The Rajya Sabha, also known as Council of States, is the upper house of the Parliament of India, of which the Lok Sabha is the lower house. The Rajya Sabha represents India's federal units – the states and union territories. Where the Lok Sabha is directly elected by the population, the Rajya Sabha is composed of members chosen by the state and union territory legislatures, giving the states a formal role in national law-making. Unlike the Lok Sabha, it is a permanent body and cannot be dissolved.