "this
House expresses its want of confidence in the Council of Ministers". A Motion of No-
confidence need not set out any grounds on which it is based. Even when grounds are
mentioned in the notice and read out in the House, they do not form part of the No-
confidence Motion.
Question 67. What is a No-Day-Yet-Named Motion?
Answer If the Speaker admits notice of a motion and no date is fixed for its discussion, it is
called a "No-Day-yet-Named Motion" and a copy of the admitted motion is forwarded to
the Minister concerned with the subject matter of the motion.
Admitted notices of such motions may be placed before the Business Advisory
Committee for selecting the motions for discussion in the House according to the
urgency and importance of the subject-matter thereof, and allotting time for the same.
Question 68. What is meant by Discussion under Rule 193 ?
Answer. Discussion under Rule 193 does not involve a formal motion before the House. Hence no
voting can take place after discussion on matters under this rule. The member who
gives notice may make a short statement and such of the members as have previously
intimated to the Speaker, may be permitted to take part in the discussion. The member
who raises the discussion has no right of reply. At the end of the discussion, the
Minister concerned gives a brief reply.
Question 69. What is a Short Duration Discussion?
Answer. In order to provide opportunities to members to discuss matters of urgent public
importance, a convention was established in March 1953 which was incorporated later
into the Rules of Procedure and conduct of Business in Lok Sabha under Rule 193 as
Short Duration Discussion. Under this Rule, members can raise discussion for short
durations without a formal motion or vote thereon.
Question 70. What is meant by matters under Rule 377?
Matters, which are not points of order can be raised by way of Special Mentions under
Rule 377. This procedural device, framed in 1954, provides opportunity to the members
to raise matters of general public interest. At present, the number of matters that can
be raised by members under Rule 377 on a single day is 20.
Question 71. What is "Zero Hour" ?
Answer. The time immediately following the Question Hour and laying of papers and before any
listed business is taken up in the House has come to be popularly known as the `Zero
Hour'. As it starts around 12 noon, this period is euphemistically termed as `Zero
Hour'. For raising matters during the so-called "Zero Hour" in Lok Sabha, members give
notice before 10 a.m. everyday to the Speaker stating clearly the subject which they
consider to be important and wish to raise in the House. It is, of course, for the
Speaker to allow or not allow raising of such matters in the House. The term `Zero
Hour' is not formally recognised in our parliamentary procedure.
Question 72. How many matters are allowed to be raised under "Zero Hour" ?
Answer. At present, twenty matters per day as per their priority in the ballot are allowed to be
raised during "Zero Hour". The order in which the matters will be raised is decided by
the Speaker at his/her discretion. In the first phase, 5 matters of urgent national and
international importance, as decided by the Chair, are taken up after Question Hour and
laying of papers, etc. In the second phase, the remaining admitted matters of urgent
public importance are taken up after 6.00 P.M. or at the end of the regular business of
the House.
Question 73. What is a Resolution?
Answer A Resolution is a formal expression of the sense, will or action of the Legislative Body.
Resolutions may be broadly divided into three categories:
Resolutions which are expression of opinion by the House since the purpose
of such a Resolution is merely to obtain an expression of opinion of the House, the
Government is not bound to give effect to the opinions expressed in these
Resolutions.
Resolutions which have statutory effect the notice of a Statutory Resolution is
given in pursuance of a provision in the Constitution or an Act of Parliament.
Such a Resolution, if adopted, is binding on the Government and has the force of
law.
Resolutions which the House passes in the matter of control over its own
proceedings. It has the force of law and its validity cannot be challenged in any
court of law. The House, by such a Resolution, evolves, sometimes, its own
procedure to meet a situation not specifically provided for in the Rules.
Question 74. What is a Point of Order?
Answer: A Point of Order relates to the interpretation or enforcement of the Rules of Procedure
and Conduct of Business in the House or convention or such articles of the Constitution
as regulate the business of the House and raises a question which is within the
cognizance of the Speaker.
A Point of Order may be raised only in relation to the business before the House at the
moment, provided that the Speaker may permit a member to raise a Point of Order
during the interval between the termination of one item of business and the
commencement of another if it relates to maintenance of order in, or arrangement of
business before, the House. A member may formulate a Point of Order and the Speaker
shall decide whether the point raised is a Point of Order and if so give his/her decision
thereon, which is final.
Question 75. Does the Speaker have the power to adjourn the House or suspend the sitting?
Answer: Under Rule 375, in the case of a grave disorder arising in the House, the Speaker may, if
he/she thinks it necessary to do so, adjourn the House or suspend any sitting for a time
to be named by him/her.
Question 76. When does the President address the Parliament?
Answer. The Constitution provides for an Address by the President to either House or both
Houses assembled together [Article 86(1)]. The Constitution also makes incumbent
upon the President to address both Houses of Parliament assembled together at the
commencement of the first Session after each General Election to the Lok Sabha and at
the commencement of the first Session each year and inform Parliament of the causes
of its summons. [Article 87(1)]. The matters referred to in the Address by the President
to the Houses are discussed on a Motion of Thanks moved by a member and seconded
by another member.
Question 77. Can members raise questions on the Address by the President?
Answer. No member can raise questions on the Address by the President. Any action on the part
of a member which mars the occasion or creates disturbance is punishable by the
House to which that member belongs. Discussion on matters referred to in the
Address takes place on a Motion of Thanks moved by a member and seconded by
another member. The scope of discussion on the Address is very wide and the
functioning of the entire administration is open for discussion; the limitations inter alia
are that members should not refer to matters which are not the direct responsibility of
the Government of India, and the name of the President should not be brought in during
the debate since the Government, and not the President, is responsible for the contents
of the Address.

PARLIAMENTARY PRIVILEGES/IMMUNITIES, SALARIES AND EMOLUMENTS
Question 78. What are parliamentary privileges?
Answer The term `parliamentary privilege' refers to certain rights and immunities enjoyed by
each House of Parliament and Committees of each House collectively, and by members
of each House individually, without which they cannot discharge their functions
efficiently and effectively. The object of parliamentary privileges is to safeguard the
freedom, the authority and the dignity of Parliament. The powers, privileges and
immunities of either House of Parliament and of its Committees and members have been
laid down in article 105 of the Constitution. The House has the power to punish any
person who commits a contempt of the House or a breach of any of its privileges.
Question 79. Are the parliamentary privileges codified in India?
Answer. No law has so far been enacted by Parliament in pursuance of article 105(3) of the
Constitution to define the powers, privileges and immunities available to each House and
its members and the Committees thereof. In the absence of any such law, the powers,
privileges and immunities of the Houses of Parliament, and of the members and the
Committees thereof, shall be those of that House and of its members and Committees
immediately before the coming into force of section 15 of the Constitution (Forty-fourth
Amendment) Act, 1978.
Question 80. What is the difference between breach of privilege and contempt of the House?
Answer. When any of the privileges, either of the members individually or of the House in its
collective capacity, is disregarded or attacked by any individual or authority, the
offence is called a `breach of privilege'.
Contempt of the House may be defined generally as any act or omission which obstructs
or impedes either House of Parliament in the performance of its functions, or which
obstructs or impedes any member or officers of such House in the discharge of his or her
duty, or which has a tendency, directly or indirectly, to produce such results even
though there is no precedent of the offence. Whereas all breaches of privilege are
contempts of the House whose privileges are violated, a person may be guilty of a
contempt of the House even though he does not violate any of the privilege of the
House, e.g. when he disobeys an order to attend a Committee or publishes reflections
on the character or conduct of a member in his capacity as a member.
Question 81. What is the procedure for addressing a question of privilege?
Answer. A question of privilege may either be considered and decided by the House itself or it
may be referred to the Committee of Privileges for examination, investigation and
report.
Question 82. What is the rule relating to 'Automatic Suspension' of a member?
Answer. Rule 374A of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha provides that
in the event of grave disorder occasioned by a member coming into the well of the
House or abusing the rules of the House persistently and wilfully obstructing its
business by shouting slogans or otherwise, such member shall, on being named by the
Speaker, stand automatically suspended from the service of the House for five
consecutive sittings or the remainder of the Session, whichever is less.
Question 83. What is the MPLAD Scheme?
Answer. The Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) was introduced in
December 1993. Under this Scheme, a member of Lok Sabha has the choice to suggest
to the Head of the District, developmental works to the tune of Rs. Five crore per year,
to be taken up in his/her constituency.
Question 84. What is the current salary of a member?
Answer. At present, a member of Parliament is entitled to Rs. 16,000/- per month as salary, Rs.
20,000/- per month as Constituency Allowance, Rs.20,000/- per month as Office
Expenses which include Rs. 4,000/- for stationary, Rs. 2000/- for franking letters and
Rs. 14,000/- for a Personal Assistant. A member also gets daily allowance of Rs. 1,000
for the period of residence on duty. Daily allowance will be paid only when he/she signs
the register maintained for the purpose.
Question 85. Are Members of Parliament entitled to any pension?
Answer. Every person who has served as a member of the Provisional Parliament or either House
of Parliament for any period is entitled to a pension of Rs.8000/- per month w.e.f. 15
September 2006. Where any person has served for a period exceeding five years,
he/she shall be paid an additional pension of Rs.800/- per month for every year in
excess of five years. For the purpose of calculation of years for determination of
additional pension, the period of nine months or more is treated as one complete year.
Cell on Parliamentary Forums
Question 86. What are Parliamentary Forums and what are their objectives?
Answer. The Parliamentary Forums have been constituted with the objective of equipping members
with information and knowledge on specific issues of national concern and in assisting
them to adopt a result-oriented approach towards related issues. These Forums provide
a platform to members to have interaction with the Ministers concerned, experts and
key officials from the nodal Ministries with a view to have a focused discussion on
critical issues facing the country so as to enable them to effectively raise these issues
on the floor of the House and in the meetings of the Departmentally Related Standing
Committees.
Question 87. When were the Parliamentary Forums constituted?
Answer. The first Parliamentary Forum on Water Conservation and Management was constituted
by the Hon'ble Speaker, Lok Sabha, on 12 August, 2005. Subsequently, the following
four Parliamentary Forums were constituted on the dates shown below:-
(i) Parliamentary Forum on Youth 20 February, 2006
(ii) Parliamentary Forum on Children 2 March, 2006
(iii) Parliamentary Forum on Population 26 July, 2006
and Public Health
(iv) Parliamentary Forum on Global 14 July, 2008
Warming and Climate Change
During the 15
th
Lok Sabha, the Hon'ble Speaker, Lok Sabha has re-constituted all the
above five Parliamentary Forums on 21 January, 2010.
Question 88. What is the composition of the Parliamentary Forums?
Answer. The Hon'ble Speaker, Lok Sabha is the President of all the Forums except the
Parliamentary Forum on Population and Public Health wherein the Hon'ble Chairman,
Rajya Sabha is the President and Hon'ble Speaker, Lok Sabha is the Co-President.
Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha; Deputy Speaker, Lok Sabha; the concerned Ministers
and Chairmen of Departmentally Related Standing Committees are the ex-officio Vice-
Presidents of the respective Forums.
Each Forum consists of 31 Members (excluding the President and the ex-officio Vice-
Presidents) out of whom not more than 21 are from Lok Sabha and not more than 10 are
from Rajya Sabha. Members, other than the President and Vice-Presidents, are
nominated by the Hon'ble Speaker, Lok Sabha and the Hon'ble Chairman, Rajya Sabha,
as the case may be, from amongst the Leaders of Parties and Groups, or their nominees
who have special knowledge/keen interest in the subject.
Secretary-General, Lok Sabha is the Secretary to the Forums.
Question 89. What is the term of the members of the Parliamentary Forums?
Answer. The term of the office of members of the Forums is co-terminus with their membership in
the respective Houses.
A Member may resign from the Forum by writing under his/her hand, addressed to the
Hon'ble Chairman, Rajya Sabha or the Hon'ble Speaker, Lok Sabha, as the case may be.
Question 90. Who conducts the meetings of the Forums?
Answer. The President of the Forum appoints a Member-Convener for each Forum to conduct
regular, approved Programmes/Meetings of the Forum in consultation with the President.
Question 91. How often do the Forums meet?
Answer. The meetings of the Forums are held from time to time, as may be necessary, during
Parliament Sessions.
Contacting Lok Sabha
Question 92. Where do I get more information on members of Lok Sabha?
Answer. The Lok Sabha Web Site (http://loksabha.nic.in) has a section on members which gives
information about its members.
Question 93. How can I get in touch with a member of Lok Sabha?
Answer. Members can be contacted through E-mail. Permanent and Local addresses of members
of Lok Sabha are also available at the Lok Sabha Web Site (http://loksabha.nic.in).
Question 94. Where do I get information on the Sessions of Lok Sabha?
Answer. The Lok Sabha Web Site (http://loksabha.nic.in) has a section on Legislation which
contains information on the Sessions of the Lok Sabha.
Question 95. Who maintains the Lok Sabha website and how do I send a feedback?
Answer. The Lok Sabha Web Site is maintained by the Computer (HW&SW) Management Branch
of the Lok Sabha Secretariat. The E-mail address for feed back is
computercentrelss@sansad.nic.in
[1] Period of Election indicates the first and the last day of the poll of the election

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT RAJYA SABHA
History of Rajya Sabha
When was the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) first constituted?
Ans: On 3 April 1952.
When did the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) meet for the first time?
Ans: On 13 May 1952.
When was the Council of States named as Rajya Sabha in Hindi?
Ans: On 23 August 1954. The Chairman, Rajya Sabha made an announcement in the House that the Council of States
would now be called Rajya Sabha in Hindi.
Who was the first Chairman of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Dr. S. Radhakrishnan.
Who are the Chairman of Rajya Sabha who have held office consecutively for two terms?
Ans: Dr. S. Radhakrishnan was the first Chairman of Rajya Sabha for two consecutive terms (13.5.1952 to 12.5.1962).
The current Chairman, Shri Mohammad Hamid Ansari is also continuing as the Vice-President of India for a second
term (11.08.2007 to 10.08.2012 and again from 11.08.2012 till date).
Who was the first Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Shri S.V.Krishnamoorthy Rao (31.5.1952 - 2.4.1956 & 25.4.1956 - 1.3.1962).
Composition of Rajya Sabha
What is the maximum strength of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Two hundred and fifty (250), of which 238 are to be elected and 12 are to be
nominated by the President of India.
What is the actual strength of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Two hundred and forty five (245), of which 233 are elected and 12 are nominated.
How many members does each state have in Rajya Sabha?
Ans: The allocation of seats in Rajya Sabha to the States is based on population. It is given in the Fourth Schedule to
the Constitution, which is as follows:
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States No. of seats
Andhra Pradesh 18
Arunachal Pradesh 1
Assam 7
Bihar 16
Chhattisgarh 5
Currently how many members are elected from Union territories?
Ans: In total four members are elected from the Union territories (3 from Delhi and 1 from Puducherry). However,
currently one seat from Delhi and one from Puducherry is vacant. Other Union territories are not represented in Rajya
Sabha.
Why is Rajya Sabha called a permanent body?
Ans: Rajya Sabha is not subject to dissolution; as nearly as possible, one-third of its members retire every second
year.
What is the term of a member of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: It is six years; but a member elected in a bye-election serves for the remainder of the term of the vacancy
caused.
What is the quorum to constitute a meeting of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: It is one-tenth of the total members of the House, i.e., 25 members.
Which is the party will maximum members in the House?
Ans: Indian National Congress.
Officers of Rajya Sabha
Who acts as the Chairman, Rajya Sabha?
Ans: The Vice-President is the ex officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha.
How is the Vice-President of India elected?
Ans: The Vice-President is elected by the members of an electoral college consisting of the members of both Houses
Goa 1
Gujarat 11
Haryana 5
Himachal Pradesh 3
Jammu and Kashmir 4
Jharkhand 6
Karnataka 12
Kerala 9
Madhya Pradesh 11
Maharashtra 19
Manipur 1
Meghalaya 1
Mizoram 1
Nagaland 1
National Capital Territory of Delhi 3
Odisha 10
Puducherry 1
Punjab 7
Rajasthan 10
Sikkim 1
Tamil Nadu 18
Tripura 1
Uttarakhand 3
Uttar Pradesh 31
West Bengal 16
of Parliament in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.
What is the term of office of Vice-President of India?
Ans: The Vice-President holds office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office.
Currently who is the Chairman of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Shri Mohammad Hamid Ansari
How is the Deputy Chairman elected?
Ans: The Deputy Chairman is elected by the members of Rajya Sabha from amongst its members.
What are the responsibilities of the Deputy Chairman?
Ans: While the office of Chairman is vacant, or during any period when the Vice-President is acting as, or discharging
the functions of the President, the duties of the office of the Chairman are performed by the Deputy Chairman.
Currently who is the Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Prof. P. J. Kurien
who presides over the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha in the absence of both the Chairman and the
Deputy Chairman?
Ans: Under Rule 8 of the of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha),the Chairman,
Rajya Sabha nominates six members on the panel of Vice-Chairmen, one of whom presides over the House in the
absence of both the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman. When neither the Chairman nor the Deputy Chairman and
none of the Vice Chairmen is present to preside, the House may decide about any other member present to preside.
Currently who is the Leader of the House?
Ans: Dr. Manmohan Singh
What are the responsibilities of the Leader of the House?
Ans: Leader of the House plays an important role in drawing up the programme of official business in the House.
Normally, the Prime Minister nominates a Minister who is a member of the Rajya Sabha as Leader of the House, but if
the Prime Minister himself is a member of Rajya Sabha, he will act as the Leader of the House.
Currently who is the Leader of the Opposition?
Ans: Shri Arun Jaitley.
Currently who is the Secretary-General of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Shri Shumsher K. Sheriff
How is the Secretary-General appointed?
Ans: The Secretary-General is appointed by the Chairman, Rajya Sabha and holds a rank equivalent to the Cabinet
Secretary, the highest civil servant of the Union Government.
What is the role of the Secretary-General?
Ans: He assists the Presiding Officers in conducting the proceedings of the House by giving them advice and expert
opinion. He does not participate in the debate except for reporting messages from the Lok Sabha about Bills or any
other matter. All notices under the rules are addressed to him. He is the custodian of the records of the House. He
prepares full report of the proceedings of the House and also issues the List of Business for the day. He is the
administrative head of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat.
Members of Rajya Sabha
How are members of Rajya Sabha elected?
Ans: Members of Rajya Sabha are elected by the elected members of the Assemblies of States and Union territories in
accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.
What are the requirements to become a member of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: He should be a citizen of India above 30 years of age and possessing such other qualifications as may be
prescribed by law of Parliament.
Should a Member be a domicile of the State from which he is elected to Rajya Sabha?
Ans: No. It is no longer essential. He has to be an elector in a parliamentary constituency anywhere in India.
Are there nominated members in Rajya Sabha ?
Ans: Yes, there are twelve members nominated by the President of India from amongst persons having special
knowledge or practical experience in literature, science, art and social service.
Do the nominated members vote in the election of the Vice-President and the President?
Ans: While the nominated members of Rajya Sabha have a right to vote in the election of the Vice-President of India,
they are not entitled to vote in the election of the President of India.
Who was the first woman nominated member of the Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale (1952-56 and 1956-62).
Who are the current nominated members in Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Seven(7). Prof. M.S Swaminathan,Shri H.K. Dua,Dr. Ashok S.Ganguly,Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar,Shri Javed
Akhtar,Smt. B.Jayashree and Dr. Bhalchandra Mungekar.
Currently how many members of Rajya Sabha are there in the Council of Ministers?
Ans: Twelve (12). They are Dr. Manmohan Singh,Shri Anand Sharma, Shri A.K. Antony, Smt. Ambika Soni, Shri G.K.
Vasan, Shri Gulam Nabi Azad, Shri Jairam Ramesh, Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan, Shri S.M. Krishna, Shri Vayalar Ravi, Shri
Ashwani Kumar and Shri Rajeev Shukla.
Can a Minister who is a Member of Lok Sabha participate in the proceedings of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: A Minister who is a Member of Lok Sabha has the right to speak in and otherwise to take part in the proceedings
of Rajya Sabha but has no right to vote in Rajya Sabha and vice versa.
Currently how many women members are there in Rajya Sabha and what is their percentage?
Ans: Twenty Six (26), 10.6%
Who is currently the youngest member in Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Shri Dilip Kumar Tirkey
Who is currently the oldest member in Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Shri Rishang Keishing.
Who is currently the longest serving member in Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Dr. Najma A. Heptulla
Among the current members of Rajya Sabha, who has the longest legislative experience?
Ans: Shri Rishang Keishing.
Who decides if the member is disqualified from being a member of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: If any question arises as to whether a member of the House has become subject to disqualification under article
102 (1), the question is referred for the decision of the President and his decision is final. Before giving any decision on
any such question, the President obtains the opinion of the Election Commission of India and acts according to such
opinion. If under article 102 (2) any question arises as to whether a member of the House has become subject to
disqualification under the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution, the question is referred to the Chairman, Rajya Sabha
and his decision is final.
Role and functions
What are the special powers of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Rajya Sabha being a federal chamber - representing States/Union territories, enjoys certain special powers:
I. to empower Parliament to make laws in respect of any matter enumerated in the State List in the national
interest by adopting a resolution to this effect (article 249),
II. creation of All India Services (article 312) and
III. approving Proclamations (issued under article 352 or article 356 or article 360) if the Lok Sabha stand dissolved
or the dissolution of the Lok Sabha takes place within the period allowed for the approval of the Proclamation by
Parliament.
What is the legislative relationship between Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha?
Ans: In legislative matters, Rajya Sabha enjoys almost equal powers with Lok Sabha, except in the case of Money Bills
where the latter has overriding powers. Such Bills cannot be introduced in Rajya Sabha and are deemed to have been
passed if these are not returned to Lok Sabha within fourteen days.
Is any deadlock between the two Houses possible?
Ans: Yes. In the case of Bills, a disagreement between the two Houses may arise when a Bill passed by one House is
rejected by the other House; or the Houses have finally disagreed as to the amendments to be made in the Bill; or
more than six months lapse from the date of the reception of the Bill by the other House without the Bill being passed
by it.
What is the mechanism for resolving the deadlock between the two Houses?
Ans: A joint sitting of the Houses is convened for this purpose. In the case of Money Bills, there is no question of a
deadlock as the Rajya Sabha has a limited say in such matters. There is no provision for a joint sitting in case of a
deadlock over a Constitution Amendment Bill.
How many joint sittings of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have been convened so far?
Ans: In the history of Parliament of India, there have been three occasions when both Houses of Parliament held a
joint sitting to resolve deadlock on Bills between them, i.e.,
I. 6 and 9 May 1961 on the Dowry Prohibition Bill, 1959;
II. 17 May 1978 on the Banking Service Commission (Repeal) Bill, 1977; and
III. 26 March 2002 on the Prevention of Terrorism Bill, 2002.
What are the powers of the Rajya Sabha with respect to the Money Bill?
Ans: A Money Bill is introduced only in Lok Sabha and after it is passed by that House, it is transmitted to Rajya Sabha
for its concurrence or recommendation. Rajya Sabha has to return the Money Bill to Lok Sabha within a period of
fourteen days from its receipt. Rajya Sabha cannot amend the Money Bill directly; it can only recommend amendments
to the Bill. Lok Sabha may either accept or reject all or any of the recommendations made by the Rajya Sabha. If Lok
Sabha accepts any of the recommendations made by Rajya Sabha, the Bill is deemed to have been passed by both the
Houses with the amendments so recommended and accepted. If, however, Lok Sabha does not accept any of the
recommendations of Rajya Sabha, the Money Bill is deemed to have been passed by both Houses of Parliament in the
form in which it was passed by Lok Sabha without any of the amendments recommended by Rajya Sabha.
Committees
What are the different categories of Parliamentary Committees of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Parliamentary Committees of the Rajya Sabha may be categorized as ad hoc Committees and Standing
Committees.
What are ad hoc Committees?
Ans: Ad hoc Committees are those Committees which may be constituted by the House or by the Chairman or by the
Presiding Officers of both Houses jointly to consider and report on specific matters. Such Committees become functus
officio as soon as they complete their work. These Committees may be divided into two categories:
I. Select/Joint Committees on Bills constituted by the House(s) on specific motion to consider and report on Bills;
and
II. Committees which are constituted from time to time to enquire into and report on specific subjects.
What are Standing Committees?
Ans: Standing Committees are permanent Committees whose members are either elected by the House or nominated
by the Chairman every year or from time to time. These are: Business Advisory Committee, General Purposes
Committee, Committee on Government assurances, House Committee, Committee on Petitions, Committee on
Subordinate Legislation, Committee on Papers Laid on the Table, Committee of Privileges, Committee on Rules,
Committee on Ethics, Committee on Provision of Computers to Members of Rajya Sabha, Committee on Member of
Parliament Local Area Development Scheme and the Department-related Standing Committees.
What are Department-related Standing Committees?
Ans: DRSCs were set up in 1993 to scrutinize the functioning of the various Ministries/ Departments of the Union
Government assigned to them in order to further strengthen the accountability of the Government to Parliament.
How many DRSCs have been Constituted?
Ans: Twenty-four DRSCs have been constituted consisting of not more than thirty-one members, out of which twenty-
one members are nominated by the Speaker, Lok Sabha and ten members are nominated by the Chairman, Rajya
Sabha.
What are the main functions of the DRSCs?
Ans: These Committees are entrusted with the following functions
I. to consider the Demands for Grants of the related Ministries/ Departments and report thereon;
II. to examine Bills, pertaining to the related Ministries/Departments, referred to the Committee and report
thereon;
III. to consider the annual reports of the Ministries/ Departments and report thereon; and
IV. to consider national basic long term policy documents and report thereon.
How many DRSCs are there under the jurisdiction of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha?
Ans: Eight DRSCs function under the control and direction of the Chairman, Rajya Sabha, while sixteen such
Committees function under the control and direction of the Speaker, Lok Sabha.
Which are the DRSCs under Rajya Sabha and the Ministries/ Departments under their purview?
Ans: Details of the Committees and the Ministries/Departments under them are given as under:
Sl. No. Name of the Committee Ministries/ Departments
1 Committee on Commerce Commerce and Industry
2 Committee on Home Affairs I. Home Affairs
II. Development of North-Eastern Region
3 Committee on Human Resource Development I. Human Resource Development
II. Youth Affairs and Sports
III. Women and Child Development
4 Committee on Industry I. Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
II. Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME)
5 Committee on Science & Technology,
Environment & Forests
I. Science and Technology
II. Space
III. Ocean Development
IV. Atomic Energy
V. Environment and Forests
VI. Earth Sciences
6 Committee on Transport, Tourism & Culture I. Civil Aviation
What are the details regarding Chairmanship of the Committees of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: The Chairman, Rajya Sabha is the Chairman of the Business Advisory Committee, General Purposes Committee
and Committee on Rules. The Deputy Chairman is the Chairman of the Committee of Privileges. In the case of
other Standing Committees, namely, Committee on Petitions, Committee on Government Assurances, Committee on
Subordinate Legislation, Committee on Papers Laid on the Table and the House Committee, the Chairmanship is shared
between the ruling and the opposition parties in proportion to their numerical strength in the House. The Chairman of
the Rajya Sabha appoints Chairman of Committees in consultation with the leaders of parties/groups concerned. The
Chairmanship of Committees allotted to the opposition parties may rotate amongst themselves.
What are the functions of the Committee on Ethics?
Ans: Under Rule 290 of the Rule of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States, the Committee on
Ethics has the following functions:
(i) to oversee the moral and ethical conduct of members:
(ii) to prepare a Code of Conduct for members and to suggest amendments or additions to the Code from time to time
in the form of reports to the Council;
(iii) to examine cases concerning the alleged breach of the Code of Conduct by members as also cases concerning
allegations of any other ethical misconduct of members; and
(iv) to tender advice to members from time to time on questions involving ethical standards either suo motu or on
receiving specific requests.
What sanctions the Committee on Ethics can impose on proved unethical behavior or misconduct of a
member?
Ans: The Committee may recommend imposition of one or more of the following sanctions, viz.
I. censure;
II. reprimand;
III. suspension from the Council for a specific period; and
IV. any other sanction determined by the Committee to be appropriate.
What is the Code of Conduct for Members enumerated by the Committee on Ethics adopted by the Rajya
Sabha?
Ans: Yes. The Code of Conduct is as follows:
The Members of Rajya Sabha should acknowledge their responsibility to maintain the public trust reposed in them and
should work diligently to discharge their mandate for common good of the people. They must hold in high esteem the
Constitution, the Law, Parliamentary Institutions and above all the general public. They should constantly strive to
translate the ideals laid down in the Preamble to the Constitution into a reality. The following are the principles which
they should abide by in their dealings:
I. Members must not do anything that brings disrepute to the Parliament and affects their credibility.
II. Members must utilise their position as Members of Parliament to advance general well-being of the people.
III. In their dealing if Members find that there is a conflict between their personal interests and the public trust which
they hold, they should resolve such a conflict in a manner that their private interests are subordinated to the
duty of their public office.
IV. Members should always see that their private financial interests and those of the members of their immediate
family do not come in conflict with the public interest and if any such conflict ever arises, they should try to
resolve such a conflict in a manner that the public interest is not jeopardised.
V. Members should never expect or accept any fee, remuneration or benefit for a vote given by them on the floor
of the House, for introducing a Bill, for moving a resolution or desisting from moving a resolution, putting a
question or abstaining from asking a question or participating in the deliberations of the House or a
Parliamentary Committee.
VI. Members should not take a gift which may interfere with honest and impartial discharge of their official duties.
They may, however, accept incidental gifts or inexpensive mementoes and customary hospitality.
VII. Member holding public offices should use public resources in such a manner as may lead to public good.
VIII. If Members are in possession of a confidential information owing to their being Members of Parliament or
Members of Parliamentary Committees, they should not disclose such information for advancing their personal
II. Shipping, Road Transport and Highways
III. Tourism and Culture
7 Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances,
Law & Justice
I. Law and Justice
II. Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
8 Committee on Health and Family Welfare Health and Family Welfare
interests.
IX. Members should desist from giving certificates to individuals and institutions of which they have no personal
knowledge and are not based on facts.
X. Members should not lend ready support to any cause of which they have no or little knowledge.
XI. Members should not misuse the facilities and amenities made available to them.
XII. Members should not be disrespectful to any religion and work for the promotion of secular values.
XIII. Members should keep uppermost in their mind the Fundamental Duties listed in Part IVA of the Constitution.
XIV. Members are expected to maintain high standards of morality, dignity, decency and values in public life.
In pursuance of the Rajya Sabha (Declaration of Assets and Liabilities) Rules, 2004 what information is
required to be furnished by Members to the Chairman, Rajya Sabha?
Ans: Under Rule 3 of the Members of the Rajya Sabha (Declaration of Assets and Liabilities) Rules, 2004, every elected
member of Rajya Sabha is required to furnish the following information to the Chairman, Rajya Sabha within 90 days
from the date of his taking oath/affirmation
I. the movable and immovable property of which he, his spouse and his dependent children are jointly or severally
owners or beneficiaries;
II. his liabilities to any public financial institution; and
III. his liabilities to the Central Government or to the State Governments

What are the pecuniary interests and the ingredients thereof, identified by the Committee on Ethics, in
respect of which information is to be furnished by Members?
Ans: The Committee on Ethics has identified the following five pecuniary interests and the ingredients thereof, in
respect of which information is to be furnished by Members for registration in the Register of Members Interests
under sub-rule (1) of Rule 293 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States:-
Whether pecuniary interests of Members outside the country come under its purview?
Ans: Yes. Under the said Rule, information that Members furnish has to be in respect of their pecuniary interests,
whether held within the country or outside.
Legislation
What is a Bill?
I
Remunerative Directorship
Name and address of the company
Nature of company business
Salary/fees/allowance/benefits or
any other receipts which are taxable (per annum)
II
Regular Remunerated Activity
Name and address of the Establishment
Nature of business
Position held
Amount of remuneration received (per annum)
III
Shareholding of Controlling Nature
Name and address of the company
Nature of business of the company
Percentage of shares held
IV
Paid Consultancy
Name of consultancy
Business activity of the organisation
Where engaged as Consultant
Total value of benefits derived from the Consultancy
V
Professional Engagement
Description
Fee/Remuneration earned therefrom (per annum)
Ans: A Bill is a legislative proposal brought before the House for its approval.
What are the types of Bills?
Ans: The Bills initiated by Ministers are called Government Bills and those introduced by Members who are not
Ministers, are known as Private Members Bills. Depending on their contents, Bills may further be classified broadly into
I. original Bills which embody new proposals,
II. amending Bills which seek to amend existing Acts,
III. consolidating Bills which seek to consolidate existing law on a particular subject,
IV. Expiring Laws (Continuance) Bills which, otherwise, would expire on a specified date,
V. repealing Bills,
VI. Bills to replace Ordinances,
VII. Money and financial Bills and
VIII. Constitution Amendment Bills.
What is the difference between a Bill and an Act?
Ans: A Bill passed by both Houses of Parliament becomes an Act only after it has been assented to by the President.
What are the steps involved in the passage of a Bill?
Ans: A Bill while being considered has to undergo three stages in each House of Parliament. The first stage is the
Introduction, which is done on a motion moved by either a Minister or a Member.
During the second stage any of the following motions can be moved: that the Bill be taken into consideration; or that it
be referred to a Select Committee of Rajya Sabha; or that it be referred to a Joint Committee of the two Houses; or
that it be circulated for the purpose of eliciting opinion thereon. Thereafter, the Bill is taken up for the clause-by-clause
consideration as introduced or as reported by the Select/Joint Committee.
The third stage is confined to the discussion on the motion that the Bill be passed and the Bill is passed/rejected either
by voting or voice vote (or returned to Lok Sabha, in the case of a Money Bill).
Does the Chairman have a right to cast a vote?
Ans: The Chairman has a casting vote in the case of an equality of votes.
What are the methods of voting in Rajya Sabha?
Ans: In Rajya Sabha, generally four methods of voting are adopted: Voice vote, Counting, Division by automatic vote
recorder and Division by going into the Lobbies
What are the effects of dissolution of Lok Sabha on the Business of Rajya Sabha?
Ans:
I. Bills originating in Rajya Sabha which are still pending in that House do not lapse on the dissolution of Lok
Sabha.
II. Bills originating in Rajya Sabha which having been passed by the House and transmitted to Lok Sabha and
pending there lapse on the dissolution of Lok Sabha.
III. Bills originating in Lok Sabha which having been passed by that House and transmitted to Rajya Sabha and still
pending there on the date of dissolution of Lok Sabha, lapse.
IV. Bills originating in Rajya Sabha and returned to that House by Lok Sabha with amendments and still pending
there on the date of its dissolution, lapse.
V. A Bill upon which the Houses have disagreed and the President has notified his intention to summon a Joint
Sitting of the Houses to consider the Bill prior to dissolution does not lapse on dissolution of Lok Sabha.
VI. A Bill passed by the two Houses of Parliament and sent to the President for assent does not lapse on the
dissolution of Lok Sabha.
VII. A Bill returned by the President to Rajya Sabha for reconsideration of the Houses does not lapse if the
dissolution of Lok Sabha takes place without the Houses having considered the Bill
Procedure for raising Matters of Public Interest
What is Calling Attention?
Ans: Rule 180 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Rajya Sabha provides that a Member may with the
previous permission of the Chairman call the attention of a Minister to any matter of urgent public importance and the
Minister may make a brief statement or ask for time to make a statement at a later hour or date. The Calling Attention
is an Indian innovation in the parliamentary procedure.
What is Special Mention?
Ans: Under Rules 180A - 180E, a Member may mention a matter of public importance in the House; he has to give a
notice in writing along with the text of the matter to be raised not exceeding 250 words. No member is permitted to
make more than one Special Mention during a week.
What is a Motion?
Ans: Rules 167-174 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Rajya Sabha provide that no discussion on a
matter of general public interest shall take place except on a motion made with the consent of the Chairman.
The term motion in parliamentary parlance means any proposal made for the purpose of eliciting a decision of the
House. It is phrased in such a way that, if passed, it will purport to express the will of the House.
What are the types of Motion?
Ans: Motions may be classified as Substantive or Subsidiary. A substantive motion is a self-contained proposal made in
reference to a subject which the mover wishes to bring forward. A subsidiary motion as its name suggests, relates to a
substantive motion.
What is No-Day-Yet-Named-Motion?
Ans: If the Chairman admits notice of a motion and no date is fixed for the discussion on such a motion, it is
immediately notified in the Bulletin Pt. II under the headingNo-Day-Yet-Named-Motion Date and time is allotted for
discussion on such motions by the Chairman, in consultation with the Leader of the House after taking into
consideration the state of business before the House.
What is a Resolution?
Ans: The House declares its own opinions and purposes by its resolutions. Every question, when agreed to, by the
House, assumes the form of either a resolution or an order.
Resolutions may be categorized as: Private Members Resolutions (which are moved by a member not a Minister);
Government Resolutions (which are moved by Ministers); and Statutory Resolutions (which are moved in pursuance of
a provision contained in the Constitution or an Act of Parliament).
What is the President's Address?
Ans: The President of India addresses both Houses of Parliament assembled together at the commencement of the first
session after a new Lok Sabha has been constituted and also at the commencement of first session each year. The
matters referred to in the Presidents Address to the Houses are discussed on a Motion of Thanks moved by a Member
and seconded by another Member.
What is point of order?
Ans: A Point of Order is a point relating to the interpretation or enforcement of the Rules of Procedure or such articles
of the Constitution as regulate the business of the House and submitted to the decision of the Chair. Rule 258 of the
Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Rajya Sabha makes a provision to enable a member to raise a point of
order. Any member may at any time submit a point of order for the decision of the Chairman, but in doing so, shall
confine himself to stating the point. The Chairman shall decide all points of order which may arise, and his decision
shall be final.
What is Dilatory Motion?
Ans: Rule 230 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Rajya Sabha explains Dilatory motion. At any time
after a motion has been made, a member may move that the debate on the motion be adjourned. If the Chairman is
of opinion that a motion for the adjournment of a debate is an abuse of the rules of the Council, he may either
forthwith put the question thereon from the Chair or decline to propose the question.
What is a Short Duration Discussion?
Ans: Rules 176-179 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Rajya Sabha explains about the short
duration discussion. If the Chairman is satisfied, after calling for such information from the member who has given
notice and from the Minister as he may consider necessary, that the matter is urgent and is of sufficient public
importance to be raised in the Council at an early date, he may admit the notice and in consultation with the Leader of
the Council fix the date on which such matter may be taken up for discussion and allow such time for discussion, not
exceeding two and a half hours, as he may consider appropriate in the circumstances.
How does a member ask a question in Rajya Sabha?
Ans: He has to give a notice about it on a prescribed form at least 15 days before he wants to ask question.
What are starred and unstarred questions?
Ans: A question for which an oral answer is desired by a member is distinguished by an asterisk and is called a starred
question. A question without an asterisk is called unstarred and is admitted for written answers.
Who decides the admissibility of questions?
Ans: The Chairman, Rajya Sabha decides whether a question or a part thereof is or is not admissible. He may disallow
any question or a part thereof when, in his opinion, it is an abuse of the right of questioning or calculated to obstruct or
prejudicially affect the procedure of the House or is in contravention of the rules under the Rules of Procedure and
Conduct of Business of the Council of States(Rajya Sabha). The Chairman may direct that a question be placed on the
list of questions for answers, on a date later than that specified by a member in his notice, if he is of the opinion that a
longer period is necessary to decide whether the question is or is not admissible.
What is the total limit of questions admitted for a particular day?
Ans: The total number of questions to be admitted for any one day shall be limited to 175, of which 20 would be for
oral answers and 155 for written answers.
Parliamentary Privileges
What are parliamentary privileges?
Ans: Each House of Parliament collectively and the Members individually, enjoy certain powers and privileges without
which they may not be able to discharge their functions, efficiently and effectively. Article 105 of the Constitution deals
with such powers, privileges and immunities of Members of Parliament.
Are the parliamentary privileges codified in India?
Ans: No law so far has been enacted by Parliament (and State Legislatures) to define the powers, privileges and
immunities available to each House, its Members and Committees thereof.
What is the difference between the Breach of Privilege and Contempt of the House?
Ans: When any of the privileges either of the Members individually or of the House in its collective capacity are
disregarded or attacked by any individual or authority, the offence is called a breach of privilege.
Any obstruction or impediment put before Houses or its Members in due discharge of their duties, or which have a
tendency of producing such result, may amount to contempt of the House.
What is the procedure regarding a question of privilege?
Ans: The procedure for dealing with a question of privilege is laid down in Rule 187 203 of the Rules of Procedure and
Conduct of Business in Rajya Sabha. A question of privilege may either be considered and decided by the House itself
or it may be referred to the Committee of Privileges by the Chairman for examination, investigation and report.
Media and Rajya Sabha
Are the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha televised?
Ans: Yes. An exclusive satellite channel of Doordarshan, namely, DD Rajya Sabha on National Network of Doordarshan
was launched on 14 December 2004 which telecasts the live proceedings of the House.
Right to Information and Rajya Sabha Secretariat
Whether the functioning of Rajya Sabha Secretariat comes under the purview of the Right to Information
Act, 2005?
Ans: Yes, functioning of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat comes under the purview of the Right to Information Act, 2005.
To facilitate the supply of information to anyone desirous of getting it, the Chairman, Rajya Sabha has made rules for
the Secretariat as per Section 28 of the Act.
Who are the persons to be contacted and what are their details?
Ans: Contact Persons in this regard are as follows:-
Shri Deepak Goyal
Director (Central Public Information Officer of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat)
201, Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi-110001
Tel. No. 011-23034201
Shri Mahesh Chandra Tiwari
Joint Director (Central Assistant Public Information Officer)
528A , Parliament House Annexe, New Delhi-110001
Tel. No. 011-23034353
Shri N.C. Joshi
Secretary (Appellate Authority in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat)
34, Parliament House, New Delhi-110001
Tel. No. 011-23034604
23011328 (telefax)
Parliamentary Forums
What is a Parliamentary Forum? At present, how many such forums are there?
Ans: A Parliamentary Forum is a group of Members of Parliament who are nominated by the Speaker, Lok Sabha and
the Chairman, Rajya Sabha, as the case may be, from amongst the Leaders of various Political Parties/Groups or their
nominees who have special knowledge/keen interest in the subject. Each Forum consists of not more than 31 Members
(excluding the President and ex officio Vice-Presidents) out of whom not more than 21 are from Lok Sabha and not
more than 10 are from Rajya Sabha
There are at present five Parliamentary Fora, viz.
I. Parliamentary Forum on Water Conservation and Management;
II. Parliamentary Forum on Children;
III. Parliamentary Forum on Youth;
IV. Parliamentary Forum on Population and Public Health; and
V. Parliamentary Forum on Global Warming and Climate Change.
How are the forums distinct from the Parliamentary Committees?
Ans: Unlike the Department-related Committees which are governed by the Rules of Procedure, these forums are
governed by a separate set of guidelines issued by the Speaker, Lok Sabha in consultation with the Chairman, Rajya
Sabha.
Contacting Rajya Sabha
Where do I get more information on members of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: The Rajya Sabha Website: http://rajyasabha.nic.in has a section on members which has a search form for
getting information on members.
How can I get in touch with a member of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: The Rajya Sabha Website: http://rajyasabha.nic.in gives a list of Addresses and E-mail of members of Rajya
Sabha.
Where do I get information regarding the sessions of Rajya Sabha?
Ans: The Rajya Sabha Website: http://rajyasabha.nic.in has a section on Legislation which contains the Sessional
Information.
Whether the Rajya Sabha website is available in Hindi?
Ans: Yes. Its address is http://rajyasabhahindi.nic.in/rshindi/hindipage.asp
Who maintains the Rajya Sabha Website and how do I send a feedback?
Ans: The Rajya Sabha Website is designed and maintained by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), Parliament
Informatics Division for the Rajya Sabha Secretariat. The Website has a facility for sending feedback regarding the
Website.
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