Constitutional text

(1) The Council of States shall not be subject to dissolution, but as nearly as possible one-third of the members thereof shall retire as soon as may be on the expiration of every second year in accordance with the provisions made in that behalf by Parliament by law. (2) The House of the People, unless sooner dissolved, shall continue for five years from the date appointed for its first sitting and no longer and the expiration of the said period of five years shall operate as an automatic dissolution of the House.

Source: Constitution of India, as published by the Ministry of Law and Justice.

History and context

The Rajya Sabha's permanent character (with one-third of members retiring every two years) gives it stability independent of the political cycle. The Lok Sabha's five-year maximum term reflects the democratic principle of regular accountability to voters. During the Emergency (1975-77), Parliament used the provision for extension to continue without holding elections, one of the Emergency's most criticised features.

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Last reviewed: 3 July 2026