ConstitutionParliament: the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha
The two houses of Parliament, their members, sessions and officers, and how a bill becomes a law.
Parliament is the supreme law-making body of the Union. Under Article 79 it consists of the President and two houses: the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of the People). The President is not a member of either house but is a part of Parliament, because no bill can become law without the President's assent.
The two houses compared
| Lok Sabha | Rajya Sabha | |
|---|---|---|
| Also called | House of the People, lower house | Council of States, upper house |
| Members | Elected directly by the people from territorial constituencies; 543 elected seats at present | Up to 250: 238 elected by the elected members of state and union territory assemblies, and 12 nominated by the President; 245 at present |
| Minimum age | 25 years | 30 years |
| Term | Five years, unless dissolved earlier | A permanent house, never dissolved; members serve six years and one-third retire every two years |
| Presiding officer | Speaker, elected by the house from among its members | Chairman, who is the Vice-President of India |
The 12 nominated members of the Rajya Sabha are persons with special knowledge or experience in literature, science, art and social service.
Sessions
The President summons each house. Under Article 85, the gap between two sessions cannot be more than six months, so Parliament meets at least twice a year; in practice there are three sessions: Budget, Monsoon and Winter. The quorum, the minimum number needed to hold a sitting, is one-tenth of the total membership of the house.
What Parliament does
- Makes laws on subjects in the Union List and the Concurrent List.
- Controls the executive: through question hour, debates, motions and, in the Lok Sabha, the vote of no confidence.
- Controls the purse: no tax can be collected and no money spent without its approval. It passes the annual budget.
- Amends the Constitution under Article 368.
- Elects the President and Vice-President along with the state assemblies, and can remove the President, judges and other high officers.
How a bill becomes a law
A proposal for a law is called a bill. An ordinary bill can be introduced in either house.
- First reading: the bill is introduced and published.
- Second reading: its principles are debated, it may be sent to a committee, and it is then discussed clause by clause, with amendments.
- Third reading: the house votes on the bill as a whole.
- The other house takes it through the same stages.
- Assent: when both houses have passed it, the bill goes to the President (Article 111). The President may give assent, withhold it, or return the bill once for reconsideration. If the houses pass it again, the President must give assent. The bill then becomes an Act.
If the two houses cannot agree on an ordinary bill, the President can call a joint sitting (Article 108), presided over by the Speaker, where the matter is decided by a majority of the members present.
Money bills
A money bill (Article 110) deals only with matters such as taxes, government borrowing and spending from the Consolidated Fund. The Speaker's certificate that a bill is a money bill is final. It can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha, on the recommendation of the President. The Rajya Sabha cannot reject or amend it. It can only make recommendations, and it must return the bill within 14 days. There is no joint sitting on a money bill. In matters of money, therefore, the Lok Sabha is clearly the more powerful house.
The budget
Each year the government lays before Parliament the annual financial statement (Article 112), popularly called the budget, showing its estimated receipts and expenditure. Money can be drawn from the Consolidated Fund of India only under an Appropriation Act passed by Parliament (Article 114).
Special powers of the Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha represents the states. By a resolution passed by a two-thirds majority, it can enable Parliament to make laws on a State List subject in the national interest (Article 249) and to create new All India Services (Article 312).
Key articles on this page
| Article | What it says, in short |
|---|---|
| 79 | Constitution of Parliament: the President and two houses. |
| 80 | Composition of the Rajya Sabha. |
| 81 | Composition of the Lok Sabha. |
| 83 | Duration of the houses of Parliament. |
| 84 | Qualifications for membership of Parliament. |
| 85 | Sessions of Parliament, prorogation and dissolution. |
| 89 | Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. |
| 93 | Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha. |
| 100 | Voting in the houses and quorum. |
| 105 | Powers and privileges of the houses and their members. |
| 108 | Joint sitting of both houses. |
| 109 | Special procedure for money bills. |
| 110 | Definition of a money bill. |
| 111 | Assent of the President to bills. |
| 112 | Annual financial statement (the budget). |
| 114 | Appropriation bills. |
| 120 | Language to be used in Parliament. |
Quick questions
Think of the answer first, then tap to check.
What does Parliament consist of?
The President, the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha (Article 79).
What is the minimum age for membership of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha?
25 years for the Lok Sabha and 30 years for the Rajya Sabha.
In which house can a money bill be introduced?
Only in the Lok Sabha.
Who presides over a joint sitting of the two houses?
The Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
Why is the Rajya Sabha called a permanent house?
It is never dissolved; one-third of its members retire every two years.
This page explains the Constitution in simple words for students and general readers. It is not the official text and is not legal advice. The official text is published by the Legislative Department, Government of India (legislative.gov.in). Last checked: 11 November 2026.