Equal Powers of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha:

 Equal Powers of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha:

* Constitutional Amendments:

    > In the matter of amending the Indian Constitution, both houses have equal powers. This means that the Constitution can only be amended with the approval of both houses.

    > If differences of opinion arise between both houses, the bill is defeated. There is no provision for a joint session in this case.

    > Example: The 64th Amendment Bill, passed to grant constitutional status to the Panchayati Raj system, was defeated during Rajiv Gandhi's government (1989) due to disagreement between the houses.

* Emergency Powers:

    > For emergencies declared by the President under Articles 352, 356, and 360, both houses must approve them.  Otherwise, the emergency ceases to be in effect.

    > Example:  In 1999, the emergency imposed in Bihar was approved only by the Lok Sabha, and the Rajya Sabha rejected it.

* Judicial Powers:

    > In cases of investigating accusations against and removing individuals from office such as the President, Vice-President, Supreme Court (S.C.) and High Court (H.C.) judges, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), both houses have equal powers.

* Electoral Powers:

    > Both houses have equal powers in the election of the President and Vice-President.

* Decisive Role:

    > When there is only a slight difference in the strength of the ruling and opposition parties in the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha plays a decisive role. In such situations, the numbers in the Rajya Sabha become crucial.

* Parliamentary Privileges and Compensation:

    > In matters of MP privileges and compensation, members of both houses have equal opportunities.