In news : Recently, Rajya Sabha Chairman offered 12 tips to the newly elected members
What are the 12 tips?
He has given these 12 tips to the newly elected members of the House to make a difference to the functioning of the House and making the nation as effective Parliamentarians. Following are the 12 tips given by the vice President of India:
- Sound knowledge of the provisions and philosophy of the Constitution
- He said that our Constitution provides the pathway for socio-economic transformation of our nation based on the principles of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity.
- Suggested that the members need to equip themself with proper knowledge of these constitutional principles and the underlying philosophy as they offer the operational matrix to members.
- Understanding of the role and evolution of Rajya Sabha:
- He explained the new members although Rajya Sabhais known a as ‘second chamber’ but is certainly not a ‘secondary chamber
- He said that except in the case of Money Bills, both the Houses of Parliament are at par with regard to making of laws for the country.
- Knowledge of Rules and Conventions of the House:
- He elaborated the significance of Rules of Procedure for Conduct of Business in the Council of States
- And said that these Rules provide for every possible contingency.
- Healthy respect for Rules and Conventions of the House
- He said that problems arise in the House when the well established Rules and Conventions of the House are either violated or sought to be twisted in their interpretation.
- And informed them to adhere to the Rules and Conventions of the House.
- He also gave the examples of Rule 267 and its usage in exceptional situations
Law making process
- He explain to the members about the provisions regarding the processes of Law making
- Also explained the duty of MPs to defend the integrity and sovereignty of our country
State of the Nation
- He said that understanding of the State of the Nation is an essential pre-requisite for enabling its rapid transformation towards the chosen goals.
In-depth knowledge of issues
- He highlighted the importance of in-depth knowledge of all domains
- He encouraged the MPs to gain knowledge with the usage of Parliament Library
Focused interventions:
- He said the main challenge before the House and Presiding Officers is time management.
- And asked MPs to be precise and not to be repetitive
Informed criticism not intentional obstruction:
- He explained the role of Opposition in constructive criticism of the government
- Also said that opposing every move of the government for the sake of record dents it’s credibility.
Privileges and Obligations:
- He suggested MPs to be aware of their privileges as Members of Rajya Sabha
- Further cautioned that it is even more important to be aware of your obligations towards effective functioning of the House and to the constituents you represent in the House.
Master the technology:
- While explaining the importance of ICT, he said to MPs that if you are tech shy, better overcome it and become tech savvy
- He also mentioned e-Notices of RS in this regard
In the end, obey the Chair
While explaining about the role of Presiding officer, he said that it is in your interest and that of the House to abide by the decision of the Chair, whether it is Chairman, Deputy Chairman or Panel Vice-Chairman
About Rajya Sabha
Origin:
The ‘Council of States’ which is also known as Rajya Sabha, a nomenclature that was announced by the chair in the House on the 23rd August, 1954 has its own distinctive features. The origin of the second Chamber can be traced to the Montague-Chelmsford Report of 1918. The Government of India Act, 1919 provided for the creation of a ‘Council of State’ as a second chamber of the then legislature with a restricted franchise which actually came into existence in 1921. The Governor-General was the ex-officio President of the then Council of State.
Constitutional Provisions relating to Rajya Sabha
Article 80 of the Constitution lays down the maximum strength of Rajya Sabha as 250, out of which 12 members are nominated by the President and 238 are representatives of the States and of the two Union Territories. The present strength of Rajya Sabha, however, is 245, out of which 233 are representatives of the States and Union territories of Delhi and Puducherry and 12 are nominated by the President. The members nominated by the President are persons having special knowledge or practical experience in respect of such matters as literature, science, art and social service.
Allocation of Seats
The Fourth Schedule to the Constitution provides for allocation of seats to the States and Union Territories in Rajya Sabha. The allocation of seats is made on the basis of the population of each State.
