Question

Lok Sabha is more powerful than Rajya Sabha. Discuss.

Hint:

To make your argument strong, focus on the two most critical areas of Lok Sabha's power: the {'power of the purse'} (control over money bills) and the power to remove the government through a {no-confidence motion}. These are the definitive points of its supremacy.

Answer 1

In the Indian parliamentary system, although both the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) are essential components of the Parliament, the Constitution has placed the Lok Sabha in a more powerful position. This is consistent with the principles of a parliamentary democracy where the house directly elected by the people holds supremacy. The dominance of the Lok Sabha is evident in several areas:
1. Supremacy in Financial Matters: - A Money Bill can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha.
- After being passed by the Lok Sabha, it is sent to the Rajya Sabha. The Rajya Sabha cannot reject or amend a Money Bill. It can only make recommendations and must return the bill to the Lok Sabha within 14 days.
- The Lok Sabha is free to accept or reject any or all of the recommendations of the Rajya Sabha. In either case, the bill is deemed to have been passed by both Houses.
- The Speaker of the Lok Sabha has the final authority to decide whether a bill is a Money Bill or not.
2. Control over the Executive: - The Union Council of Ministers, headed by the Prime Minister, is collectively responsible only to the Lok Sabha (Article 75(3)).
- The Lok Sabha can express its lack of confidence in the government by rejecting a money bill, passing a no-confidence motion, or defeating the government on a vital issue. If a no-confidence motion is passed, the government has to resign. The Rajya Sabha does not have this power.
3. Superiority in case of Deadlock on Ordinary Bills: - For an ordinary bill, if there is a deadlock between the two Houses, the President can summon a joint sitting of both Houses to resolve the issue.
- In a joint sitting, the decision is taken by a simple majority. Since the Lok Sabha has more than double the members of the Rajya Sabha (543 vs. 245), the will of the Lok Sabha is most likely to prevail in such a sitting.
Conclusion: While the Rajya Sabha has equal powers in matters like the passage of ordinary bills, constitutional amendment bills, and the election and impeachment of the President, the Lok Sabha's supremacy in financial matters and its control over the executive make it significantly more powerful than the Rajya Sabha.