Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: The Vice President of India
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
The Parliament of India consists of the President and two Houses, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Each House has a presiding officer who conducts its sessions and maintains order. In the Lok Sabha, this officer is the Speaker, who is elected from among its members. The Rajya Sabha, however, has a different arrangement. This question asks you to identify who is the ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, meaning the person who holds that position by virtue of holding another constitutional office.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Article 89 of the Constitution of India states that the Vice President of India shall be ex officio Chairman of the Council of States, which is the Rajya Sabha. This means that whoever is currently the Vice President automatically serves as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. The Prime Minister leads the Council of Ministers and the Lok Sabha majority but does not preside over Rajya Sabha sessions. The Chief Justice of India heads the judiciary, and the Attorney General is the chief legal adviser to the government, neither of whom preside over parliamentary houses. Therefore, the correct answer is the Vice President of India.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Rajya Sabha is also known as the Council of States and is the upper house of Parliament.
Step 2: Article 89 specifies that the Vice President of India is ex officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
Step 3: The Prime Minister is head of government and often a member of the Lok Sabha, not the regular presiding officer of either House.
Step 4: The Chief Justice of India leads the judiciary and has no role as presiding officer in Parliament.
Step 5: The Attorney General is the top legal adviser to the government and participates in parliamentary proceedings without voting rights but does not chair the House.
Step 6: Therefore, the person addressed as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is the Vice President of India.
Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, you can observe how parliamentary reports refer to the presiding officer of the Rajya Sabha. They often mention the Vice President by name when describing rulings or proceedings in the Rajya Sabha. Official parliamentary websites also list the Vice President as ex officio Chairman of the Council of States. By contrast, the Speaker is always associated with the Lok Sabha, and references to the Chief Justice or Attorney General occur in the context of the judiciary or legal advice rather than presiding over debates. These observations confirm that option C is correct.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A is wrong because the Prime Minister leads the executive branch and usually sits in the Lok Sabha but does not function as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
Option B is wrong because the Chief Justice of India heads the Supreme Court and the judicial branch, with no parliamentary presiding powers.
Option D is wrong because the Attorney General of India can participate in parliamentary deliberations but has neither voting rights nor the role of presiding officer.
Common Pitfalls:
Some students confuse the roles of various top officials and assume that the Prime Minister or the Chief Justice must preside over the upper house because of their high status. Another pitfall is to forget that the Vice President, though not as visible as the Prime Minister, has a very specific constitutional role as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. To avoid these mistakes, remember the simple association: Speaker with Lok Sabha and Vice President with Rajya Sabha. Keeping this pair clearly in mind will help you answer many Parliament related questions correctly.
Final Answer:
The Vice President of India
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