Chairman of Rajya Sabha

The Chairman of Rajya Sabha is the Vice-President of India who leads the Rajya Sabha with many functions provided by the constitution. In this article, you will learn definition, powers and functions of chairman of the Rajya Sabha, chairman and deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha, providing key insights for GS Paper-II Polity and Governance section of UPSC IAS Exam.

Table of Content

• Who is the Chairman of Rajya Sabha?
• Powers and functions of the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha in India
• Salaries, allowances and tenure of Chairman of Rajya Sabha
• List of Chairman of Rajya Sabha in India
• Who is the Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha of India?
• Powers, functions and salary of DeputyChairman of Rajya Sabha
• Term of DeputyChairman of Rajya Sabha
• Panel of Vice-Chairpersons of Rajya Sabha
• Conclusion
• Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the Chairman of Rajya Sabha?

• The person who is the presiding officer or the one who leads the Rajya Sabha is called the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
• The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is the Vice-President of India.
• Constitutional provisions:
  • Article 63: there shall be a Vice-President of India.
  • Article 64: the ex officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha is the Vice-President of India (ex-officio).
• The first chairman of the Rajya Sabha was S. Radhakrishnan.
• The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is elected by the members of both the Houses of Parliament.

Powers and functions of the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha in India:

• The powers and duties of the Chairman in the Rajya Sabha are similar to those of the Speaker in the Lok Sabha except:
  • The Speaker has the final authority to determine whether a bill is a money bill or not.
  • The Speaker presides over joint sittings of both the Houses of Parliament.
• Unlike the Speaker in the Lok Sabha who is a member of the House, the Chairman is not a member of the Rajya Sabha.
• The Chairman cannot vote unless there is a tie whose vote will then be a deciding vote.
• The 10th Schedule of the Constitution grants the Chairman the authority to decide on the disqualification of a Rajya Sabha member due to defection.
• The Chairman’s approval is required to bring up a breach of privilege issue in the House.
• Parliamentary Committees operates under the Chairman’s guidance.
• He appoints members to various Standing Committees and Department-related Parliamentary Committees.
• He also serves as the Chairman of the Business Advisory Committee, the Rules Committee, and the General Purposes Committee.
• When the Vice-President assumes the role of the President or performs the President’s duties, they do not fulfil their responsibilities as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

Salaries, allowances and tenure of Chairman of the Rajya Sabha:

• Their salaries and allowances of the Chairman are determined by the Parliament which is charged from the Consolidated Fund of India,
  • They are not subject to annual parliamentary approval.
• The removal of chairman of Rajya Sabha: the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha can only be removed from office if they are removed from the position of Vice-President.
• When a resolution for the removal of the Vice-President is being considered, they cannot preside over the session of the Rajya Sabha as its Chairman.
  • However, they can attend and speak in the House without voting power during such circumstances.
  • Contrast: The Speaker of the Lok Sabha can vote when a resolution for their removal is being considered.

List of Chairman of Rajya Sabha in India:

The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha	Term of office
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan	13 May 1952 – 12 May 1962
Zakir Hussain	13 May 1962 – 12 May 1967
V. V. Giri	13 May 1967 – 3 May 1969
Gopal Swarup Pathak	31 August 1969 – 30 August 1974
B. D. Jatti	31 August 1974 – 30 August 1979
Mohammad Hidayatullah	31 August 1979 – 30 August 1984
R. Venkataraman	31 August 1984 – 24 July 1987
Shankar Dayal Sharma	3 September 1987 – 24 July 1992
K. R. Narayanan	21 August 1992 – 24 July 1997
Krishan Kant	21 August 1997 – 27 July 2002
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat	19 August 2002 – 21 July 2007
Mohammad Hamid Ansari	11 August 2007 – 11 August 2017
Venkaiah Naidu	11 August 2017 – 11 August 2022
Jagdeep Dhankhar	11 August 2022 – Incumbent

Who is the Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha of India?

• The Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is the vice chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
• The Rajya Sabha elects its Deputy Chairman from among its members.
• Constitutional provisions:
  • Article 89: there shall be a Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

Powers, functions and salary of Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha:

• He acts as the Deputy Chairman when:
  • The Chairman’s office falls vacant.
  • The Vice-President is discharging the functions as the President.
  • The Vice-President is absent from a session.
  • In such cases, the Deputy Chairman possesses the same powers as the Chairman.
• He is not subordinate to the Chairman and are directly accountable to the Rajya Sabha.
• While presiding over the House, he cannot vote initially and only has a casting vote in the event of a tie.
• When a resolution for his removal is being considered, they cannot preside over a session, but they can attend such session.
• When the Chairman presides over the House, the Deputy Chairman functions as an ordinary member.
  • They can speak, participate in proceedings, and vote on any matter before the House.
• The Deputy Chairman receives salary and allowance as determined by the Parliament and charged from the Consolidated Fund of India.

Term of Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha:

• When the Deputy Chairman position becomes vacant, another member is elected by the Rajya Sabha to fill the vacancy.
• The Deputy Chairman can vacate the office under three circumstances:
  • If they cease to be a member of the Rajya Sabha.
  • If they resign by writing to the Chairman.
  • If the removal of deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha through a resolution is passed by a majority of all Rajya Sabha members, after giving a 14-day notice.

Panel of Vice-Chairpersons of Rajya Sabha:

• According to the Rajya Sabha Rules, the Chairman appoints a group of vice-chairpersons from among the members.
• In the absence of the Chairman or the Deputy Chairman, any of the vice-chairpersons can preside over the House.
  • They possess the same powers as the Chairman while performing such functions.
• These vice-chairpersons serve until a new group is nominated.
• If none of the vice-chairpersons from the panel are present, the House selects another individual to act as the Chairman.
• A member from the panel of vice-chairpersons cannot preside over the House when the Chairman or the Deputy Chairman position is vacant.
  • During such periods, the President appoints a member of the House to fulfil the Chairman’s responsibilities.
• Elections must be conducted as soon as possible to fill the vacant positions.

Conclusion

The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha holds significant powers and responsibilities. The Chairman’s role is crucial in ensuring the smooth functioning of the Rajya Sabha and upholding parliamentary procedures and regulations.

Ref: Source-1

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Panchayati Raj System	Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) & VVPAT
Features of Indian Constitution	Devices of Parliamentary Proceedings

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