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Question 61 of 98 · Parliament
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The Secretary-General of the Rajya Sabha is appointed by the:

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Answer: Option C — Chairman of the Rajya Sabha

Detailed Solution

The Secretary-General of the Rajya Sabha is appointed by the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Similarly, the Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha is appointed by the Speaker.

Role of the Secretary-General:

  • He is the administrative head of the Secretariat of the House.
  • He is a permanent officer and is not a member of the House.
  • He advises the presiding officer on parliamentary procedure and practice.
  • He summons members to sessions on behalf of the President, authenticates bills passed by the House and signs messages to the other House.
  • He keeps the records of the House and supervises the staff of the Secretariat.

Rank and status:

  • The Secretary-General usually holds a rank equal to the Cabinet Secretary, the highest civil servant in the Government of India.
  • His actions cannot be criticised in or outside the House, as he acts on behalf of the presiding officer.

Constitutional basis:

  • Article 98 provides that each House shall have a separate secretarial staff.
  • The recruitment and service conditions of this staff are regulated by laws of Parliament or by rules made by the President in consultation with the presiding officer.

Independence of the Secretariat:

  • The Secretariats of both Houses are independent of the executive.
  • This helps Parliament keep its independence and dignity.

Who becomes Secretary-General:

Usually, senior officers of the Secretariat or senior civil servants with experience in law and administration are appointed.

Rajya Sabha Secretariat:

  • It assists the Rajya Sabha in its legislative, financial and committee work.
  • It also manages the Parliament library and research services in coordination with the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

About the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha:

  • The Vice-President is the ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
  • He presides over the House and maintains order.
  • He does not vote in the first instance but has a casting vote in case of a tie.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗The President, the Prime Minister and the UPSC do not appoint the Secretary-General.

Quick tip

Remember: Secretary-General of the Rajya Sabha is appointed by its Chairman; of the Lok Sabha, by the Speaker.

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Parliament — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Parliament, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers the Parliament of India: the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, their composition, powers and officers, sessions, the law-making process, money bills, joint sittings, parliamentary committees, and devices such as question hour, zero hour and the various motions. Typical questions ask about the maximum strength of each house, the minimum age for members, who certifies a money bill (the Speaker), who presides over a joint sitting, and which committee is chaired by a member of the opposition (the Public Accounts Committee, by convention). Note the special powers of the Rajya Sabha under Articles 249 and 312. Practise the Parliament questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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