The Lok Sabha, or the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the Rajya Sabha being the upper house. As of my last update in April 2023, it is the centerpiece of India's democratic framework and plays a crucial role in the nation's legislative process.
The Lok Sabha is composed of representatives directly elected by the people of India, using a first-past-the-post electoral system. Currently, the strength of the Lok Sabha is 543 members. The tenure of the Lok Sabha is five years from the date of its first sitting unless dissolved earlier. However, this period can be extended during a national emergency.
The Lok Sabha holds significant legislative powers. Most importantly, it plays a key role in the formation and stability of the government, as the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers are responsible to the Lok Sabha. A government can remain in power only as long as it enjoys the confidence of this house.
Financial bills, especially the annual budget, are typically introduced first in the Lok Sabha. While both houses need to pass ordinary bills, in the case of a deadlock, a joint sitting of both houses can be held, where the decision is taken by a simple majority.
The Lok Sabha also has a role in amending the Constitution, although such amendments also require the approval of the Rajya Sabha.
The big focus of this episode of India First is on the big delimitation showdown.
In an exclusive interview with India Today, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram discussed the ongoing debate over delimitation and its potential impact on southern states.
Trinamool Congress candidate Jahangir Khan has withdrawn from the upcoming repolling in the Falta constituency, scheduled for May 21.
The big focus of this episode of Super 6 is on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay skipping the swearing-in ceremony of Kerala chief minister-designate VD Satheesan on Monday and TVK expanding its base into Kerala following success in Tamil Nadu.
In an exclusive interview with India Today, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram talked about the rise of Vijay and his party TVK in Tamil Nadu, why Congress is backing TVK and the future of the INDIA bloc after a DMK leader said it's over.
In an interview with India Today, Amit Malviya, the Bharatiya Janata Party's co-in-charge of Bengal and head of the IT cell, discussed the party's performance in the West Bengal elections.
The Congress party has faced a significant setback in Assam as its state chief and deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi lost from Jorhat constituency.
In Odisha’s Keonjhar district, a daily wage labourer carried his sister's skeletal remains to a rural bank to claim her savings after being denied access without a death certificate.
The transcript features an opposition party representative addressing multiple political controversies. The representative alleges that the ruling party is suppressing their political campaign in Gujarat by suspending their official social media pages and unjustly imprisoning their leaders.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government during his election campaign in West Bengal.
Less than twenty-four hours to go for the ceasefire deadline between the United States and Iran to end, but uncertainty looms over the second round of talks in Islamabad.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a sharp attack on Congress during his address on the women’s reservation bill, calling its politics “parasite-like”. He said the party survives by riding on regional allies while blocking reforms that empower women. Modi accused Congress of missing a historic opportunity and choosing politics over women’s rights. He also said the Opposition’s actions had stalled the progress of “Nari Shakti” and hurt the aspirations of millions. Calling the bill a step towards empowering half the population, the Prime Minister said the government’s resolve remains firm and efforts to secure women’s rights will continue despite the setback.
The opposition has blocked a bill in Parliament, describing the move as a victory for democracy and the federal structure. The defeated legislation linked women's reservation to a new delimitation exercise based on the 2011 census. The opposition argued the bill was a move to alter parliamentary proportions, potentially reducing the political weight of Southern states and bypassing a caste census. Instead of the proposed changes, the opposition demanded the immediate implementation of the 2023 women's reservation legislation on the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats. Furthermore, there is a demand for an Other Backward Classes quota within the women's reservation framework. The opposition accused the government of using women's rights as a shield to push through a delimitation agenda that would alter electoral dynamics, stating they will fight for immediate representation without compromising the federal balance.
The Women's Reservation Bill has been defeated in Parliament after the government failed to secure the required two-thirds majority for a constitutional amendment.
In an exclusive interview with India Today, senior Congress MP and jurist Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi discussed the defeat of the Women's Reservation Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha.
The Constitution Amendment Bill to implement 33 per cent reservation for women failed to pass in the Lok Sabha after the government failed to secure the required two-thirds majority, receiving 298 votes in favour and 230 against.
The Constitution Amendment Bill to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 was defeated on Friday.
The 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill, designed to mandate a 33 percent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, failed to pass in Parliament.
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who triggered a massive row with his jibe at PM Modi, ended his speech with a 'Number 16' puzzle, adding that the people of India can try and see if they can solve it.
During a Lok Sabha debate on the Delimitation Bill, the Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi sparked an uproar by comparing the Prime Minister to a magician whose tactics have been exposed.
