The Union Legislature The Union Parliament — Important Questions

97

The Union List contains 97 subjects on which only the Parliament can make laws. These include important subjects like Defence, Currency, Railways, Foreign Affairs, etc. The number 61 refers to subjects in the State List, and 47 refers to subjects in the Concurrent List. Understanding this distribution is crucial for federal relations in India.

1/10

The quorum for each House of Parliament is 1/10th of the total membership. For the Lok Sabha with 543 members, the quorum is 55 members. For the Rajya Sabha with 245 members, the quorum is 25 members. This ensures that parliamentary business can be conducted efficiently while maintaining democratic representation. Without a quorum, the House cannot transact any business.

Only in Lok Sabha

Money Bills can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha, not in the Rajya Sabha. This gives the Lok Sabha supremacy in financial matters. After the Lok Sabha passes a Money Bill, it goes to the Rajya Sabha, which can only delay it for 14 days and cannot make any amendments against the will of the Lok Sabha. This reflects the principle that the directly elected house should control public finances.

6 years

Members of the Rajya Sabha serve for a term of 6 years. However, the Rajya Sabha is a permanent house and never dissolves completely. One-third of its members retire every two years, ensuring continuity. This is different from the Lok Sabha, whose entire membership faces election every 5 years (unless dissolved earlier). The 6-year term provides stability to the upper house.