SESSIONS IN PARLIAMENT

Polity

SUMMONING OF PARLIAMENT

• Constitutional basis: Article 85.
• The President summons each House of Parliament from time to time.
• Parliament must meet at least twice a year.
• The maximum gap between two sessions cannot be more than six months.

Usual Sessions in a Year
• Budget Session: February to May – longest and most important.
• Monsoon Session: July to September.
• Winter Session: November to December.

Key Terms
• Session of Parliament:
  - Period between the first sitting of a House and its prorogation or dissolution (in case of Lok Sabha).
• Recess of Parliament:
  - Period between prorogation of a House and its reassembly in a new session.

ADJOURNMENT

• Adjournment suspends the work of a sitting for a specified time (hours, days or weeks).
• Ordered by the Presiding Officer (Speaker/Chairman).
• Each parliamentary day usually has two sittings: morning and post-lunch.
• A sitting of Parliament can end through:
  - Adjournment
  - Adjournment sine die
  - Prorogation
  - Dissolution (Lok Sabha only)

 ADJOURNMENT SINE DIE

• Meaning: Adjournment without fixing a day for the next sitting (indefinite break).
• Ordered by the Presiding Officer.
• The Presiding Officer can also:
  - Call a sitting before the scheduled date, or
  - Call a sitting after the House has been adjourned sine die.

 PROROGATION

• After completion of business of a session, the Presiding Officer adjourns the House sine die.
• Within a few days, the President issues a notification to prorogue the House.
• The President can also prorogue the House even when it is in session.
• Effect:
  - Ends the session, but not the life of the House.
  - Pending bills and business generally do not lapse (subject to rules).

DISSOLUTION (LOK SABHA ONLY)

• Rajya Sabha:
  - Permanent House; not subject to dissolution.
• Lok Sabha:
  - Subject to dissolution; ends the life of the existing House.
  - After dissolution, a new Lok Sabha is constituted through general elections.

Ways Lok Sabha Can Be Dissolved
• Automatic dissolution:
  - On completion of its five-year term.
• Early dissolution:
  - If the President dissolves Lok Sabha on advice of Council of Ministers.

Nature of Dissolution

• Dissolution is irrevocable.
• On dissolution, all business pending before Lok Sabha or its committees lapses:
  - Bills, motions, resolutions, notices, petitions, etc.

Comparison Note (Britain)
• In Britain, prorogation itself brings all pending bills to an end.
• In India, dissolution (not prorogation) causes most pending business of Lok Sabha to lapse.

Important Memory Aid
• PRESIDENT: Address, Summon, Prorogue, Dissolution.
• PRESIDING OFFICER: Adjournment, Adjournment sine die.

 LAPSING OF BILLS – WHAT LAPSES AND WHAT DOES NOT

Bills that Lapse on Dissolution of Lok Sabha
• Bills pending in Lok Sabha (originated there or transmitted to it from Rajya Sabha).
• Bills passed by Lok Sabha but pending in Rajya Sabha.

Bills that Do NOT Lapse
• A bill on which a joint sitting has been notified by the President, but has not yet been held.
• A bill pending in Rajya Sabha but not passed by Lok Sabha.
• A bill passed by both Houses but pending President’s assent.
• A bill passed by both Houses but returned by President for reconsideration (still alive for next Lok Sabha).

QUORUM IN PARLIAMENT

• Quorum = Minimum number of members required to be present for the House to transact business.
• Fixed at one-tenth of total membership of the House (including presiding officer).
  - Lok Sabha: Quorum = 1/10 of 545 ≈ 55 members.
  - Rajya Sabha: Quorum = 1/10 of 245 ≈ 25 members.
• If quorum is not present:
  - Presiding Officer may adjourn the House or suspend the sitting until quorum is met.

LAME DUCK SESSION

• Meaning: The last session of an outgoing Lok Sabha after a new Lok Sabha has been elected.
• Members of the old Lok Sabha who have not been re-elected are called “lame ducks”.

LANGUAGE IN PARLIAMENT

• Languages: Hindi and English are the official languages for transacting parliamentary business.
• Presiding Officer may permit a member to speak in his/her mother tongue.
• Official Languages Act, 1963:
  - Continued the use of English along with Hindi even after 1965.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ADJOURNMENT AND PROROGATION

Adjournment
• Ends only a sitting, not the session.
• Ordered by the Presiding Officer.
• Does NOT affect pending bills or business; they continue in that same session.

Prorogation
• Ends both the sitting and the entire session.
• Done by the President.
• Does NOT affect pending bills or other business.
• However, all pending notices (except notices for introducing bills) lapse and fresh notices are needed in the next session.

DEVICES OF PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS

A. QUESTION HOUR
• Time: First hour of every parliamentary sitting in both Houses.
• Purpose:
  - MPs ask questions on any aspect of administration.
  - Concerned ministers must reply (orally or in writing).
• Origin: Traced to Indian Councils Act, 1892.
• Question Hour is generally not held on:
  - Day of Budget presentation.
  - Joint sittings.
  - Sittings on holidays.
  - When House sits for an extended period specially.
  - Day of President’s Address.

Speaker/Chairman can reject a question if:
• It violates House rules.
• It abuses the right to question.
• It aims merely to obstruct House proceedings.

Types of Questions
• Starred Question:
  - Requires oral answer.
  - Supplementary questions allowed.
• Unstarred Question:
  - Requires written answer.
  - No supplementary questions.
• Short Notice Question:
  - Asked with notice of less than ten days.
  - Answered orally.

B. ZERO HOUR
• Not mentioned in the Constitution or Rules of Procedure.
• Indian innovation since 1962.
• Time: Immediately after Question Hour till regular agenda is taken up.
• Nature:
  - Members raise urgent matters without prior notice.
  - Has an element of surprise.
  - Important informal device to draw government’s attention to pressing issues.

For more related content, explore the links below:

PDF File:

No PDF attached

Subject: Polity

← Back
Chat on WhatsApp