About this stamp
The Upper House
India Post issued this ₹5 stamp on 26 November 2019, Constitution Day, to mark the 250th session of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India’s Parliament, which is chaired by the Vice-President. India’s bicameral central legislature dates from the Government of India Act, 1919: the Council of States and the Legislative Assembly were inaugurated in 1921. The Constituent Assembly kept a two-house Parliament, and the Council of States was renamed Rajya Sabha in 1954. Its first session was held on 13 May 1952.
Its Role
The Rajya Sabha has at most 250 members, 12 of them nominated. It is a permanent body that is never dissolved: a third of its members retire every two years, and members are elected indirectly. Besides legislation, it holds the government to account, takes part in the impeachment of the President and the removal of judges, and has special powers on state subjects and the All India Services, though a limited role on money bills. As a revising chamber and a federal chamber it speaks for the states. India Post records 12 standing committees and 24 department-related standing committees, 8 of them under the Rajya Sabha.
On the Stamp
The round stamp shows the Parliament House in a circle with the words “250th Rajya Sabha Session” in Hindi and English. It was designed by Suresh Kumar, with the cancellation by Nenu Gupta; 617,000 were printed by wet offset at the Security Printing Press, Hyderabad.
For More Information
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