Indian-polity / Parliament / Sessions of Parliament
Sessions of Parliament
Sessions of Parliament
- Summoning is the process of summoning all members of Parliament to a meeting.
- Article 85 of the Constitution specifies the summoning of Parliament.
- The President summons each House of Parliament regularly.
- The maximum time between two sessions of Parliament, however, cannot be more than six months.
- Sessions: There is no set parliamentary calendar in India. Parliament meets three times a year by convention.
- Budget Session: The longest session, begins at the end of January and ends at the end of April.
- Monsoon Season: The second season, which usually begins in July and ends in August.
- Winter Session: The third session, takes place from November to December.
- Adjournment: An adjournment is the suspension of work in a sitting for a set period, which can be hours, days, or weeks.
- Adjournment sine die occurs when a meeting is called to a close without a set time or date for the next meeting.
- The presiding officer (Speaker or Chairman) of the House has the power of adjournment, as well as sine, die adjournment.
- Prorogation: Unlike adjournment, prorogation ends both the sitting and the session of the House.
- It is carried out by India's President.
- Prorogation is distinct from dissolution (of Lok Sabha).
- Quorum: The minimum number of members required to conduct a house meeting is referred to as the quorum.
- The Constitution established a quorum of one-tenth strength for both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
- Joint Session of Parliament: Article 108 of the Indian Constitution provides for a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha to break any deadlock between the two.
- The President convenes the joint session, which is presided over by the Lok Sabha Speaker.
- In the absence of the speaker, the meeting is presided over by the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
- In the absence of both, it is presided over by the Rajya Sabha's Deputy Chairman.
- Lame Duck Session: The last session of the current Lok Sabha before a new Lok Sabha is elected.
- Lame ducks are members of the existing Lok Sabha who were unable to be re-elected to the new Lok Sabha.
