The upper house of the Indian Parliament, known as the Rajya Sabha or Council of States, is crucial in forming the nation's legislative framework. The Rajya Sabha is made up of members chosen by the legislative assemblies of states and union territories, in contrast to the Lok Sabha, which is chosen directly by the electorate. Members serve staggered six-year terms, with a maximum total strength of 250. To maintain continuity, a third of the body retires every two years.
The ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha is the vice president of India. By allowing states to participate in the main legislative process, the House reflects the federal nature of the country. It has the authority to examine, revise, and postpone laws that the Lok Sabha has passed.
The Rajya Sabha has discussed and approved important proposals in recent years pertaining to women's reservation, labor regulations, education reforms, and data protection.
Even though it is unable to propose money legislation, the Rajya Sabha is an important part of the legislative process, particularly when regional issues require national attention. Its sessions gain intellectual depth with the participation of seasoned politicians, legal professionals, and nominated members from a variety of areas.
To boost public engagement and transparency, the House has started live broadcasting proceedings. For information on Rajya Sabha discussions, member biographies, bill summaries, election outcomes, and significant sessions, bookmark this page.
An India Today report details a political development as a Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament resigns from the Rajya Sabha and the party. Sources indicate the parliamentarian is likely to join the Bharatiya Janata Party after meeting the Assam Chief Minister in New Delhi. This marks the second such resignation from the Trinamool Congress within a week, pointing to defections across both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Rebel parliamentarians have reportedly held meetings in the national capital, affecting the party's parliamentary strength. The shrinking opposition numbers in the upper house could assist the ruling party at the centre in passing legislation, including delimitation and the women's reservation bill. Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress is seeking legal assistance from the Congress party to navigate the crisis and challenge the defections. The situation remains developing as more parliamentarians are reportedly considering switching allegiances in the coming days.
In a major political development, the Congress party faced a setback in Madhya Pradesh after its candidate Meenakshi Natarajan's Rajya Sabha nomination was rejected after election authorities found that information related to a case was allegedly not mentioned in the affidavit submitted with her nomination papers.
In a big setback for the Congress party ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections, its candidate Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination from Madhya Pradesh was rejected during the scrutiny process.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge filed his Rajya Sabha nomination at the Vidhana Soudha, accompanied by senior party leaders on Friday.
In an exclusive interview with India Today, senior Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has dismissed claims that the party is imploding in West Bengal, despite a massive rebellion where dozens of legislators have aligned with an expelled leader.
The Trinamool Congress in West Bengal faces a significant internal crisis as sixty state assembly members have formed a separate faction, with reports indicating several members of parliament are in contact with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Former Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai on Tuesday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi amid growing speculation about quitting the party and floating his own party.
Siddaramaiah has resigned as the Chief Minister of Karnataka, facilitating the transition of leadership to DK Shivakumar.
Siddaramaiah, who resigned as Karnataka chief minister on Thursday, declined the Congress high command's offer to move to the Rajya Sabha, stating he has no interest in national politics.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is expected to step down tomorrow at 11:00 am, handing over his resignation to the Governor at the Lok Bhavan, according to sources.
A special report on the impending political transition in Karnataka reveals that the current Chief Minister is likely to step down, making way for the Deputy Chief Minister. According to sources, the Congress leadership has asked the incumbent to resign and transition to a national role via the Rajya Sabha.
In a significant political development in Karnataka, the Congress high command has requested the incumbent Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to step down, according to sources.
Congress leader KC Venugopal called the talks about any leadership change in Karnataka "mere speculation" and asserted that the day-long discussions between the central and state top brass were solely focused on the upcoming elections to the Rajya Sabha and the state's Legislative Council.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been asked by the Congress high command to step down and been offered a national role and a Rajya Sabha seat, according to sources.
The central government has issued an eviction notice to the Delhi Gymkhana Club, requiring the colonial-era institution to vacate its Lutyens Delhi property by June 5.
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 big talking point of this episode of News Today is the merger of seven Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha Members of Parliament with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In an interview with India Today Consulting Editor Rajdeep Sardesai, former Attorney General of India and senior Supreme Court advocate Mukul Rohatgi discusses the recent defection of seven Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MPs to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
In an interview with India Today Consulting Editor Rajdeep Sardesai, Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney discussed his decision to leave the Aam Aadmi Party and join the Bharatiya Janata Party.
In an interview with India Today Consulting Editor Rajdeep Sardesai, senior Congress MP and eminent jurist Abhishek Manu Singhvi discusses the legality of seven out of ten Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MPs merging with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
