INDIAN POLITY (PART-10)

• Except seven States i.e Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, all the States have Unicameral Legislature.
• The legislative Assembly consists of members elected by the people.
• The membership of the Legislative Assembly is between 60 and 500.
• The person contesting to the membership of the legislative Assembly must be a citizen of India, 25 years age, and such other qualifications prescribed by the Act of Parliament.
• The tenure of the Legislative Assembly is five years from the date of its first session after the general election.
• The term of a Legislative Assembly may be extended during an Emergency, but not by more than six months at a time.
• The Assembly shall hold its meetings at least once in a period of six months.
• The Governor dissolves the Assembly on the advice of the Council of Ministers.
• The upper house of the State Legislature is called Legislative Council or Vidhan Parishad.
• Qualifications for contesting the membership of the Legislative Council are: he must be a citizen of India, 30 years of age and other qualifications laid down by the Act of the Parliament.
• The Council shall hold its meetings at least once in a period of six months.
• The members of the Council hold the membership for six years. 1/3 of the members of the Council get retired for every two years.
• The Legislative Council cannot be dissolved. It is a permanent House.
• The minimum membership of the house is 40. The maximum membership of the House is 1/3 of the total membership of the Legislative Assembly.
• 1/6 of the members of the Council are nominated by the Governor. 1/3 of the members are elected by the Zila Parishads, Municipalities, and Municipal Corporations. 1/3 of the members are elected by the legislative Assembly. 1/12 of the members are elected by teachers. 1/12 of the members are elected by graduates.
• The Election process for the council follows a system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote as mentioned in Article 171 of the constitution.
• The Legislative Council is created or abolished by the Act of Parliament on the basis of the resolution of the Legislative Assembly.