Home » Languages » English (Sr. Secondary) » Essay, Paragraph or Speech on “Relevance of Rajya Sabha” Complete Essay, Speech for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Essay, Paragraph or Speech on “Relevance of Rajya Sabha” Complete Essay, Speech for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Relevance of Rajya Sabha

During the last 50 years, Rajya Sabha has emerged as a Parliamentary I./institution of great repute and has contributed immensely to the success of our parliamentary democracy. It has given representation, as Shri Gopala swami Ayyangar, a legal luminary and a member of the Constituent Assembly had aptly said, ” to the seasoned people who may not be in the thickest of political fray, but who might be ” willing to participate in the debate with an amount of learning and importance”. Rajya Sabha is a permanent body and is not subject to dissolution. However, one third of its members retire biennially. A member who is elected for a full term retains his membership for six years.

During the span of five decades, the Council of States has played a remarkable role as a advisory chamber, deliberative body and legislative apparatus. Compared to many other Second Chambers in the world, Rajya Sabha has given a good account of its performance. It has succeeded in combining dignity with intense activity. Rajya Sabha’s record in initiating legislative measures is a testimony to the fact that while it may be a Second Chamber, it cannot be treated as a secondary chamber. Numerous legislation’s have been introduced in Rajya Sabha, the depth and content of which encompassed the interests of the downtrodden and suffering sections of our society. The Hindu Marriage and Divorce Bill, 1952; The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Bill, 1986; The Transplantation of Human Organs Bill, 1994, The Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill, 1999, The Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Amendment Bill, 2001, etc., speak of the comprehensive vision of Rajya Sabha in taking appropriate measures for the welfare of the underprivileged and the needy.

Over the years, Rajya Sabha has assumed a more dynamic role in deliberating issues of common concern and bringing out legislation’s of far reaching significance. Active participation of its members in the proceedings of various committees also highlights the expanding role of Rajya Sabha. Occupational background of members of Rajya Sabha has reflected a marked change in the last 50 years. Earlier lawyers constituted a major chunk of the occupational distribution in the House. Today, maximum number of members have preferred to put their profession as ‘Political and Social

Workers’. In 1952, almost all the members were freedom fighters and had participated in the freedom movement, but they preferred to give their chosen profession as either agriculturist or lawyers or medical practitioners or educationists. However, today many members have had previous legislative experience either in the State Assemblies or in Lok Sabha or have served the Government or judiciary in various meaningful capacities. Also, there are members with specialized professional experience in wide range of fields including editorship of newspapers, magazines, etc. film making to tourism and hotel industry. Thus, we may say that Rajya Sabha members with their higher age profile, varied educational qualification and diverse professional experience reflect the changing profile of our nation and to that extent today are better equipped to discharge their responsibilities effectively and contribute to the all round development of the nation. Public perceptions of the functioning of the democracy is not only based on the quality of governance provided by the executive but also on how far the proceedings in the House are relevant for its welfare and Rajya Sabha has performed this role remarkably well, deliberating fruitfully on numerous socio-economic issues and passing legislations aimed at-the-welfare of the people. Rajya Sabha has, indeed, emerged as a front ranking second chamber translating successfully the principles of bicameralism into practice.

The Case Against

There is an urgent need for redefining and reorienting the role of the Upper House of Parliament to make it more relevant and effective in meeting the present and future challenges that confront India as it tries to realize the vision of becoming a frontline nation by 2020. The Council of States had a special role to play in bringing about coherence in national and state development policies. Also the Rajya Sabha should set high standards for other elected bodies to emulate; particularly the State legislatures and zillaparishads. While the Council of States could not bring down a government, it made a valuable contribution through meaningful deliberations.

Every so often the Rajya Sabha becomes a topic of controversy, generating a debate over the relevance of an “indirectly elected chamber” in this age of mass democracy and direct elections. In recent years there seems to be considerable concern over the role money power has come to play in the election of candidates. Almost all political parties are now reduced to selecting those candidates who can finance their way into the Rajya Sabha. This is bound to disturb not only the representative character of the Upper House but it also defeats the original purpose of having a second chamber.

A second chamber would inevitably tend to act as a “cog in the wheel” of the nation’s progress. But the dominant leadership of the Constituent Assembly, which packed the all-crucial Union Constitution Committee, had no doubts about a second chamber. The inclination was to provide a forum for “elders”, “wise men” or “statesmen” from where they could act as speed-breakers, without of course doing any great injustice to the principle of direct representation or distracting from the representative ness of the Lower House.

What we have really achieve by the existence of this second chamber is only an instrument by which we delay action which might be hastily conceived and we also give an opportunity, perhaps to seasoned people who may not be in the thickest of the political fray, but who might be willing to participate in the debate with an amount of learning and importance which we do not ordinarily associate with a House of People.

In other words, it is “An institutional arrangement designed to provide insurance against legislative tyranny of the popular lower chambers.” This original purpose has more than been justified in recent years, especially now that the same political party/parties does not enjoy a majority in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

Sometimes even the lack of a Rajya Sabha majority acts as an internal check on rash and haughty judgement; in particular, the Centre now seems to be doubly circumspect in wanting to invoke Article 356 against states, being ruled by unfriendly political parties.

Notwithstanding the unhealthy role money power has come to play in the selection of the Rajya Sabha candidates, it is generally conceded that of late the Upper House has been witnessing a higher standard of debate, with rules permitting the members to seek clarifications from the ministers. A good case, all said and done, for the Rajya Sabha priding itself in a bit of institutional history.

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