Rajya Sabha has been transformed from a ‘useless stepney tyre’ to the most useful supporting organ in the past few decades. Highlight the factors as well as the areas in which this transformation could be visible.

Dr S. Radhakrishnan in the constituent assembly termed Rajya Sabha as legislative and deliberative house which keeps a check on hasty legislation and enriches debates. However, this second house has been termed as Secondary house and considered as clog in the wheel of progress, which is not correct looking into transformation in its working.

Factors for transformation Rajya Sabha:

● Increase in specialists: This has given better insights into new bills taken up in the house. E.g.: Kapil Sibal (Law), Jairam Ramesh (Environment).

● Majority for opposition: This had allowed the opposition to unite and demand for detailed discussion before accepting new bills.

● Different features of Rajya Sabha: Unlike the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha is not subject to dissolution but one-third of its members retire after every second year. This ensures continuity and also brings about a fusion of new and old in the House which is customarily described as a House of Elders. This type of arrangement is designed to secure the representation of past as well as current opinion and help in maintaining continuity in public policy.

Area where transformation is visible:

● Focus on rationality rather than politics: This transformation has been more visible as Rajya Sabha has put more efforts to arrive at a conclusion through rational discussion rather than following political opportunism. Ex: Rajya Sabha indulging in debate on farm laws rather than boycotting sessions.

● Attendance of Members: The functioning of the eight Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committees (DRSCs) of Rajya Sabha has improved substantially with a 15 per cent increase in attendance and more than 16 per cent improvement in the average duration of meetings since their reconstitution in September 2019.

● Productivity of the House: Rajya Sabha has passed 3817 bills till the end of 294th session in 2019.

● Important Bills: The upper house has cleared the bills to penalize untouchability, prohibit dowry and passed landmark acts like Right to education.

“The Rajya Sabha has red carpets while the Lok Sabha has green ones. It means if the other House shows a green flag to any faulty legislation, we can show the red signal.” As India’s polity becomes more diverse and complex, the Rajya Sabha’s importance only grows with time.