Under the Constitution, the Parliament of India consists of three parts viz., the President, the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and the House of the People (Lok Sabha). The Rajya Sabha is the Upper House and the Lok Sabha is the Lower House. The former represents the states of the Indian Union, while the latter represents the people of India as a whole. Both houses share similar powers and responsibilities with respect to passing of ordinary bills, constitution amendment, impeachment of the President, removal of Judges of the High Courts and the Supreme Court etc.

However, there are certain special powers accorded to the Lok Sabha:

• Collective Responsibility: The Rajya Sabha cannot remove the Council of Ministers by passing a no-confidence motion. This is because the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible only to the Lok Sabha. But, the Rajya Sabha can discuss and criticise the policies and activities of the government.
• With regard to Money Bill: A Money Bill can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha and not in the Rajya Sabha. The Rajya Sabha cannot amend or reject a Money Bill. It should return the bill to the Lok Sabha within 14 days, either with recommendations or without recommendations. The Lok Sabha can either accept or reject all or any of the recommendations of the Rajya Sabha. In both the cases, the money bill is deemed to have been passed by the two Houses.
• With regard to financial bill: A financial bill, not containing solely the matters of Article 110, also can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha and not in the Rajya Sabha. But, with regard to its passage, both the Houses have equal powers.
• Powers of the Speaker: The Speaker of Lok Sabha presides over the joint sitting of both the Houses. The final power to decide whether a particular bill is a Money Bill or not is vested in the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
• Voting powers: Rajya Sabha can only discuss the budget but cannot vote on the demands for grants (which is the exclusive privilege of the Lok Sabha). A resolution for the discontinuance of the national emergency can be passed only by the Lok Sabha and not by the Rajya Sabha.

Similarly, the Rajya Sabha also enjoys some special powers that are not given to the Lok Sabha.

• Legislating on a subject in State List: Only the Rajya Sabha can authorize the Parliament to make a law on a subject enumerated in the State List.
• Creation of All India Services: It is the Rajya Sabha which can authorize the Parliament to create new All-India Services common to both the Centre and states.
• Removal of the Vice-President: The Rajya Sabha alone can initiate a motion for the removal of the Vice-President.

The Rajya Sabha was envisaged as a revising chamber and a protection against majority government. Thus, both the houses play a critical role in the maintenance of the federal equilibrium in the country.