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[[File:Parliament of India in New Delhi 04.jpg|thumb|Sansad Bhavan]]
{{Short description|Bicameral national legislature of India}}
The '''Parliament of India''' is the supreme [[legislature|legislative body]] of the [[Republic of India]]. The Parliament is composed of the [[President of India]] and the houses. It is [[Bicameralism|bicameral]] with two houses: the [[Rajya Sabha]] (Council of States) and the [[Lok Sabha]] (House of the People).<ref>{{cite web|title=History of the Parliament of Delhi|url=http://delhiassembly.nic.in/history_assembly.htm|publisher=delhiassembly.nic.in|accessdate=13 December 2013}}</ref> The Rajya Sabha is also known as the Upper house and the Lok Sabha is known as the lower house.But this does not mean that Lok Sabha is less powerful than Rajya Sabha.In fact,the Lok Sabha is much more powerful than the Rajya Sabha.
{{Coord|28|37|2|N|77|12|29|E|display=title}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2019}}
{{Infobox legislature
| background_color = #0000FF
|name              = Parliament of India
|native_name = {{lang|hi-Latn|Bhāratīya Sansad}}
|coa_pic          = Emblem of India.svg
|coa_caption      = [[State Emblem of India|Emblem of India]]
|coa_res          = 125px
|coa_alt          = Emblem of India
|house_type        = [[Bicameralism|Bicameral]]
|foundation        = {{Start date and years ago|df=yes|p=y|1950|01|26}}
|preceded_by      = [[Constituent Assembly of India]]
|houses            = [[Rajya Sabha]] (Upper house)<br />[[Lok Sabha]] (Lower house)
|leader1_type      = [[President of India]]
|leader1          = [[Ram Nath Kovind]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/live-updates-president-swearing-in-ceremony/article19357489.ece|title=Live: Ram Nath Kovind becomes the 14th President of India|date=25 July 2017|work=The Hindu|location=New Delhi, India|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170725080450/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/live-updates-president-swearing-in-ceremony/article19357489.ece|archive-date=25 July 2017}}</ref>
|party1            =
|election1        = [[2017 Indian presidential election|25 July 2017]]
|leader2_type      = [[Vice President of India]] & [[Vice President of India|Chairman of the Rajya Sabha]]
|leader2          = [[Venkaiah Naidu]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/venkaiah-naidu-sworn-in-as-vice-president/article19471240.ece|title=Venkaiah Naidu sworn in as Vice-President|date=11 August 2017|work=The Hindu|location=New Delhi, India|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209173947/http://rstv.nic.in/rstv/aboutus.asp|archive-date=9 February 2014}}</ref>
|party2            =
|election2        = [[2017 Indian vice-presidential election|11 August 2017]]
|leader3_type      = [[Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha]]
|leader3          = [[Harivansh Narayan Singh]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Harivansh Narayan Singh re-elected Rajya Sabha deputy chairman {{!}} India News - Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/harivansh-re-elected-rs-deputy-chairman-he-belongs-to-all-sides-of-aisle-says-pm/articleshow/78107220.cms |access-date=14 September 2020 |work=The Times of India |date=14 September 2020 |language=en}}</ref>
|party3            = [[Janata Dal United|JDU]]
|election3        = 14 September 2020
|leader4_type      = [[Leader of the House (Rajya Sabha)|Leader of the House <br> (Rajya Sabha)]]
|leader4          = [[Piyush Goyal]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/union-minister-piyush-goyal-to-be-leader-of-house-in-rajya-sabha-2486486|title=Minister Piyush Goyal To Be Leader Of House In Rajya Sabha|website=NDTV|access-date=14 July 2021}}</ref>
|party4            = [[Bharatiya Janata Party|BJP]]
|election4        = 14 July 2021
|leader5_type      = [[Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha|Leader of the Opposition <br /> (Rajya Sabha)]]
|leader5          = [[Mallikarjun Kharge]]
|leader6_type      = [[Speaker of the Lok Sabha]]
|leader6          = [[Om Birla]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/om-birla-appointed-lok-sabha-speaker-1551719-2019-06-19|title=Om Birla unanimously elected Lok Sabha Speaker, PM Modi heaps praises on BJP colleague|newspaper=India Today|language=en|access-date=19 June 2019|date=19 June 2019}}</ref>
|party6            = [[Bharatiya Janata Party|BJP]]
|election6        = [[2019 Indian general election|19 June 2019]]
|leader7_type      = [[Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha]]
|leader7          = Vacant
|party7            =
|election7        = [[2019 Indian general election|23 May 2019]]
|leader8_type      = [[Leader of the House (Lok Sabha)|Leader of the House <br /> (Lok Sabha)]]
|leader8          = [[Narendra Modi]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/Narendra-Modi-is-sworn-in-as-the-15th-Prime-Minister-of-India/articleshow/35620796.cms|title=Narendra Modi is sworn in as the 15th Prime Minister of India|work=[[The Times of India]]|date=26 May 2014|access-date=15 August 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140906183222/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/Narendra-Modi-is-sworn-in-as-the-15th-Prime-Minister-of-India/articleshow/35620796.cms|archive-date=6 September 2014}}</ref>
|leader9_type      = [[Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha|Leader of the Opposition <br /> (Lok Sabha)]]
|leader9          = Vacant (Since 26 May 2014, No party has 10% Seats)
|party8            = [[Bharatiya Janata Party|BJP]]
|election8        = [[2014 Indian general election|26 May 2014]]
|seats            = '''788''' <br/> 245 [[List of current members of the Rajya Sabha|Members of Rajya Sabha]]<br />543 [[List of members of the 17th Lok Sabha|Members of Lok Sabha]]
|party5            = [[Indian National Congress|INC]]
|election5        = 15 February 2021
|house1            = [[Rajya Sabha]]
|house2            = [[Lok Sabha]]
|structure1        = File:Rajya_Sabha_2021.svg
|structure1_res    =290px
|structure2      =File:17th_Lok_sabha_2021.svg
|structure2_res    = 290px
|political_groups1 =
*'''[[Government of India|Government]] (117)'''
*'''[[Parliamentary Opposition|Opposition]] (116)'''
*'''[[Vacant]] (12)'''
|political_groups2 =
*'''[[Government of India|Government]] (335)'''
*'''[[Parliamentary Opposition|Opposition]] (205)'''
*'''[[Vacant]] (3)'''
|voting_system1    = [[Single transferable vote]]
|voting_system2    = [[First-past-the-post voting|First-past-the-post]]
|last_election1    = [[2020 Indian Rajya Sabha elections|2 November 2020]]
|next_election1    = [[2021 Indian Rajya Sabha elections|2021]]
|last_election2    = [[2019 Indian general election|11 April – 19 May 2019]]
|next_election2    = [[Next Indian general election|May 2024]]
|session_room      = New Delhi government block 03-2016 img3.jpg
|session_res      = 250px
|meeting_place    = [[Parliament House (India)|Sansad Bhavan]], [[Sansad Marg]], [[New Delhi]], [[India]]
|website          = {{URL|parliamentofindia.nic.in}}
|constitution      = [[Constitution of India]]
}}
{{Politics of India}}
The '''Parliament of India''' ([[Hindi]]: भारतीय संसद, [[International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration|IAST]]: {{IAST|Bhāratīya Sansad}}) is the supreme [[legislature|legislative body]] of the [[India|Republic of India]]. It is a [[Bicameralism|bicameral]] [[legislature]] composed of the [[President of India]] and the two houses: the [[Rajya Sabha]] (Council of States) and the [[Lok Sabha]] (House of the People). The President in his role as head of legislature has full powers to summon and prorogue either house of Parliament or to dissolve Lok Sabha. The president can exercise these powers only upon the advice of the [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]] and his [[Union Council of Ministers]].
 
Those elected or nominated (by the President) to either house of Parliament are referred to as [[Member of Parliament (India)|Members of Parliament]] (MP). The [[Member of parliament, Lok Sabha|Members of Parliament, Lok Sabha]] are [[direct election|directly elected]] by the Indian public voting in [[Single-member district]]s and the [[Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha|Members of Parliament, Rajya Sabha]] are elected by the [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|members]] of all [[Vidhan Sabha|State Legislative Assembly]] by [[proportional representation]]. The Parliament has a sanctioned strength of 543 in Lok Sabha and 245 in Rajya Sabha including the 12 nominees from the expertise of different fields of science, culture, art and history. The Parliament meets at [[Parliament House (India)|Sansad Bhavan]] in [[New Delhi]].
 
==History==
{{Main|Imperial Legislative Council|Constituent Assembly of India}}
The [[Constituent Assembly of India]] was elected to write the [[Constitution of India]]. Following India's independence from Britain in 1947, its members served as the nation's first Parliament.
 
==Parliament House==
{{Main|Parliament House (India)}}
The ''[[Parliament House (India)|Parliament House]]'' (''Sansad Bhavan'') is located in [[New Delhi]]. It was designed by [[Edwin Lutyens]] and [[Herbert Baker]], who were responsible for planning and construction of New Delhi by British government. The construction of building took six years and the opening ceremony was performed on 18 January 1927 by the then [[Governor-General of India|Viceroy and Governor-General of India]], [[Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax|Lord Irwin]]. The construction costs for the building were .{{INRConvert|8.3|m}}. The parliament is {{convert|70|ft|order=flip}} tall, {{convert|560|ft|order=flip}} in diameter and covers an area of {{convert|5.66|acre|order=flip}}. The Central Hall consists of the chambers of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and the Library hall. Surrounding these three chambers is the four-storeyed circular structure providing accommodations for members and houses [[Standing committee (India)|Parliamentary committees]], offices and the [[Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (India)|Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs]].<ref>{{cite web|title=History of the Parliament, Delhi|url=http://delhiassembly.nic.in/history_assembly.html|publisher=delhiassembly.nic.in|access-date=13 December 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006075521/http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/dec/13parl1.html|archive-date=6 October 2013}}</ref>
 
[[File:Statue of Chandragupta Maurya at Parliament of India.jpg|thumb|Statue of [[Chandragupta Maurya]] at Parliament of India]]
 
===General layout of the Parliament===
The centre and the focus of the building is the Central Hall. It consists of chambers of the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha, and the Library Hall and between them lie garden courts. Surrounding these three chambers is the four-storeyed circular structure providing accommodations for ministers, chairmen, parliamentary committees, party offices, important offices of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Secretariat, and also the offices of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. The Central Hall is circular in shape and the dome is {{convert|98|ft|order=flip}} in diameter. It is a place of historical importance. The [[Constitution of India|Indian Constitution]] was framed in the Central Hall. The Central Hall was originally used in the library of the erstwhile Central Legislative Assembly and the Council of States. In 1946, it was converted and refurbished into [[Constituent Assembly of India|Constituent Assembly]] Hall. At present, the Central Hall is used for holding joint sittings of both the houses of parliament and also used for address by the President in the commencement of first session after each [[Lok Sabha#Lok Sabha general elections|general election]].
 
===Proposal for a new building===
[[File:The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi performing Bhoomi Pujan at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the New Parliament Building, at Sansad Marg, in New Delhi on December 10, 2020 (5).jpg|thumb|Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] performing the ground-breaking ceremony for the new Parliament Building on 10 December 2020.]]
A new Parliament building may replace the existing complex. The new building is being considered on account of the stability concerns regarding the current complex.<ref>{{cite news|title=Delhi may see a new Parliament building|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-13/india/32662416_1_heritage-building-parliament-house-mantralaya-fire|access-date=13 December 2013|date=13 July 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006075521/http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/dec/13parl1.html|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|archive-date=6 October 2013}}</ref> A committee to suggest alternatives to the current building has been set up by the [[Speaker of the Lok Sabha|Former Speaker]], [[Meira Kumar]]. The present building, an 85-year-old structure suffers from inadequacy of space to house members and their staffs and is thought to suffer from structural issues. The building also needs to be protected because of its heritage tag.<ref>{{cite web|author=Firstpost|url=http://www.firstpost.com/india/speaker-sets-up-panel-to-suggest-new-home-for-parliament-377345.html|title=Speaker sets up panel to suggest new home for Parliament|publisher=Firstpost|date=13 July 2012|access-date=15 August 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811003217/http://www.firstpost.com/india/speaker-sets-up-panel-to-suggest-new-home-for-parliament-377345.html|archive-date=11 August 2012}}</ref>
 
Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] laid the foundation and performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the new Parliament Building on 10 December 2020.<ref name="ET2020">{{cite news |last1=Chaturvedi |first1=Rakesh Mohan |title=PM Narendra Modi lays foundation stone of new Parliament building |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/pm-narendra-modi-lays-foundation-stone-of-new-parliament-building/articleshow/79659232.cms |access-date=7 April 2021 |work=The Economic Times |date=10 December 2020}}</ref><ref name="BT"/> With an estimated cost of {{INR}}971 crore, the building is expected to be completed by 2022.<ref name="ET2020"/><ref name="BT">{{cite news |last1=PTI |title=PM Modi to lay foundation stone of new Parliament building on Dec 10 |url=https://www.businesstoday.in/current/economy-politics/pm-modi-to-lay-foundation-stone-of-new-parliament-building-on-dec-10/story/424033.html |access-date=7 April 2021 |work=Business Today |date=5 December 2020}}</ref>
 
==Composition==
The Indian Parliament consists of two houses called the [[Lok Sabha]] and the [[Rajya Sabha]] with the [[President of India]] acting as their head.
[[File:Sansad seat distribution.png|Current Distribution|thumb|390px]]
 
[[File:Delimitation Map india.jpg|thumb|390px|Seats after Delimitation-Estimate]]
 
===President of India===
{{Main|President of India}}
The [[President of India]], the [[head of state]], is a component of Parliament. Under [[s:Constitution of India/Part V|Article 60]] and [[s:Constitution of India/Part V|Article 111]], the President's responsibility is to ensure that laws passed by the Parliament are in accordance with the constitutional mandate and that the stipulated procedure is followed before according his/her approval to the bills. The President of India is elected by the [[Member of Parliament (India)|elected members of Parliament of India]] and the [[Vidhan Sabha|state legislatures]] and serves for a term of 5 years.<ref>{{cite book|publisher=Ministry of Law and Justice, [[Government of India]]|title=Constitution of India|date=1 December 2007|page=26|url=http://lawmin.nic.in/coi/coiason29july08.pdf|access-date=27 May 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140909230437/http://lawmin.nic.in/coi/coiason29july08.pdf|archive-date=9 September 2014}}</ref>
 
===Lok Sabha===
{{Main|Lok Sabha}}
[[Lok Sabha]] (House of the People) or the [[lower house]] has 543 [[Member of parliament, Lok Sabha|members]]. 543 members are directly elected by citizens of India on the basis of [[Universal suffrage|universal adult franchise]] representing [[List of constituencies of the Lok Sabha|Parliamentary constituencies]] across the country. Between 1952 and 2020, [[Anglo-Indian reserved seats in the Lok Sabha|2 additional members]] of the [[Anglo-Indian]] community were also nominated by the [[President of India]] on the advice of [[Government of India]], which was abolished in January 2020 by the 104th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.livelaw.in/news-updates/constitution-104th-amendment-act-to-come-into-force-151919|title=Anglo Indian Representation To Lok Sabha, State Assemblies Done Away; SC-ST Reservation Extended For 10 Years: Constitution (104th Amendment) Act To Come Into Force On 25th Jan|website=www.livelaw.in|date=23 January 2020|access-date=25 January 2020}}</ref> Every citizen of [[India]] who is over 18 years of age, irrespective of gender, caste, religion, or race and is otherwise not disqualified, is eligible to vote for the Lok Sabha. The Constitution provides that the maximum strength of the House be 552 members. It has a term of five years. To be eligible for membership in the Lok Sabha, a person must be a citizen of India and must be 25 years of age or older, mentally sound, should not be bankrupt, and should not be criminally convicted. The total elective membership is distributed among the states in such a way that the ratio between the number of seats allotted to each state and the population of the state is, so far as practicable, the same for all states.
<ref name="Lok Sabha">{{cite web|title=Lok Sabha|url=http://parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/intro/introls.html|publisher=parliamentofindia.nic.in|access-date=19 August 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150601044824/http://parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/intro/introls.html|archive-date=1 June 2015}}</ref>
 
===Rajya Sabha===
{{Main|Rajya Sabha}}
[[Rajya Sabha]] (Council of States) or the [[upper house]] is a permanent body not subject to dissolution. One third of the members retire every second year, and are replaced by newly elected members. Each member is elected for a term of six years.<ref>{{cite web|title=Parliament&nbsp;– Government: National Portal of India|url=http://india.gov.in/govt/parliament.php|publisher=Home: National Portal of India|access-date=10 May 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430004529/http://india.gov.in/govt/parliament.php|archive-date=30 April 2011}}</ref> Its members are indirectly elected by members of legislative bodies of the states. The Rajya Sabha can have a maximum of 250 members. It currently has a sanctioned strength of 245 members, of which 233 are elected from [[States and union territories of India|States and Union Territories]] and 12 are [[List of nominated members of Rajya Sabha|nominated]] by the [[President of India|President]]. The number of members from a state depends on its population. The minimum age for a person to become a [[Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha|member of Rajya Sabha]] is 30 years.
 
==Session of Parliament==
The period during which the House meets to conduct its business is called a session. The [[Constitution of India|Constitution]] empowers the President to summon each House at such intervals that there should not be more than a six-month gap between the two sessions. Hence the Parliament must meet at least twice a year. In India, the Parliament conducts three sessions each year:<ref name="Our Parliament">{{cite web|title=Our Parliament|url=http://164.100.47.132/LssNew/our%20parliament/Folder01.pdf|publisher=Lok Sabha Secretariat|access-date=6 September 2012|archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6ATtR2Sjq?url=http://164.100.47.132/LssNew/our%20parliament/Folder01.pdf|archive-date=6 September 2012|location=New Delhi|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* ''Budget session'': January/February to May
* ''Monsoon session'': July to August/September
* ''Winter session'': November to December
 
==Lawmaking procedures==
{{Main|Lawmaking procedure in India}}
Legislative proposals are brought before either house of the Parliament in the form of a bill. A bill is the draft of a legislative proposal, which, when passed by both houses of Parliament and assented to by the [[President of India|President]], becomes an [[Act of Parliament]]. [[Money bill]]s must originate in the Lok Sabha. The [[Rajya Sabha|Council of States]] can only make recommendations over the bills to the House, within a period of fourteen days.<ref>{{cite web|title=How bill becomes act|url=http://www.parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/intro/p5.html|publisher=parliamentofindia.nic.in|access-date=8 May 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150516023151/http://www.parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/intro/p5.html|archive-date=16 May 2015}}</ref>
 
==Parliamentary committees==
{{Main|List of Indian parliamentary committees}}
Parliamentary committees are formed to deliberate specific matters at length. The public is directly or indirectly associated and studies are conducted to help committees arrive at the conclusions. Parliamentary committees are of two kinds: [[Ad hoc]] committees and the [[Standing committee (India)|Standing committees]].<ref name="Committee">{{cite web|last=Parliamentary Committee|title=Parliament of India|url=http://parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/intro/p21.html|publisher=Indian Parliament|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120724034114/http://www.parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/intro/p21.htm|archive-date=24 July 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Committees of Rajya Sabha|title=General Information|url=http://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/committees/general_introduction.asp|publisher=Rajya Sabha Secretariat|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120920095554/http://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/committees/general_introduction.asp|archive-date=20 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Lok Sabha - Committee Home|title=Introduction|url=http://164.100.47.134/committee/Committee_Home_Page.aspx|publisher=Lok Sabha Secretariat|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311032452/http://164.100.47.134/committee/Committee_Home_Page.aspx|archive-date=11 March 2016}}</ref>
 
[[Standing committee (India)|Standing committees]] are permanent committees constituted from time to time in pursuance of the provisions of an act of Parliament or rules of procedure and conduct of business in Parliament. The work of these committees is of a continuing nature. Ad hoc committees are appointed for a specific purpose and they cease to exist when they finish the task assigned to them and submits a report.
 
==Incidents==
{{main|2001 Indian Parliament attack}}
On 13 December 2001, Indian Parliament was attacked by an [[Islamic terrorism|Islamic terrorist]] group. The perpetrators were [[Lashkar-e-Taiba]] (Let) and [[Jaish-e-Mohammed]] (JeM) terrorists. The attack led to the deaths of five terrorists, six [[Delhi Police]] personnel, two [[Parliament Security Services]] personnel, and a gardener, which totalled 14 fatalities. The incident led to increased tensions between [[India]] and [[Pakistan]], resulting in the [[2001–02 India–Pakistan standoff|India–Pakistan standoff]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Terrorists attack Parliament; five intruders, six cops killed|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/dec/13parl1.html|access-date=13 December 2013|newspaper=rediff.com|date=13 December 2001|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006075521/http://www.rediff.com/news/2001/dec/13parl1.html|archive-date=6 October 2013}}</ref>
 
==Joint Sessions and debates==
On 16 November 2016, during the winter session of Indian Parliament, the sittings in both Upper and Lower Houses of Parliament observed strong [[Official Opposition (India)|opposition]] and uproar by [[List of political parties in India|political parties]] on [[2016 Indian banknote demonetisation|demonetisation (note ban)]] initiative by the [[First Modi ministry|Narendra Modi Government]].
 
==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="90px">
Jawaharal Nehru and other members taking pledge.jpg|[[Jawaharlal Nehru]] and other members taking pledge during the midnight session of the Constituent Assembly of India held on 14 and 15 August 1947.
A Constituent Assembly of India meeting in 1950.jpg|[[Constituent Assembly of India]]
Jawaharlal Nehru addressing the constituent assembly in 1946.jpg|Jawaharlal Nehru addressing the [[Constituent Assembly of India|Constituent Assembly]] in 1946.
Indian Prime Minister Morarji Desai listens to Jimmy Carter as he addresses the Indian Parliament House. - NARA - 177385.tif|[[Prime Minister of India|Indian Prime Minister]], [[Morarji Desai]] listens to [[Jimmy Carter]] as he addresses the Indian Parliament House.
Barack Obama at Parliament of India in New Delhi addressing Joint session of both houses 2010.jpg|[[President of the United States]], [[Barack Obama]] addressing Joint Session of the Parliament in 2010.
</gallery>
 
==See also==
{{div col}}
* [[Politics of India]]
* [[Election Commission of India]]
* [[Member of parliament, Lok Sabha]]
* [[Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha]]
* [[PRS Legislative Research]]
* [[Indian Parliamentary Group]]
* [[List of legislatures by country]]
* [[List of constituencies of the Lok Sabha]]
{{div col end}}


==References==
==References==
<references />
{{Reflist}}
{{asia-stub}}
 
==Further reading==
* "The Parliamentary System" by Arun Shourie, Publisher: Rupa & Co
 
==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* {{Wikisource portal-inline}}
 
{{Asia topic|Parliament of|title=Parliaments of Asia}}
{{National bicameral legislatures}}
{{Parliament of India}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Government of India]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parliament Of India}}
[[Category:Parliament of India| ]]
[[Category:1952 establishments in India]]
[[Category:Bicameral legislatures|India]]
[[Category:National legislatures|India]]
[[Category:Parliaments by country|India]]
[[Category:Politics of India]]

Revision as of 00:28, 29 August 2021


28°37′2″N 77°12′29″E / 28.61722°N 77.20806°E / 28.61722; 77.20806

Parliament of India

Bhāratīya Sansad
Emblem of India
Emblem of India
Type
Type
HousesRajya Sabha (Upper house)
Lok Sabha (Lower house)
History
Founded26 January 1950 (76 years ago) (1950-01-26)
Preceded byConstituent Assembly of India
Leadership
Harivansh Narayan Singh[3], JDU
since 14 September 2020
Piyush Goyal[4], BJP
since 14 July 2021
Mallikarjun Kharge, INC
since 15 February 2021
Vacant
since 23 May 2019
Vacant (Since 26 May 2014, No party has 10% Seats)
Structure
Seats788
245 Members of Rajya Sabha
543 Members of Lok Sabha
Rajya Sabha political groups
Lok Sabha political groups
Elections
Single transferable vote
First-past-the-post
Rajya Sabha last election
2 November 2020
Lok Sabha last election
11 April – 19 May 2019
Rajya Sabha next election
2021
Lok Sabha next election
May 2024
Meeting place
Sansad Bhavan, Sansad Marg, New Delhi, India
Website
parliamentofindia.nic.in
Constitution
Constitution of India
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The Parliament of India (Hindi: भारतीय संसद, IAST: Bhāratīya Sansad) is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the President of India and the two houses: the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of the People). The President in his role as head of legislature has full powers to summon and prorogue either house of Parliament or to dissolve Lok Sabha. The president can exercise these powers only upon the advice of the Prime Minister and his Union Council of Ministers.

Those elected or nominated (by the President) to either house of Parliament are referred to as Members of Parliament (MP). The Members of Parliament, Lok Sabha are directly elected by the Indian public voting in Single-member districts and the Members of Parliament, Rajya Sabha are elected by the members of all State Legislative Assembly by proportional representation. The Parliament has a sanctioned strength of 543 in Lok Sabha and 245 in Rajya Sabha including the 12 nominees from the expertise of different fields of science, culture, art and history. The Parliament meets at Sansad Bhavan in New Delhi.

History

Main articles: Imperial Legislative Council and Constituent Assembly of India

The Constituent Assembly of India was elected to write the Constitution of India. Following India's independence from Britain in 1947, its members served as the nation's first Parliament.

Parliament House

Main article: Parliament House (India)

The Parliament House (Sansad Bhavan) is located in New Delhi. It was designed by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker, who were responsible for planning and construction of New Delhi by British government. The construction of building took six years and the opening ceremony was performed on 18 January 1927 by the then Viceroy and Governor-General of India, Lord Irwin. The construction costs for the building were .₹8.3 million (US$120,000). The parliament is 21 metres (70 ft) tall, 170 metres (560 ft) in diameter and covers an area of 2.29 hectares (5.66 acres). The Central Hall consists of the chambers of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and the Library hall. Surrounding these three chambers is the four-storeyed circular structure providing accommodations for members and houses Parliamentary committees, offices and the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.[7]

File:Statue of Chandragupta Maurya at Parliament of India.jpg
Statue of Chandragupta Maurya at Parliament of India

General layout of the Parliament

The centre and the focus of the building is the Central Hall. It consists of chambers of the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha, and the Library Hall and between them lie garden courts. Surrounding these three chambers is the four-storeyed circular structure providing accommodations for ministers, chairmen, parliamentary committees, party offices, important offices of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Secretariat, and also the offices of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. The Central Hall is circular in shape and the dome is 30 metres (98 ft) in diameter. It is a place of historical importance. The Indian Constitution was framed in the Central Hall. The Central Hall was originally used in the library of the erstwhile Central Legislative Assembly and the Council of States. In 1946, it was converted and refurbished into Constituent Assembly Hall. At present, the Central Hall is used for holding joint sittings of both the houses of parliament and also used for address by the President in the commencement of first session after each general election.

Proposal for a new building

Prime Minister Narendra Modi performing the ground-breaking ceremony for the new Parliament Building on 10 December 2020.

A new Parliament building may replace the existing complex. The new building is being considered on account of the stability concerns regarding the current complex.[8] A committee to suggest alternatives to the current building has been set up by the Former Speaker, Meira Kumar. The present building, an 85-year-old structure suffers from inadequacy of space to house members and their staffs and is thought to suffer from structural issues. The building also needs to be protected because of its heritage tag.[9]

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation and performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the new Parliament Building on 10 December 2020.[10][11] With an estimated cost of ₹971 crore, the building is expected to be completed by 2022.[10][11]

Composition

The Indian Parliament consists of two houses called the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha with the President of India acting as their head.

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Current Distribution
Seats after Delimitation-Estimate

President of India

Main article: President of India

The President of India, the head of state, is a component of Parliament. Under Article 60 and Article 111, the President's responsibility is to ensure that laws passed by the Parliament are in accordance with the constitutional mandate and that the stipulated procedure is followed before according his/her approval to the bills. The President of India is elected by the elected members of Parliament of India and the state legislatures and serves for a term of 5 years.[12]

Lok Sabha

Main article: Lok Sabha

Lok Sabha (House of the People) or the lower house has 543 members. 543 members are directly elected by citizens of India on the basis of universal adult franchise representing Parliamentary constituencies across the country. Between 1952 and 2020, 2 additional members of the Anglo-Indian community were also nominated by the President of India on the advice of Government of India, which was abolished in January 2020 by the 104th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019.[13] Every citizen of India who is over 18 years of age, irrespective of gender, caste, religion, or race and is otherwise not disqualified, is eligible to vote for the Lok Sabha. The Constitution provides that the maximum strength of the House be 552 members. It has a term of five years. To be eligible for membership in the Lok Sabha, a person must be a citizen of India and must be 25 years of age or older, mentally sound, should not be bankrupt, and should not be criminally convicted. The total elective membership is distributed among the states in such a way that the ratio between the number of seats allotted to each state and the population of the state is, so far as practicable, the same for all states. [14]

Rajya Sabha

Main article: Rajya Sabha

Rajya Sabha (Council of States) or the upper house is a permanent body not subject to dissolution. One third of the members retire every second year, and are replaced by newly elected members. Each member is elected for a term of six years.[15] Its members are indirectly elected by members of legislative bodies of the states. The Rajya Sabha can have a maximum of 250 members. It currently has a sanctioned strength of 245 members, of which 233 are elected from States and Union Territories and 12 are nominated by the President. The number of members from a state depends on its population. The minimum age for a person to become a member of Rajya Sabha is 30 years.

Session of Parliament

The period during which the House meets to conduct its business is called a session. The Constitution empowers the President to summon each House at such intervals that there should not be more than a six-month gap between the two sessions. Hence the Parliament must meet at least twice a year. In India, the Parliament conducts three sessions each year:[16]

  • Budget session: January/February to May
  • Monsoon session: July to August/September
  • Winter session: November to December

Lawmaking procedures

Main article: Lawmaking procedure in India

Legislative proposals are brought before either house of the Parliament in the form of a bill. A bill is the draft of a legislative proposal, which, when passed by both houses of Parliament and assented to by the President, becomes an Act of Parliament. Money bills must originate in the Lok Sabha. The Council of States can only make recommendations over the bills to the House, within a period of fourteen days.[17]

Parliamentary committees

Main article: List of Indian parliamentary committees

Parliamentary committees are formed to deliberate specific matters at length. The public is directly or indirectly associated and studies are conducted to help committees arrive at the conclusions. Parliamentary committees are of two kinds: Ad hoc committees and the Standing committees.[18][19][20]

Standing committees are permanent committees constituted from time to time in pursuance of the provisions of an act of Parliament or rules of procedure and conduct of business in Parliament. The work of these committees is of a continuing nature. Ad hoc committees are appointed for a specific purpose and they cease to exist when they finish the task assigned to them and submits a report.

Incidents

Main article: 2001 Indian Parliament attack

On 13 December 2001, Indian Parliament was attacked by an Islamic terrorist group. The perpetrators were Lashkar-e-Taiba (Let) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists. The attack led to the deaths of five terrorists, six Delhi Police personnel, two Parliament Security Services personnel, and a gardener, which totalled 14 fatalities. The incident led to increased tensions between India and Pakistan, resulting in the India–Pakistan standoff.[21]

Joint Sessions and debates

On 16 November 2016, during the winter session of Indian Parliament, the sittings in both Upper and Lower Houses of Parliament observed strong opposition and uproar by political parties on demonetisation (note ban) initiative by the Narendra Modi Government.

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Live: Ram Nath Kovind becomes the 14th President of India". The Hindu. New Delhi, India. 25 July 2017. Archived from the original on 25 July 2017.
  2. ↑ "Venkaiah Naidu sworn in as Vice-President". The Hindu. New Delhi, India. 11 August 2017. Archived from the original on 9 February 2014.
  3. ↑ "Harivansh Narayan Singh re-elected Rajya Sabha deputy chairman | India News - Times of India". The Times of India. 14 September 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  4. ↑ "Minister Piyush Goyal To Be Leader Of House In Rajya Sabha". NDTV. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  5. ↑ "Om Birla unanimously elected Lok Sabha Speaker, PM Modi heaps praises on BJP colleague". India Today. 19 June 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  6. ↑ "Narendra Modi is sworn in as the 15th Prime Minister of India". The Times of India. 26 May 2014. Archived from the original on 6 September 2014. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  7. ↑ "History of the Parliament, Delhi". delhiassembly.nic.in. Archived from the original on 6 October 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  8. ↑ "Delhi may see a new Parliament building". The Times of India. 13 July 2012. Archived from the original on 6 October 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  9. ↑ Firstpost (13 July 2012). "Speaker sets up panel to suggest new home for Parliament". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 11 August 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Chaturvedi, Rakesh Mohan (10 December 2020). "PM Narendra Modi lays foundation stone of new Parliament building". The Economic Times. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 PTI (5 December 2020). "PM Modi to lay foundation stone of new Parliament building on Dec 10". Business Today. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  12. ↑ Constitution of India (PDF). Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India. 1 December 2007. p. 26. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 September 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  13. ↑ "Anglo Indian Representation To Lok Sabha, State Assemblies Done Away; SC-ST Reservation Extended For 10 Years: Constitution (104th Amendment) Act To Come Into Force On 25th Jan". www.livelaw.in. 23 January 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  14. ↑ "Lok Sabha". parliamentofindia.nic.in. Archived from the original on 1 June 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
  15. ↑ "Parliament – Government: National Portal of India". Home: National Portal of India. Archived from the original on 30 April 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
  16. ↑ "Our Parliament" (PDF). New Delhi: Lok Sabha Secretariat. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 September 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  17. ↑ "How bill becomes act". parliamentofindia.nic.in. Archived from the original on 16 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  18. ↑ Parliamentary Committee. "Parliament of India". Indian Parliament. Archived from the original on 24 July 2012.
  19. ↑ Committees of Rajya Sabha. "General Information". Rajya Sabha Secretariat. Archived from the original on 20 September 2012.
  20. ↑ Lok Sabha - Committee Home. "Introduction". Lok Sabha Secretariat. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016.
  21. ↑ "Terrorists attack Parliament; five intruders, six cops killed". rediff.com. 13 December 2001. Archived from the original on 6 October 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.

Further reading

  • "The Parliamentary System" by Arun Shourie, Publisher: Rupa & Co

External links

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