The Parliament session, a significant event in India’s legislative calendar, resumed after several months of delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the government has made some changes. It has suspended the Question Hour for the session and also curtailed the Zero Hour. The comprehensive structure of this parliamentary process is important to understand.
Parliament Session: Empowered by the President
As per India’s constitution, the President of India has the power to summon each House of Parliament from time to time. A stipulation ensures that the maximum gap between two sessions of Parliament cannot exceed six months, which implies the Parliament should convene at least twice a year. A ‘session’ of Parliament is the duration between the first sitting of a House and its prorogation.
There are typically three sessions in a year; namely, the Budget Session from February to May, the Monsoon Session from July to September, and the Winter Session from November to December. The interval between the prorogation of a House and its reassembly in a new session is defined as ‘recess’.
Meetings of Session: A Day in Parliament
A session of Parliament comprises many meetings. Each of these meetings includes two sittings – a morning sitting from 11 am to 1 pm and a post-lunch sitting from 2 pm to 6 pm, demarcating a structured daily schedule.
Termination of Session: Various Methods
Different methods exist to end a sitting of Parliament, including adjournment or adjournment sine die or prorogation or dissolution (applicable only to the Lok Sabha). An adjournment suspends the work in a sitting for a specified timeframe, which can range from hours to days or even weeks.
On the other hand, adjournment sine die signifies terminating a sitting of Parliament for an uncertain period. In simpler terms, it denotes that the House is adjourned without deciding a date for reassembly. The power of adjournment and adjournment sine die resides with the presiding officer, who can be either the Speaker or the Chairman of the House.
Prorogation and Dissolution: The Bigger Picture
After a session’s business is finished, the President releases a notification for prorogation, and the presiding officer declares the House adjourned sine die. Moreover, the President can also prorogue the House in session.
Another key condition that pertains solely to the Lok Sabha is dissolution. The Rajya Sabha, being a permanent House, does not face dissolution. This process ends the life of the existing House, leading to the constitution of a new House after general elections. The power to dissolve the Lok Sabha is vested in the President.
Last Modified: February 9, 2024