In which of the following legislative houses is the Chairperson not a member of that house, but instead holds office in an ex officio capacity?

Introduction / Context:
Presiding officers play a crucial role in the functioning of legislative bodies. In most cases, the Speaker or Chairman is elected from among the members of the house and therefore is also a member of that body. However, there is an important exception in the Indian parliamentary system, which this question highlights. Knowing this exception helps you better understand the relationship between the executive and the legislature under the Constitution.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question asks in which house the Chairperson is not a member of that house.
• Options include Rajya Sabha, State Legislative Assembly, State Legislative Council, and Lok Sabha.
• We assume familiarity with the roles of the Vice President and the presiding officers of State legislatures.
• The focus is on membership status, not on how each presiding officer is elected.

Concept / Approach:
In India, the Vice President of India is ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha under the Constitution. The Vice President is elected by an electoral college consisting of members of both Houses of Parliament but is not a member of either house. Nevertheless, in the Rajya Sabha, the Vice President presides as Chairman. In contrast, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha is elected from among its members and continues to be a member. Similarly, the Speaker of a Legislative Assembly and the Chairman of a Legislative Council are members of their respective houses. Therefore, Rajya Sabha is the house where the presiding officer is not a member of the house.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Vice President of India is the ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.Step 2: Note that the Vice President is not a member of either the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha but is elected separately by an electoral college.Step 3: Understand that in the Lok Sabha, the Speaker is elected from among members and remains a member of the House of the People.Step 4: Similarly, in State legislatures, the Speakers and Chairmen are chosen from among members and continue to belong to those houses.Step 5: Compare the options and identify Rajya Sabha as the unique case where the Chairperson is not a member of that house.

Verification / Alternative check:
Constitutional provisions support this reasoning. Articles 64 and 89 of the Constitution specify that the Vice President shall be the ex officio Chairman of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha). The election of the Vice President is described separately and does not involve membership of Parliament. On the other hand, Article 93 about the Lok Sabha and corresponding State provisions make it clear that the Speaker and Deputy Speaker or Chairman and Deputy Chairman are members of the bodies they preside over. Standard polity books also highlight this point as a frequently asked exam question.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Legislative Assembly of a State: The Speaker is elected from among the members of the Assembly and remains a member.
• Legislative Council of a State: The Chairman is chosen from among members of the Council, so the presiding officer is also a member.
• Lok Sabha (House of the People): The Speaker is a member elected by the House; the post does not go to someone outside the membership.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often assume that because all presiding officers are selected by the house, they must also be members of that house. The Rajya Sabha is a special case because the Constitution links its Chairmanship to the office of the Vice President. Another confusion is to mix the role of the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, who is indeed a member of the house, with the Chairman, who is not. Remembering that the Vice President is outside the ordinary membership of Parliament yet presides over the Rajya Sabha is critical for correctly answering this question.

Final Answer:
The legislative house in which the Chairperson is not a member of that house is the Rajya Sabha (Council of States), whose Chairman is the Vice President of India in an ex officio capacity.