The Rajya Sabha or the Council of the States is a permanent House. It cannot be dissolved like the Lok Sabha. It represents the federating states of the Union of India. The representation of each state depends on its population. The maximum strength of the Rajya Sabha can never exceed 250. Of these, 238 members are elected by the Legislative Assemblies of the states and union territories while 12 members who are people of repute and have made an outstanding contribution in any in any field, such as art, literature, science, etc. are nominated by the President. Each member is elected for a period of six years. One-third of the members retire every two years. Thus, it can be said that the Rajya Sabha is a semi-permanent House. One-tenth of the total number of members should be present for a sitting of the Upper House. The Vice-President is the ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha while the Deputy Chairman is elected from amongst the members. Sometimes when the Vice-President acts as the President, he ceases to be the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.