Parliament: Powers of Rajya Sabha

Equal Status with Lok Sabha

Unequal Status with Lok Sabha 

• Introduction and passage of ordinary bills.

• A Money Bill can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha and not in the Rajya Sabha. 

• Introduction and passage of Constitutional amendment bills. 

• Rajya Sabha cannot amend or reject a Money Bill.

• Introduction and passage of financial bills involving expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of India. 

• The Lok Sabha can either accept or reject all or any of the recommendations of the Rajya Sabha. 

• Election and impeachment of the president.

• A financial bill, not containing solely the matters of Article 110, also can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha and not in the Rajya Sabha.

• Election and removal of the Vice-President.

• The final power to decide whether a particular bill is a Money Bill or not is vested in the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. 

• Making recommendation to the President for the removal of Chief Justice and judges of Supreme Court and high courts, chief election commissioner and comptroller and auditor general.

• The Speaker of Lok Sabha presides over the joint sitting of both the Houses

• Approval of ordinances issued by the President. 

• Rajya Sabha can only discuss the budget but cannot vote on the demands for grants

• Approval of proclamation of all three types of emergencies by the President

• A resolution for the discontinuance of the national emergency can be passed only by the Lok Sabha and not by the Rajya Sabha. 

• Selection of ministers including the Prime Minister

• The Rajya Sabha cannot remove the council of ministers by passing a no-confidence motion

• Consideration of the reports of the constitutional bodies like Finance Commission, Union Public Service Commission, comptroller and auditor general, etc

• Enlargement of the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and the Union Public Service Commission.