Lok Sabha

Overview

The Lok Sabha, or House of the People, is the lower house of the Parliament of India. It is the directly elected chamber of the bicameral national legislature, with members chosen by adult citizens of India through general elections held on the basis of universal adult franchise. Together with the Rajya Sabha and the President of India, it forms the Parliament of the Republic of India.

The Lok Sabha plays the central role in the legislative process, the formation of the Union government, and oversight of the executive. The Council of Ministers, led by the Prime Minister of India, is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.

Key facts

Name	Lok Sabha (House of the People)
Type	Lower house of the Parliament of India
Country	India
Meeting place	Sansad Bhavan, New Delhi
Established	1952 (first sitting)
Term	Five years, unless dissolved earlier
Electoral system	First-past-the-post in single-member constituencies
Presiding officer	Speaker of the Lok Sabha
Constitutional basis	Articles 79–122 of the Constitution of India

Constitutional background

The Lok Sabha is established under Part V of the Constitution of India. Article 79 provides for a Parliament for the Union consisting of the President and two Houses, of which the Lok Sabha is the popularly elected House. Articles 81 to 98 deal with the composition, qualifications, duration, officers, and procedure of the House.

The first general election to the Lok Sabha was held in 1951–52, and the first Lok Sabha was constituted in 1952. It replaced the earlier Constituent Assembly (Legislative) that had functioned as the provisional Parliament after independence.

Composition

The Lok Sabha is composed of members directly elected from territorial constituencies in the States and Union Territories. The Constitution sets an upper limit on the total membership of the House. The allocation of seats among the States is determined on the basis of population, in accordance with constitutional provisions and laws governing delimitation.

Members from States: Elected directly by voters in single-member constituencies.
Members from Union Territories: Elected as provided by Parliament by law.
Reserved seats: Seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in proportion to their population, as provided in the Constitution.

Earlier, the President could nominate members of the Anglo-Indian community to the Lok Sabha; this provision was discontinued by constitutional amendment.

Eligibility and elections

To be elected to the Lok Sabha, a person must be a citizen of India, be at least 25 years of age, and meet other qualifications laid down by the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Elections are conducted by the Election Commission of India.

The normal term of the Lok Sabha is five years from the date of its first sitting, after which it stands dissolved automatically. The President may dissolve the House earlier on the advice of the Council of Ministers. During a Proclamation of Emergency, Parliament may extend the term by law for a period not exceeding one year at a time.

Officers of the House

Speaker

The Speaker of the Lok Sabha is elected by the members of the House from among themselves. The Speaker presides over sittings, maintains order, decides on points of order, certifies Money Bills, and represents the House in its relations with the President, the Rajya Sabha, and outside bodies.

Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker is also elected by the members and presides in the absence of the Speaker. Both officers continue in office until a new House is constituted, subject to the conditions laid down in the Constitution.

Secretariat

The Lok Sabha is supported by an independent Secretariat headed by the Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha, which provides administrative and procedural assistance to members.

Functions and powers

Legislative

The Lok Sabha considers and passes Bills on subjects in the Union List and the Concurrent List. Ordinary Bills may be introduced in either House, but Money Bills can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha. The Rajya Sabha cannot reject or amend Money Bills; it may only recommend changes, which the Lok Sabha may accept or reject.

Financial

The Union Budget is presented to and voted upon by the Lok Sabha. Demands for Grants and the Appropriation Bill require the assent of the Lok Sabha before public expenditure can be authorised.

Executive accountability

The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. The House exercises control through devices such as the Question Hour, Zero Hour, debates, motions of confidence and no-confidence, calling-attention notices, and adjournment motions.

Constitutional

The Lok Sabha participates in amending the Constitution under Article 368, in the impeachment of the President, in the removal of judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, and in other constitutional processes such as the approval of Proclamations of Emergency.

Procedure and sittings

The Lok Sabha generally meets in three sessions a year: the Budget Session, the Monsoon Session, and the Winter Session. The Constitution requires that the gap between two sessions of Parliament must not exceed six months. Proceedings are conducted in Hindi and English, with simultaneous interpretation available in other scheduled languages on request.

The work of the House is supplemented by Parliamentary Committees, including Standing Committees and Select or Joint Committees, which examine Bills, scrutinise demands for grants, and oversee specific areas of administration.

Meeting place

The Lok Sabha meets in the Sansad Bhavan complex in New Delhi. For decades it sat in the circular Parliament House designed during the colonial period; sittings have since shifted to a new Parliament building constructed in the same complex.

History and chronology

1950: The Constitution of India comes into force, providing for a Parliament with a House of the People.
1951–52: First general election held; the first Lok Sabha is constituted.
1952: First sitting of the Lok Sabha.
Successive Lok Sabhas have been constituted following each general election, with the House numbered sequentially.

Significance

As the directly elected chamber of Parliament, the Lok Sabha is the principal forum through which the people of India participate in national lawmaking and hold the Union executive accountable. Its decisions on Money Bills, the Budget, and confidence in the government give it a decisive role in the working of India's parliamentary democracy.

References

Constitution of India, Part V (The Union), Articles 79–122.
Representation of the People Act, 1951.
Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha.
Lok Sabha Secretariat publications on parliamentary practice and procedure.

Menu