Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements:
The President of India can summon a session of the Parliament at such place as he/she thinks fit.
The Constitution of India provides for three sessions of the Parliament in a year, but it is not mandatory to conduct all three sessions.
There is no minimum number of days that the Parliament is required to meet in a year.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
1 only
2 only
1 and 3
2 and 3
Correct Answer: C
Detailed Solution
Statement 1 is correct. Article 85(1) provides that the President shall summon each House of Parliament to meet at such time and place as the President thinks fit.
The President does not exercise this power through personal discretion. Under Article 74, the President acts on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister.
Statement 2 is incorrect. The Constitution does not prescribe three parliamentary sessions in a year.
By parliamentary convention, Parliament ordinarily holds three principal sessions:
Budget Session.
Monsoon Session.
Winter Session.
These sessions are not constitutionally mandated. A special session may also be summoned when required, and a session may be held in more than one part.
Statement 3 is correct. The Constitution does not prescribe a minimum number of sitting days for Parliament in a year.
Article 85(1) only provides that:
Not more than six months may intervene between the last sitting of one session and the date appointed for the first sitting of the next session.
Consequently, Parliament must in practice be summoned at least twice a year.
The Constitution does not prescribe the duration of each session or a minimum annual number of sitting days.
The relevant parliamentary expressions have distinct meanings:
Session: The period between the first sitting of a House and its prorogation.
Sitting: The daily meeting of a House from commencement until adjournment.
Adjournment: Suspension of a sitting by the presiding officer until a specified time or date.
Adjournment sine die: Termination of a sitting without fixing the next date.
Prorogation: Termination of an entire session by the President.
Dissolution: Termination of the life of the Lok Sabha alone.