The Parliament: Lok Sabha Notes with PDF

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Lok Sabha: Composition, Structure, and Representation

A. Maximum and Current Strength

Constitutional Maximum: 550 members.
- Composition: 530 from States + 20 from Union Territories.
Current Strength: 543 members (524 from States + 19 from Union Territories).
Historical Changes:
- The 104th Constitutional Amendment Act (2019) discontinued the nomination of two Anglo-Indian members, reducing the maximum from 552 to 550.
- The 31st Constitutional Amendment Act (1973) increased the strength from 525 to 545.
- The 7th Constitutional Amendment (1956) initially set the number of Lok Sabha members.

B. Allocation of Seats

Basis: Primarily based on the state’s population (as per Article 81).
Current Freeze: The allocation is based on the 1971 Census, frozen by the 84th Constitutional Amendment Act (2001) until the first census after 2026.
Objective: To divide states into constituencies with as equal population as possible (exception for states with a population of six million or less).
State-wise Representation:
- Largest Representation: Uttar Pradesh (80 seats).
- Other States: Maharashtra (48), West Bengal (42), Tamil Nadu (39), Bihar (ranked 2nd/3rd), Rajasthan (25), Andhra Pradesh (25).
- Minimal Representation: Sikkim (2 seats); Chandigarh, Sikkim, and Mizoram have one seat each.
- Fact: Bihar’s total seats equal the combined seats of Punjab and West Bengal.

C. Nominated Members (Anglo-Indian Community)

Original Provision: Article 331 allowed the President to nominate 2 Anglo-Indian members if not adequately represented.
Cessation: This provision expired on January 25, 2020, and was not extended.

D. Reservation of Seats

Constitutional Basis: Article 330 governs the reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).
Calculation: Based on the percentage of the SC/ST population to the state’s total population.
Voting: All voters in a reserved constituency can vote; there is no separate electoral roll.
Reserved Seat Count (Post-2008 Delimitation):
- SCs: 84 seats.
- STs: 47 seats.
State-wise Exceptions:
- No SC/ST Reservation: Union Territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, and Puducherry.
- No ST Reservation: States of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
- High ST Reservation: Madhya Pradesh has the highest (6), followed by Jharkhand and Odisha (5 each).

E. The Delimitation Commission

Role: Readjusts constituency boundaries to balance voter numbers; decides which specific constituencies are reserved for SCs/STs.
Appointment: Appointed by the President under an Act of Parliament.

Lok Sabha: Election Process and Membership

A. Eligibility and Candidacy

Minimum Age: 25 years (Article 84(b)).
Nomination: Can only be filed by a citizen whose name appears in the electoral roll of that constituency (Representation of the People Act, 1951).
Security Deposit:
- Forfeiture: A candidate loses the deposit if they fail to secure more than one-sixth (1/6) of the total valid votes.
- Amount (Current): ₹25,000 for General candidates; ₹12,500 for SC/ST candidates.

B. Electoral Administration

Authority: The Election Commission of India directs and controls the preparation of electoral rolls and conducts elections (Article 324).
Basis: Elections are conducted on the basis of adult suffrage (Article 326).
Support: The President must make staff available to the Election Commission upon request.

C. Voting System and Winning

System: A candidate can win by a plurality (highest number of votes); it is not necessary to secure 50% of the votes.

D. Tenure, Sessions, and Dissolution

Normal Term: 5 years.
Sessions: The President must summon Parliament at least twice a year. The gap between two sessions cannot exceed six months.
Dissolution: The President can dissolve the Lok Sabha on the recommendation of the Prime Minister.
Extension: During a national emergency, the term can be extended by one year at a time, but not beyond six months after the emergency ends.
Historical Precedent: The 5th Lok Sabha (1971-1977) had the longest term (~6 years).

E. Procedures and Quorum

Quorum: The minimum number of members required to conduct business is one-tenth (1/10th) of the total membership.
Termination of a Sitting: Can be done by:
- Adjournment (by the Speaker).
- Prorogation (by the President).
- Dissolution (by the President).

F. Disqualification of Members

A member’s seat can be declared vacant if they are absent (without permission) for a continuous period of 60 days.

Lok Sabha: Leadership and Officials

A. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha

Election: Elected by all members of the Lok Sabha. The Speaker must be a member of the House or become one within six months of election.
Oath: The Speaker does not take a formal oath of office.
Resignation: Submitted to the Deputy Speaker.
Removal: Requires a resolution passed by a majority of all the then members of the Lok Sabha.
Tenure: Vacates office only upon ceasing to be a member or upon the dissolution of the House.
Powers and Functions:
- Casting Vote: Has a casting vote in case of a tie (Article 100).
- Administrative Control: The Lok Sabha Secretariat operates under the direct supervision of the Speaker.
- Legislative Process: The general discussion on a Bill takes place during the Second Reading.
Protem Speaker: Appointed from senior members to administer oaths and preside until the regular Speaker is elected.
Historical Facts:
- First Speaker: G.V. Mavalankar.
- First Speaker against whom a No-Confidence motion was moved: G.V. Mavalankar.
- First Female Speaker: Meira Kumar.
- First Tribal Speaker: P.A. Sangma.

B. The Deputy Speaker

Voting: When presiding, cannot vote in the first instance but can exercise a casting vote.
Joint Sitting: Does not have the right to preside over a joint sitting of Parliament in the Speaker’s absence.
Post Allocation: There is no constitutional rule that the Deputy Speaker’s post must go to the opposition.

C. Other Key Figures

Leader of the House: The Prime Minister is the leader of the Lok Sabha.
Leader of the Opposition (LoP):
- Recognition: Officially recognized for the first time in 1969.
- Criteria: The party must have a minimum of 10% of the total seats (55 seats in a 545-member House).
- Historical Context: In the first Lok Sabha, the single largest opposition party was the Communist Party of India (CPI).
Attorney General of India (AGI):
- Appointment: Appointed by the President.
- Rights: Has the right to speak in both Houses but no right to vote.
- Status: Is not a member of the Cabinet.

Lok Sabha: Legislative and Financial Powers

A. Money Bills (Article 110)

Introduction: Can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha.
Lok Sabha’s Exclusive Power: Has exclusive power over the rejection or amendment of a Money Bill.
Role of Rajya Sabha: Cannot amend a Money Bill; can only make recommendations. It can detain a Money Bill for a maximum of 14 days.
Presidential Assent: A Money Bill/Finance Bill must be signed by the President.

B. Parliamentary Discussions

A discussion under Rule 184 is significant as it provides for voting along with the discussion.

Historical and Miscellaneous Facts

First General Election: Held in 1952.
Election History: The 9th Lok Sabha was dissolved on March 13, 1991. Elections for the 12th Lok Sabha were held in February 1998.
Constituencies: The largest Lok Sabha constituency by area is Ladakh. After delimitation, the largest constituency in Uttar Pradesh by number of voters is Baghpat.
Union Territories: UTs get representation in both Houses of Parliament. The maximum allocation to UTs in the Lok Sabha is 20.

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