How Many Sessions are There in Parliament

Introduction

Generally, there are 3 types of sessions in the parliament. Budget session (February to May) Monsoon session (July to September) and Winter session (November to December). This article will help you in knowing the three sessions of Parliament.

Sessions of Parliament

The summoning of Parliament is specified in Article 85 of the Constitution.

The Government has the authority to convene Parliament.

The decision is made by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, and it is formalised by the President, in whose name MPs (Members of Parliament) are summoned to a session.

There is no set parliamentary calendar in India. Parliament meets three times a year by convention (rather than by the Constitution).

The longest session, the Budget Session (1st session), begins near the end of January and ends by the end of April or the first week of May.

The second session is the three-week Monsoon Session, which typically runs from July to August.

The Winter Session (3rd session) of the Indian Parliament usually takes place between November and December, and it is the third and final regular session of the year.

Summoning is the process of summoning all members of Parliament to a meeting. The President convenes each House of Parliament regularly. The time between two Parliamentary sessions cannot be more than six months, implying that the Parliament meets at least twice a year.

Joint Session of Parliament

Parliamentary Joint Session (Article 108):

The Indian Constitution calls for a joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, to break any deadlock between them.

The President convenes the joint session. The Speaker presides over such a session, and in his/her absence, the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

In the absence of both, it is presided over by the Rajya Sabha's Deputy Chairman.

If none of the above is present, any other member of Parliament may preside by unanimous consent of both Houses.

A Joint session of Parliament can be called in the following circumstances, according to Article 108 of the Constitution.

If, after one House has passed a Bill and it has been submitted to the other House—

(a) the other House rejects the Bill; or

(b) the Houses have finally reached an agreement on Bill's amendments; or

(c) If more than six months have passed since the other House received the Bill without it being passed, the President may, unless the Bill has elapsed due to a dissolution of the House of the People, notify the Houses by message if they are sitting or by public notification if they are not sitting, their intention to call them together for a joint sitting to deliberate and vote on the Bill.

What are Adjournment, Quorum and Prorogation?

Adjournment:

Adjournment ends the House's sitting, which resumes at the time set for the next sitting. The postponement could be for a set amount of time, such as hours, days, or weeks.

Adjournment sine die occurs when a meeting is terminated without a definite time/date set 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:

Prorogation marks the end of the session rather than the dissolution of the House (in the case of Lok Sabha, as Rajya Sabha does not dissolve).

It is carried out by India's President.

Quorum:

The term quorum refers to the minimum number of members required to conduct a meeting.

A quorum is the minimum level of interest or attendance required for an official meeting or action to occur.

The quorum required among shareholders to make decisions is often specified in the corporate charter.

A quorum could be as simple as a 51% majority, or it could be something more specific or complex.

There are several guidelines available to help businesses determine the best formula for their quorum.

Conclusion

Article 85 states that there should be no more than a 6-month gap between sessions. In that case, the president has the authority to call a session of Parliament. Our parliament is made up of the President of India and two houses, the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha. We hope this article helped you in knowing the three sessions of Parliament.