Nomination to Rajya Sabha

In News

• Recently, the government nominated 4 members in Rajya Sabha.
  • Soon, the Assemblies of 4 states will also elect 16 MPs to Rajya Sabha. 

More about the news

• Nominated members:
  • The four new nominated entrants in Rajya Sabha are:
    • Musician Ilaiyaraaja, 
    • Track-and-field icon PT Usha, 
    • Telugu screenwriter V Vijayendra Prasad, and 
    • Philanthropist and spiritual leader Veerendra Heggade.
  • These members belong to four southern states, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.
  • The Upper House of Parliament now has nine nominated members — the other five being:
    • Lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani, dancer Sonal Mansingh, politician Ram Shakal, author and columnist Rakesh Sinha, and former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi. 
  • Three nominated positions are currently vacant.
• Elections of Rajya Sabha:
  • The elections to fill the vacant seats of Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Haryana.
  • 16 MPs will be elected in Rajya Sabha through these elections.

Nominated Members in Rajya Sabha

• Constitutional backing:
  • Article 80 of the Constitution (“Composition of the Council of States”) says 
    • “The Council of States shall consist of (a) twelve members to be nominated by the President in accordance with the provisions of clause (3); and (b) not more than two hundred and thirty-eight representatives of the States and of the Union territories.
    • Clause 3 of the article layer down the qualifications for the appointment.
• Role of nominated members:
  • Powers and privileges:
    • Nominated members of Rajya Sabha enjoy all the powers and privileges to which the elected MPs are entitled. 
    • They can take part in the proceedings of the House in a normal manner.
  • Election of President and Vice-President:
    • Nominated members are not allowed to vote in the election of the President. 
    • However, they do have the right to vote in the election of the Vice-President.
• Significance of nomination:
  • The rationale behind this principle of nomination is to provide eminent persons a place in the Rajya Sabha without going through the process of election. 
  • It gives an opportunity to those who might be willing to participate in the debate with an amount of learning and importance which we do not ordinarily associate with the House of the People (Lok Sabha)
• Criticisms: 
  • Poor attendance:
    • There has been criticism that several nominated members have poor attendance and do not appear to show much interest in legislative work.
    • In this context, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, actor Rekha, and businesswoman Anu Aga have faced criticism in recent years.
  • Politicisation of the nominated category:
    • Over time, the high ideal of the nomination came to be eroded. 
    • Ruling dispensations have repeatedly used the nominated category to shore up their numbers in the House, to dispense favours, and to get their preferred individuals into Parliament.
    • While a nominated member can join a political party within six months of taking his/ her seat in the House, even those who remain technically independent are assumed to be aligned with the ruling regime.

Way Ahead

• Comparing with Britain and the USA:
  • Position of the Rajya Sabha in our constitutional system is not as strong as that of the Senate in the American constitutional system.
  • But, is stronger than that of the House of Lords in the British constitutional system. 
• In conjunction with Lok Sabha:
  • Except in financial matters and control over the council of ministers, the powers and status of the Rajya Sabha in all other spheres are broadly equal and coordinate with that of the Lok Sabha.
  • It checks hasty, defective, careless and ill-considered legislation made by the Lok Sabha by making provision of revision and thought.
• Federal equilibrium:
  • Apart from giving representation to eminent professionals and experts, Rajya Sabha maintains the federal equilibrium by protecting the interests of the states against the undue interference of the Centre.

Source: TH