With reference to Rajya Sabha, answer the following questions :

(a) What are the qualifications necessary to become a member of the Rajya Sabha?

(b) Describe the legislative and financial powers of the Rajya Sabha.

(a) To be a member of the Rajya Sabha, a candidate must possess the following qualifications :

1. He must be a citizen of India.
2. He should be at least 30 years of age.
3. He should not be a proclaimed offender.
4. He should not hold any office of profit under the Government.
5. Like the member of the Lok Sabha he or she should possess such other qualifications as may be specified by Parliament from time to time.

(b) LEGISLATIVE POWERS OF THE RAJYA SABHA

The legislative powers of the Rajya Sabha are:

1. The Rajya Sabha, along with the Lok Sabha is the law-making body at the central level.It frames new laws and amends or repeals them, if necessary, on all the 97 Subjects of the Union List and all the Residuary Subjects which have not found a place in any of the lists.
2. The Rajya Sabha can declare any of the Subjects in the State List to be a subject of national interest and thereby empower the Union Parliament to legislate on that subject.
3. The Rajya Sabha can decide by 2/3rd majority to set-up a new All India Service.
4. Rajya Sabha is a permanent body and is not subject to dissolution. Hence, its role becomes very important during the period when the Lok Sabha remains dissolved, especially during proclamation of Emergency. Then it acts as Union Legislature.

FINANCIAL POWERS OF THE RAJYA SABHA

The Rajya Sabha enjoys little financial power as compared to the Lok Sabha. Some of these financial powers are:

1. Annual Budget: The Union Minister for Finance presents the Budget for the upcoming year with the prior approval of the President. The Parliament is empowered to vote a cut in the Budget or to reject it as a whole.
2. Consolidated Fund of India: Some items of the Budget are charged from the Consolidated Fund of India. The Parliament has the right to debate the propriety of these items, but it cannot vote on them.
3. Supplementary Demands: The Finance Minister may come out with supplementary budget in the latter half of the Financial Year, which are treated by the Parliament just as the Annual Budget.
4. Salary and Allowances of the Members of Parliament: The Parliament decides the salaries and allowances of its own members and also those of the Ministers and the Chief Justices and Judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts.