The Rajya Sabha

A Federal Second or a Secondary Chamber?
1. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-1-032-38311-8
Verlag: Routledge India

Buch, Englisch, 232 Seiten, Format (B × H): 161 mm x 240 mm, Gewicht: 467 g

This book examines the efficacy of the Rajya Sabha as a federal second chamber in India, evaluating the effectiveness it embodies and sustains legislative federalism over time. Aimed at practitioners, policymakers, and scholars, the book examines essential themes, including the constitutional development of bicameralism. It offers a nuanced assessment of the Rajya Sabha’s capacity to represent state interests, manage centre-state tensions, and reshape national policy agendas. It also discusses the chamber’s legislative and non-legislative prerogatives, its role as a watchdog over the executive arm, the role of parliamentary committees, and the socio-economic profile of its members, to showcase the changing role of the second house from one-party dominance to a multi-party coalition phase. It will help readers, who design, operate, or study institutions, to rethink what a federal second chamber can and should do in a parliamentary democracy like India.

Rich in quantitative data, this book is indispensable for students and scholars of political science, Indian politics, Indian party systems, political institutions, political sociology, and public administration.

Zielgruppe

Postgraduate

Autoren/Hrsg.

Saxena, Rekha

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politikwissenschaft Allgemein Politische Studien zu einzelnen Ländern und Gebieten
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Systeme Zentralregierung
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Spezielle Soziologie Stadt- und Regionalsoziologie
• Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaften Interdisziplinär Regionalwissenschaften, Regionalstudien

Inhaltsverzeichnis

List of Figures. List of Tables.Foreword.Preface.Acknowledgements. Introduction: Bicameralism—Theoretical and Comparative Framework.1 Bicameralism in India: Historical and Constitutional Antecedents. 2 Rajya Sabha: A Constrained Legislative Federal Archetype. 3 Rajya Sabha and Its Non-legislative Prerogatives. 4 Committees of Rajya Sabha: Navigating Federalism Within Boundaries. 5 Claims of Representation: Decoding the Varying Socioeconomic Profiles of Rajya Sabha Members. Conclusion: Reforming the Rajya Sabha. Index.

Über Autor(innen)

Rekha Saxena is Senior Professor and Head, Department of Political Science, University of Delhi, India.