Hindi name of the 'Council of States' was adopted as the 'Rajya Sabha' in Parliament of India.

Hindi name of the 'Council of States' was adopted as the 'Rajya Sabha' in Parliament of India.

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On 23 August 1954, Chairman Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan announced that the Hindi name of the Council of States would be “Rajya Sabha.”

Both Houses of Parliament had first met on 13 May 1952, but their official Hindi names were adopted about two years later.

The Rajya Sabha functions as the Upper House of the Indian Parliament, while the Lok Sabha is the Lower House.

Rajya Sabha Name Adopted on August 23, 1954

On August 23, 1954, an important milestone occurred in the history of the Parliament of India when the Council of States officially adopted the Hindi name “Rajya Sabha.” The announcement was made in the House by Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who was serving as the Chairman of the Council of States and Vice-President of India.

The official adoption of the name marked a significant step in establishing the terminology by which the two Houses of the Indian Parliament are widely known today. The Constitution originally referred to them in English as the Council of States and the House of the People.

Adoption of the Name Rajya Sabha

The Council of States was formally constituted on April 3, 1952, following the establishment of India's parliamentary institutions under the Constitution. It met for the first time on May 13, 1952.

More than two years later, on August 23, 1954, Chairman Dr. S. Radhakrishnan announced in the House that the Council of States would henceforth be known in Hindi as the Rajya Sabha.

The expression translates broadly as the “Council of States” or “Assembly of States”, reflecting the chamber's role in India's federal parliamentary system.

When Was the Name Lok Sabha Adopted?

The other House of Parliament underwent a similar change earlier in the same year.

The First Lok Sabha, originally constitutionally described as the House of the People, was constituted on April 17, 1952, following India's first general election. It held its first sitting on May 13, 1952.

On May 14, 1954, Speaker G. V. Mavalankar announced that the House of the People would officially be known as the Lok Sabha and that parliamentary papers would thereafter carry that designation.

Thus, the two familiar Hindi names were formally adopted in 1954:

• Lok Sabha — May 14, 1954
• Rajya Sabha — August 23, 1954

Rajya Sabha as the Upper House of Parliament

The Rajya Sabha is commonly described as the Upper House of the Parliament of India, while the Lok Sabha is commonly described as the Lower House.

Under the Constitution, however, their formal descriptions are the Council of States and the House of the People.

The Rajya Sabha represents the States and certain Union Territories at the national level and functions as the second chamber of India's bicameral Parliament. Together with the Lok Sabha and the President of India, it forms the Parliament of India.

Unlike the Lok Sabha, which has a fixed term unless dissolved earlier, the Rajya Sabha is a continuing chamber and is not dissolved as a whole.

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and the Rajya Sabha

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was the first Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. He served as Chairman from May 13, 1952 to May 12, 1962, during his tenure as Vice-President of India.

It was during his chairmanship that the historic announcement adopting the name Rajya Sabha was made on August 23, 1954.

Parliament of India Moves to a New Building

Nearly seven decades after the adoption of the name Rajya Sabha, another major chapter began in the history of the Indian Parliament.

On May 28, 2023, the new Parliament building in New Delhi was inaugurated. The ceremony included the installation of the Sengol in the Lok Sabha Chamber and the unveiling of a commemorative plaque.

A Special Session of Parliament began on September 18, 2023, in the old Parliament building. Both Houses discussed the theme “Parliamentary Journey of 75 Years Starting from Samvidhan Sabha — Achievements, Experiences, Memories and Learnings.”

On September 19, 2023, Members of both Houses gathered in the Central Hall before parliamentary proceedings shifted to the new building. Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha began conducting their proceedings there on the same day.

The former Parliament House, including its historic Central Hall, was subsequently designated “Samvidhan Sadan.”

Significance of August 23 in Indian Parliamentary History

August 23, 1954 therefore holds a distinct place in India's parliamentary history. It was the day on which the constitutional Council of States formally acquired the name “Rajya Sabha” in Hindi, the designation by which the chamber has since become universally recognised.

The event represents an important stage in the evolution of the terminology and identity of India's parliamentary institutions following independence and the adoption of the Constitution.