Article 79

Composition of Parliament: President, Rajya Sabha, and Lok Sabha

Official heading: “Constitution of Parliament”

Check this article against the official editionAwaiting human legal review

Source edition: The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)
Source locator: Part V, Article 79, printed page 36
Last human source-link check: Not yet checked
Last human legal review: Not yet reviewed

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1. In One Sentence

Article 79 establishes the Parliament of the Union, consisting of the President of India and two legislative chambers: the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and the House of the People (Lok Sabha).

2. What It Means in Everyday Language

Article 79 is the opening article of Chapter II of Part V, establishing the supreme legislative body of India. It adopts a bicameral structure consisting of two Houses: the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and the House of the People (Lok Sabha).

Crucially, Article 79 defines the President as an integral part of Parliament, even though the President does not sit or participate in ordinary daily debates. Because no bill passed by both Houses can become law without the President’s assent (Article 111), the Head of State is constitutionally incorporated into the legislature.

This tripartite definition reflects the Westminster parliamentary tradition, where the Crown-in-Parliament exercises supreme lawmaking authority, adapted to a constitutional republic.

3. Practical Illustrative Example

Everyday Scenario:

A citizen asks whether Parliament consists only of the elected MPs sitting in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha chambers.

Core takeaway: Under Article 79, Parliament consists of three entities: the President of India, the Council of States, and the House of the People.

Illustrative Notice: While the President is part of Parliament, the President does not participate in ordinary parliamentary votes and only addresses joint sittings or sends messages.

4. Important Limits, Qualifications & Exceptions

Article 79 defines the constitutional structure of the Union legislature.

Tripartite composition: President of India + Council of States + House of the People.
Bicameral design: Rajya Sabha represents the States (federal chamber); Lok Sabha represents the people directly.
Legislative integration: Presidential assent is essential for statutory enactments.

5. Operative Constitutional Text

There shall be a Parliament for the Union which shall consist of the President and two Houses to be known respectively as the Council of States and the House of the People.

Transcription for reference; compare with the linked official editionNot yet verified by a human legal reviewer

6. Sources & Historical Assembly Deliberations

Assembly quotations are withheld until wording, dates, and attribution have been checked against the primary record.

Sources & Citation Metadata

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Constitutional TextThe Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)Cited PDF page
Government of India (Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice) • Part V, Article 79, printed page 36 • Human source-link check pending
Primary PDF accessed and transcribed with AI assistance on 14 October 2026. Formatting and amendment annotation markers are omitted; operative wording is retained. This is not human legal review. Later amendments and commencement notifications have not been comprehensively checked.

Human legal review is pending; compare the text with the cited editionNon-partisan educational resource