<Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Website </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> rajyasabha.nic.in </Td> </Tr> <P> The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India . Membership of Rajya Sabha is limited by the Constitution to a maximum of 250 members, and current laws have provision for 245 members . Most of the members of the House are indirectly elected by state and territorial legislatures using single transferable votes, while the President can appoint 12 members for their contributions to art, literature, science, and social services . Members sit for staggered six - year terms, with one third of the members retiring every two years . </P> <P> The Rajya Sabha meets in continuous sessions, and unlike the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament, is not subject to dissolution . However, the Rajya Sabha, like the Lok Sabha can be prorogued by the President . The Rajya Sabha has equal footing in all areas of legislation with Lok Sabha, except in the area of supply, where the Lok Sabha has overriding powers . In the case of conflicting legislation, a joint sitting of the two houses can be held . However, since the Lok Sabha has twice as many members as the Rajya Sabha, the former would normally hold the greater power . Joint sittings of the Houses of Parliament of India are rare, and in the history of the Republic, only three such joint - sessions have been held; the latest one for the passage of the 2002 Prevention of Terrorism Act . </P>

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