Lok Sabha
## Introduction
The Lok Sabha, constitutionally known as the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. The Parliament of India consists of the President, the Council of States (Rajya Sabha), and the House of the People (Lok Sabha). Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-past-the-post system to represent their respective constituencies. They hold their seats for five years or until the body is dissolved by the President on the advice of the council of ministers . The house meets in the Lok Sabha Chambers of the Parliament House, New Delhi.
The maximum membership of the House allotted by the Constitution of India is 552. Currently, the house has 543 seats which are filled by the election of up to 543 elected members. Between 1952 and 2020, two additional members of the Anglo-Indian community were also nominated by the President of India on the advice of the Government of India, which was abolished in January 2020 by the 104th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2019.
The Lok Sabha, unless sooner dissolved, continues to operate for five years from the date appointed for its first meeting . A total of 131 seats (24.03%) are reserved for representatives of Scheduled Castes (84) and Scheduled Tribes (47) . The quorum for the House is 10% of the total membership.
The Lok Sabha is a significant part of the Indian Polity and plays a crucial role in the enactment of laws and policies.
## History of the Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha, or the House of the People, has a rich history that is intertwined with the history of India's independence and its subsequent journey as a democratic republic. Here is a brief overview of the history of the Lok Sabha:
The Constituent Assembly (1946-1949): The Constituent Assembly, which consisted of indirectly elected representatives, was set up for the purpose of drafting a constitution for India 1. It remained in being for almost three years, acting as the first parliament of India after independence in 1947.
First Lok Sabha (1952-1957): The first Lok Sabha was elected in the first general elections of independent India, held from 25 October 1951 to 21 February 1952. The Indian National Congress (INC) won 364 seats out of 489. Jawaharlal Nehru was elected the Prime Minister.
Second Lok Sabha (1957-1962): In the second Lok Sabha, the INC won 371 seats out of 494, Jawaharlal Nehru was re-elected as the Prime Minister.
Third Lok Sabha (1962-1967): In these elections, the INC won 361 seats I. After the death of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964, Gulzari Lal Nanda was made the interim PM who was succeeded by Lal Bahadur Shastri.
Since then, the Lok Sabha has been reconstituted every five years, with elections held for all seats. The party (or a coalition) that gets a majority in the Lok Sabha gets to form the central government.
## Structure of the Lok Sabha
- Membership: The Lok Sabha can have a maximum of 552 members. Currently, the house has 543 seats which are filled by the election of up to 543 elected members. Between 1952 and 2020, two additionall members of the Anglo-Indian community were also nominated by the President of India on the advice of the Government of India, which was abolished in January 2020 by the 104th Constitutional Amendment Act,
2019. - Election: Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-past-the-post system to represent their respective constituencies. They hold their seats for five years or until the body is dissolved by the President on the advice of the council of ministers.
- Reserved Seats: A total of 131 seats (24.03% are reserved for representatives of Scheduled Castes (84) and Scheduled Tribes (47).
- Quorum: The quorum for the House is 10% of the total membership.
- Leadership: The Lok Sabha has several key positions including the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Prime Minister, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Leader of the House, Deputy Leader of the House, Leader of Opposition, Deputy Leader of Opposition, and Secretary General.
- Meeting Place: The house meets in the Lok Sabha Chambers of the Parliament House, New Delhi.
## Functioning of the Lok Sabha
- Legislative Function: The Lok Sabha can pass bills concerning all those subjects which have been included in the Union List and the Concurrent List. It can also pass bills regarding state subjects in emergencies or if Rajya Sabha declares a particular state subject of national importance.
- Financial Function: The Lok Sabha's control over the nation's purse is an undisputed fact. A money bill must be initiated in the Lok Sabha
. The Lok Sabha is equipped with exclusive power of authorizing the
expenditure.
- Control over the Executive: In a Parliamentary form of government, the most important function of a lower House is "Control over the Executive". According to Article 75 (3), the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. This means, the ministry must tender resignation if a vote of non-confidence is passed against it by the Lok Sabha.
- Electoral Function: The Lok Sabha plays a crucial role in the election of the President and Vice-President of
India. - Amendment of the Constitution: The Lok Sabha shares with the Rajya Sabha the power to amend the Constitution.
- Representative Function: Members of the Lok Sabha represent constituencies across the country, and their primary responsibility is to enact laws and policies.
- Discussing Public Issues: Lok Sabha sessions provide a platform for elected representatives to voice the concerns of the people, hold the government accountable, and shape the nation's policies and laws.
## Key Moments in Lok Sabha History
- First General Election (1951-52): India's first Lok Sabha election after independence was conducted over four months in 1951-52 for 489 Lok Sabha seats ). The Indian National Congress (INC) won 364 seats and formed the government under the prime ministership of Jawaharlal Nehru.
- Second General Election (1957): In 1957, the country with 14 states and six Union Territories went to the polls for 494 Lok Sabha seats . Prime Minister Nehru led Congress came back to power with a thumping.majority by winning 371 seats.
- Third General Election (1962): Congress under PM Nehru had won decisively in 1962 general election and came back to power with 361 out of 494 seats.
- Fourth General Election (1967): Based on the census of 1961, the fourth Lok Sabha election was held for 520 seats. Congress came back to power for the fourth time by winning 283 seats.
However. the results came as a shock for the party as it was below 300-mark for the first time. - Fifth General Election (1971): Indira Gandhi came back to power again in 1971 election. INC crossed the 350 mark and won 352 out of 518 Lok Sabha seats.
- Eleventh General Election (1996): The 11th Lok Sabha lasted for a short period of time. he minority Inder Kumar Guiral government collapsed when the Congress withdrew its support.
- Thirteenth General Election (1999): NDA won 298 seats, Atal Bihari Vajpayee formed the government in coalition with 22 parties. This time he could sustain his government till 2004.
## Conclusion
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed BJP workers at party headquarters in New Delhi and asserted that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was strongly headed to form government for the third time.
- The election turned into a 'kaante ki takkar' as the INDlA bloc gave a tough fight to the NDA even though the BJP-led alliance went past the majority mark of 272.
- The Congress-led Opposition alliance, INDIA bloc, was hopeful.of causing.an.upset and claimed it would win 295 seats.
- Exit polls predicted a clear edge for the NDA, driven by the BJP'S gains in southern and eastern states.
- President Droupadi Murmu hosted a dinner for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the outgoing council of ministers at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.
- The Samaiwadi Party's winning candidate from Faizabad (Ayodhya)
- Awadhesh Prasad criticized the BJP. saying,."These are not the people who have brought Ram, these are the people who do business in the name of Ram, all their secrets have been exposed.
- After the INDIA bloc meeting chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Kongunadu Makkal Desia Katchi leader ER Eswaran said that the mandate was with the opposition coalition, but the numbers were not.
- Congress President Mallikarjun Khagre said that the INDIA bloc will continue to fight against the fascist rule of the BJP led by PM Modi
Please note that the tenure of the Lok Sabha is scheduled to end on 16 June 2024, unless dissolved midway
3). The Lok Sabha continues its tenure for 5 years from the day of its first meeting.
## References
- Lok Sabha - Wikipedia: This is a comprehensive source that provides detailed information about the Lok Sabha, including its history, qualifications, powers, procedure, officers, general elections, statewise representation, membership by party, and more.
- Lok Sabha | Facts & History | Britannica: This source provides facts and history about the Lok Sabha. It also provides information about the Indian constitution, its members, and the term of five years by territorial constituencies in the states and union territories of India.
- Parliament Digital Library: Home: This digital library provides information about various parliamentary documents of Lok Sabha. The debates of Lok Sabha, from the First Lok Sabha to the Seventeenth Lok Sabha are placed in this portal.
- Parliament Digital Library: Publications : This collection provides knowledge creation of the data generated by the Indian Parliament in the form of books, etc.
