Date
- Date
- 23rd Aug 1954
Time
- Time
- ...
The Council of States Adopted the Hindi Name Rajya Sabha in the Indian Parliament
On 23 August 1954, the Council of States, the Upper House of India's Parliament, officially adopted the Hindi name Rajya Sabha.
Its Chairman, Vice-President Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, announced the name in the House.
Constituted on 3 April 1952, the Council had held its first sitting on 13 May 1952.
History of the Council of States
The history of the Council of States is connected with the evolution of legislative institutions in British India.
The Government of India Act, 1919, introduced a bicameral legislative arrangement at the central level.
Under this system, a Council of State was established in 1921 as the second chamber of the colonial legislature.
However, the colonial Council of State had limited powers and a restricted electoral structure.
Following India's independence in 1947, the Constituent Assembly developed a new constitutional framework for parliamentary democracy.
The Constitution of India provided for a Parliament consisting of the President and two Houses: the Council of States and the House of the People.
The Council of States became the Upper House of Parliament, representing states and providing an additional forum for legislative discussion.
Establishment of the Council of States in 1952
The Council of States was constituted on 3 April 1952, following India's first general elections.
Its first sitting took place on 13 May 1952.
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, India's first Vice-President, became the first Chairman of the Council of States.
The establishment of the House marked the beginning of the functioning of the Upper House under India's republican Constitution.
The Council was designed as a permanent chamber, providing continuity in parliamentary functioning.
Unlike the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha is not subject to dissolution.
Council of States Was Named Rajya Sabha on 23 August 1954
On 23 August 1954, the Chairman of the Council of States, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, announced that the House would be called Rajya Sabha in Hindi.
The announcement formally established the Hindi designation for the Upper House.
The expression Rajya Sabha translates approximately as the Council or Assembly of States.
It reflected the role of the chamber within India's federal parliamentary structure.
The adoption of the name did not create a new parliamentary institution or change the constitutional identity of the House.
Instead, it introduced the Hindi name by which the Council of States became widely known.
The Constitution continued to identify the chamber as the Council of States.
Who Announced the Named Rajya Sabha
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan announced the adoption of the Hindi name Rajya Sabha on 23 August 1954.
He was serving as India's Vice-President and the ex officio Chairman of the Council of States.
Radhakrishnan was an Indian philosopher, academic, statesman, and diplomat.
He served as India's first Vice-President from 1952 to 1962 and subsequently became the country's second President.
His announcement formed part of the institutional development of Parliament during the early years of the Indian Republic.
Why Was the Name Rajya Sabha Adopted?
The adoption of Rajya Sabha reflected the development of Indian-language terminology for the institutions of parliamentary democracy.
The Constitution used the English name Council of States, while the Hindi name offered a corresponding expression for the chamber.
The term Rajya refers to a state, while Sabha means an assembly or council.
Together, the words describe a legislative chamber associated with the states of the Indian Union.
The name came into widespread official and public usage while the constitutional designation Council of States remained in place.
Lok Sabha Received Its Hindi Name Earlier
The adoption of the name Rajya Sabha followed a similar development concerning the Lower House of Parliament.
On 14 May 1954, Lok Sabha Speaker G. V. Mavalankar announced that the House of the People would be known as Lok Sabha in Hindi.
Three months later, on 23 August 1954, the Council of States adopted the Hindi name Rajya Sabha.
These developments established the familiar Hindi names of India's two parliamentary chambers.
The names Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha subsequently became standard expressions in Indian political and parliamentary terminology.
Difference Between Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha
The Parliament of India operates through a bicameral legislative system.
Rajya Sabha – Council of States
Rajya Sabha is the Upper House of Parliament.
It represents states and certain Union Territories and includes members nominated by the President.
Most members are elected indirectly by elected representatives of the states.
Rajya Sabha is a permanent House and is not dissolved.
Its members generally serve six-year terms, with approximately one-third retiring every two years.
Lok Sabha – House of the People
Lok Sabha is the Lower House of Parliament.
Its members are directly elected by the people through general elections.
The Lok Sabha ordinarily has a five-year term unless dissolved earlier.
The Union Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha.
Both Houses participate in parliamentary legislation, subject to the constitutional provisions governing their respective powers.
Constitutional Position of Rajya Sabha
Article 79 of the Constitution establishes the Parliament of India.
Article 80 deals with the composition of the Council of States.
Article 89 provides that the Vice-President of India shall be the ex officio Chairman of the Council of States.
The Constitution permits a maximum of 250 members in Rajya Sabha.
Of these, up to 238 represent states and Union Territories, while 12 are nominated by the President for their special knowledge or practical experience in specified fields.
Rajya Sabha has important legislative responsibilities and certain special powers connected with India's federal constitutional structure.
Its permanent character also provides continuity in parliamentary functioning.
Historical Significance of the Rajya Sabha Name
The adoption of the Hindi name Rajya Sabha on 23 August 1954 has several dimensions of historical importance.
Parliamentary Identity
The announcement established the Hindi name by which India's Upper House became widely recognized.
Indian-Language Terminology
It contributed to the use of Hindi terminology for important institutions of the Indian Republic.
Constitutional Continuity
The change preserved the existing Council of States rather than establishing a separate chamber.
Federal Representation
The name reflected the chamber's constitutional connection with the states of India.
Parliamentary History
The announcement became an important milestone in the development of parliamentary practices and institutional identity after independence.
Major Historical Milestones
1919: The Government of India Act provided for a bicameral central legislature.
1921: A colonial-era Council of State began functioning.
26 January 1950: The Constitution of India came into force.
3 April 1952: The Council of States was constituted under the Constitution.
13 May 1952: The Council of States held its first sitting.
14 May 1954: The House of the People adopted the Hindi name Lok Sabha.
23 August 1954: Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan announced that the Council of States Was Named Rajya Sabha in Hindi.
Conclusion
On 23 August 1954, the Council of States Was Named Rajya Sabha following an announcement by its Chairman, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
The House had already been constituted on 3 April 1952 and had held its first sitting on 13 May 1952.
The adoption of the name Rajya Sabha marked an important development in Indian parliamentary terminology while preserving the Upper House's constitutional identity as the Council of States.
The event remains a significant milestone in the institutional history of the Parliament of India.
References
- Parliament of India – Rajya Sabha: Frequently Asked Questions
https://sansad.in/rs/faq - Rajya Sabha Secretariat – Council of States (Rajya Sabha): Background
https://sansad.in/uploads/Council_Of_States_New_Council_of_States_2_1_01ef92b688.pdf - Rajya Sabha Secretariat – Sixty Years of Rajya Sabha
https://cms.rajyasabha.nic.in/UploadedFiles/ElectronicPublications/Sixty%20Year%20RS_New.pdf - National Informatics Centre – Rajya Sabha
https://informatics.nic.in/news/594 - Parliament of India – Constitutional and Parliamentary Information
https://sansad.in/rs/faq
Also Read : World Hindi Day