PARLIAMENTARY SESSIONS

GS 2- Parliament

Context:

The proceedings of both Houses of Parliament continued to remain paralysed as Opposition members staged protests over a number of issues as the monsoon session had begun.

Background

• The president from time to time summons each House of Parliament to meet.
• The maximum gap between two sessions of Parliament cannot be more than six months. In other words, the Parliament should meet at least twice a year.
• There are usually three sessions in a year A. The Budget Session (February to May) B.
• The Monsoon Session (July to September) C. The Winter Session (November to December).
• A ‘session’ of Parliament is the period spanning between the first sitting of a House and its prorogation (or dissolution in the case of the Lok Sabha).
• During a session, the House meets everyday to transact business.
• The period spanning between the prorogation of a House and its reassembly in a new session is called ‘recess’.

Adjournment

• An adjournment suspends the work in a sitting for a specified time, which may be hours, days or weeks.

Adjournment -Sine die

• Adjournment sine die means terminating a sitting of Parliament for an indefinite period. In other words, when the House is adjourned without naming a day for reassembly, it is called adjournment sine die.
• The power to call for Adjournment sine de lies with the presiding officer.

Prorogation

• The presiding officer (Speaker or Chairman) declares the House adjourned sine die, when the business of a session is completed.
• Within the next few days, the President issues a notification for prorogation of the session.
• It not only terminates a sitting but also a session of the House.

Dissolution

• Only the Lok Sabha is subject to dissolution.
• As Rajya Sabha, being a permanent House, is not subject to dissolution.
• Unlike a prorogation, a dissolution ends the very life of the existing House, and a new House is constituted after general elections are held.