Difference between Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha - Everything you need to know

Lok Sabha is an important organ of the Indian Parliament. The Parliament in India is constituted by three components namely the President of India, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The President of India heads the parliament of the country.

Once the members of the Lok Sabha also known as MPs are elected during a general elections, they take charge. The Lok Sabha operates for five years unless it is dissolved earlier for some reason. The number of Lok Sabha seats allotted for a state depends on the population.

Powers and Functions of the Lok Sabha

The main function of the Lok Sabha is to pass laws. No bill can become a law in the country if the Lok Sabha does not pass it. Both general and money bills can be introduced in the Lok Sabha. When a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha is called for when the country needs to take a crucial decision, the will of the Lok Sabha will prevail. A money bill can only be presented in the Lok Sabha. The power to sanction the government expenditures entirely rests with the Lok Sabha. All the bills related to seeking an amendment in the constitution must be passed in the Lok Sabha.

The other important functions of the Lok Sabha include electing the President and Vice-president of the country, impeachment of the president, removing the judges of the High Courts and Supreme Court, and approving the emergency proclamations.

Difference between Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha

The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are the two houses of the parliament. The Lok Sabha is known as the lower house of the parliament while the Rajya Sabha is the upper house of the parliament. These two houses of the Indian parliament differ in terms of their nature, power, processes and functions.

• The total tenure of the Lok Sabha in India is only five years. Once this five year term expires, the Lok Sabha dissolves. On the other hand, the Rajya Sabha is a permanent house. After every two years, one third of the members of the Rajya Sabha retire.
• Lok Sabha is the house of people. The members of the Lok Sabha also called as the MPs are elected by the common people in the country who are eligible to vote during the general elections. Rajya Sabha is the council of states and the members of the Rajya Sabha are elected indirectly by the elected representatives of the people in the assemblies of different states and union territories in the country.
• The Lok Sabha has up to 552 members while the maximum number of members allowed for the Rajya Sabha is 250.
• The minimum age of eligibility to become a member of the Lok Sabha is 25 while it is 30 for the Rajya Sabha.
• The Speaker is the representative of the Lok Sabha while the Vice-President of India represents the Rajya Sabha.
• Money bill can be introduced only in Lok Sabha. Once it is passed by the Lok Sabha, it is sent to the Raja Sabha for consideration.