Indian Parliament Sessions

• The President summons each House of Parliament to meet periodically.
• The maximum time gap between two sessions of Parliament cannot exceed six months.
• Parliament should convene at least twice a year, and there are usually three sessions annually.
• The Budget Session
• The Monsoon Session
• The Winter Session
• A 'session' is the period between the first sitting of a House and its prorogation, or dissolution in the case of the Lok Sabha.
• The House meets daily to conduct business during a session.
• The period between a House's prorogation and reassembly is called 'recess'.
• A session includes many meetings.

Adjournment and Sittings

• Each meeting of a day includes two sittings: a morning sitting from 11 AM to 1 PM and a post-lunch sitting from 2 PM to 6 PM.
• A sitting can be terminated by adjournment, adjournment sine die, prorogation, or dissolution, specifically in the case of the Lok Sabha.
• Adjournment temporarily suspends work for a specified period.

Adjournment Sine Die

• Adjournment sine die means terminating a sitting without setting a date for reassembly.
• The presiding officer of the House has the power of adjournment and adjournment sine die.
• The presiding officer can call a House sitting before or after it has been adjourned sine die.

Prorogation

• The presiding officer declares the House adjourned sine die after a session's business is completed.
• The President then issues a notification for prorogation.
• The President can prorogue the House even while it is in session.
• Adjournment only terminates a sitting, not a session of the House, and is done by the presiding officer.
• Bills and other pending businesses can be resumed when the House meets again.
• Prorogation terminates both a sitting and a session and is done by the President.
• Pending notices except those for introducing bills, lapse and require fresh notices for the next session.
• Prorogation does not affect bills.

Dissolution

• Rajya Sabha is a permanent house and is not subject to dissolution, unlike the Lok Sabha.
• Dissolution ends the current House's life, a new House is constituted after general elections.
• Dissolution of the Lok Sabha can happen in two ways:
• Automatic dissolution at the end of its five-year tenure or any extensions during a national emergency.
• By presidential decision.
• Once dissolved before its full term, the Lok Sabha's dissolution is irrevocable.
• All business, including bills, motions, and petitions, pending before the Lok Sabha or its committees lapses upon dissolution.
• They must be reintroduced in the newly formed Lok Sabha.
• Pending bills and assurances examined by the Committee on Government Assurances do not lapse upon dissolution.
• Status of bills concerning lapsing upon dissolution:
• A bill pending in the Lok Sabha lapses, regardless of where it originated.
• A bill passed by the Lok Sabha but pending in the Rajya Sabha lapses.
• A bill not passed due to disagreement between Houses does not lapse if the President has notified a joint sitting before dissolution.
• A bill pending in the Rajya Sabha but not passed by the Lok Sabha does not lapse.
• Bills passed by both Houses do not lapse while awaiting presidential assent
• Nor when they are returned to the Houses for reconsideration.

Quorum

• Quorum is the minimum number of members needed in the House to conduct business.
• The quorum is one-tenth of the total members in each House.
• There must be at least 55 members in the Lok Sabha and 25 in the Rajya Sabha for any business to occur.
• If there is a lack of quorum, the presiding officer must adjourn or suspend the meeting.

Voting

• All matters are decided by a majority vote of the members present and voting, with the presiding officer excluded.
• Special majority is required only for matters specifically outlined in the Constitution, like impeachment or constitutional amendments.
• The presiding officer does not vote initially but can exercise a casting vote to break a tie.

Language

• Hindi and English are the languages for transacting business in Parliament.
• The presiding officer can allow a member to address the House in their mother tongue.
• Both Houses provide simultaneous translation services.
• Despite the initial plan to discontinue English in 1965, the Official Languages Act of 1963 allowed its continued use alongside Hindi.

Rights

• Every minister and the Attorney General of India can speak and participate in the proceedings, joint sittings, and committee meetings of Parliament
• They are not entitled to vote unless they are a member.

Lame-Duck Session

• It is the final session of the existing Lok Sabha after a new Lok Sabha has been elected.
• Members of the existing Lok Sabha who were not re-elected are referred to as lame-ducks.

Devices of Parliamentary

• The first hour of every sitting is dedicated to questions.
• Members ask questions, and ministers respond.
• There are three types of questions: starred, unstarred, and short notice.
• A starred question (marked with an asterisk) requires an oral answer, allowing for supplementary questions.
• An unstarred question requires a written answer, and supplementary questions cannot be asked.
• A short notice question is asked with less than ten days' notice and is answered orally.
• Questions can also be directed to private members, not just ministers.
• This occurs when the question relates to a bill or resolution connected to that member's responsibilities.
• The procedure for questions to private members is similar to that for questions to ministers.
• Lists of starred, unstarred, short notice questions, and questions to private members are printed in distinct colors: green, white, light pink, and yellow, respectively.

Zero Hour

• The zero hour is an informal mechanism for members to raise issues without prior notice.
• It begins immediately after the question hour and continues until the day's agenda is addressed.
• The time between the question hour and the agenda is known as the zero hour.
• The zero Hour emerged in India and has been in practice since 1962.

Explore key aspects of Indian Parliament sessions, including permissible time gaps, session divisions, adjournment types, and prorogation. Test your knowledge of parliamentary procedures and legislative processes in India.