A Quick Overview of the Parliament

Let's start with a quick snapshot of the Parliament. Here's a simple table that gives you an overview:

Understanding Sessions of Parliament

A session of Parliament is the period when the House convenes to conduct its business. The Constitution of India empowers the President to summon each House at such intervals that there should not be more than a six-month gap between the two sessions.

• Typically, there are three sessions in a year.
• Each session comprises multiple meetings.
• Typically, the sessions are categorized as follows:
  • Budget session (February to May)
  • Monsoon session (July to September)
  • Winter session (November to December)

Summoning of Parliament

• Summoning refers to the process of calling all members of the Parliament to meet.
• It's the President who summons each House of the Parliament from time to time.
• The gap between two sessions of the Parliament cannot exceed 6 months, which means the Parliament meets at least two times in one year.

Adjournment

An adjournment signifies the termination of a sitting of the House.

• The House then reconvenes at the appointed time for the next sitting.
• An adjournment can be for a few hours, days or weeks, depending on the specified time.
• If the adjournment is done (sitting terminated) without any time scale, it is known as adjournment sine die.
• The power of adjournment sine die rests solely with the presiding officer of the House.

Prorogation

Prorogation denotes the end of a session.

• Prorogation signifies the end of the sitting as well as the session and not the dissolution of the House.
• It's important to note that the Rajya Sabha is not dissolved as it is a permanent House, only the Lok Sabha is dissolved.
• The President can prorogue the House while it's in session as well.
• Generally, the President issues a notice for the session’s prorogation a few days after the House is adjourned sine die by the presiding officer of the House.
• All pending notices lapse on the prorogation of the House.
• However, there is no impact on bills upon prorogation.
• The time between prorogation and reassembly is called Recess.

Dissolution

The Lok Sabha is dissolved at the end of its five-year term (automatic dissolution) or by Presidential order. Dissolution signifies the termination of the life of the house.

• The Rajya Sabha is not dissolved. Its members have a fixed term of 6 years, with a third of its members up for elections every two years.
• When does the President give the order for Lok Sabha’s dissolution?
  • The President can give the order even before the end of the five-year term if authorized by the Council of Ministers.
  • The President can also dissolve the Lok Sabha if the Council of Ministers loses confidence and no party is able to prove majority.
• When the Lok Sabha is dissolved, all business including bills, motions, resolutions, notices, petitions, etc. pending before it or its committees lapse.
• The last session before the Lok Sabha is dissolved is called a Lame Duck session.
• Only the President can dissolve the House.

Points to Note:

Prorogation : Done by the President

Dissolution : Done by the President

Adjournment : Done by Presiding Officer of the House (Speaker/Deputy Speaker in the Lok Sabha; Chairman/Deputy Chairman in the Rajya Sabha)

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