The Parliament (Indian Polity and Governance) Part-I

Total Questions: 50

31. Before completing its term, the Lok Sabha can be dissolved- [42th B.P.C.S. (Pre) 1997]

Correct Answer: (d) By the President on the recommendation of Prime Minister
Solution:According to Article 85(2) (b), the Lok Sabha may be dissolved before completion of its tenure\period. The President exercises this power on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Council of Ministers.
  • The normal term of the Lok Sabha is five years from the date of its first meeting after the general elections, after which it automatically dissolves.
  • The President of India is authorised to dissolve the Lok Sabha at any time even before the completion of five years.
    ∗  This decision of the President cannot be challenged in a court of                  law.
  • During a National Emergency, the term of the Lok Sabha can be extended by a law of Parliament for one year at a time, for any length of time.
    ∗ However, this extension cannot continue beyond a period of six                  months after the emergency has ceased to be in effect.

32. Prior to the completion of tenure, the Lok Sabha can be dissolved- [40th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 1995]

Correct Answer: (c) By the President on the recommendation of Council of Ministers
Solution:According to Article 85(2) (b), the Lok Sabha may be dissolved before completion of its tenure\period. The President exercises this power on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Council of Ministers.
  • The normal term of the Lok Sabha is five years from the date of its first meeting after the general elections, after which it automatically dissolves.
  • The President of India is authorised to dissolve the Lok Sabha at any time even before the completion of five years.
    ∗  This decision of the President cannot be challenged in a court of                  law.
  • During a National Emergency, the term of the Lok Sabha can be extended by a law of Parliament for one year at a time, for any length of time.
    ∗ However, this extension cannot continue beyond a period of six                  months after the emergency has ceased to be in effect.

33. Consider the following statements: [I.A.S. (Pre) 2020]

1. The President of India can summon a session of the Parliament at such place as he/she thinks fit.

2. The Constitution of India provides for three sessions of the Parliament in a year, but it is not mandatory to conduct all three sessions.

3. There is no minimum number of days that the parliament is required to meet in a year.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only
Solution:Article 85 (1) of the Indian Constitution empowers the president to summon each House of Parliament to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit, but six months shall not intervene between its last sitting in one session and date appointed for its first sitting in the next session. So, the constitution provides for the maximum gap between two sessions of Parliament but there is no minimum gap. Hence, statement 1 and 3 are correct, while statement 2 is wrong.
So the correct answer is an option (c).

34. Generally how many sessions are there in the Lok Sabha? [67th B.P.S.C. (Pre) (Re-Exam), 2022]

Correct Answer: (a) 3
Solution:Article 85 of the Constitution of India deals with the session, prorogation and dissolution of the parliament. Under this, the President is given the power to call the session of each House of the parliament from time to time, provided that the session of parliament should be called by the president in such a way that there should not be a gap of 6 months between the last meeting of one session and first meeting of the next session. In other words, at least two sessions of the parliament should be called in a year. By the way, the three sessions of the Lok Sabha, usually called in a year in India are-
1. Budget Session (February-May)
2. Monsoon Session (July-August)
3. Winter Session (November - December)

35. The sitting of House of the People may the terminated by: [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2015]

Correct Answer: (d) All of the above
Solution:The sitting of the House of the People may be terminated by way of Adjournment, Prorogation, and Dissolution. Adjournment is done by the speaker of Lok Sabha while Prorogation and Dissolution are done by the President under Article 85 (2).

Adjournment of the House" - Suspend (proceedings) for the day; to put off until a future day. The word 'Adjourn' applies to the action of a deliberative body etc. in bringing a sitting to a close, with the intention of resuming on the next working day or a specified later date. In Lok Sabha, the Speaker determines when sitting of House is to adjourn sine die or to a particular day or to an hour or part of same day.
Dissolution" - The President of India dissolves the Lok Sabha on the advice of the Prime Minister. At the end of its term of five years, the House stands automatically
dissolved even if no formal order of dissolution is issued by the President. With dissolution, the life of the House comes to an end and it cannot again assemble until after
a general election. Dissolution 'passes a sponge over the Parliamentary slate' and all business pending before it or any of its committees lapses on dissolution.
Prorogation is the formal end of a parliamentary session. It signifies a recess period between the end of one session and the start of the next, effectively halting all parliamentary business. It's a prerogative power of the head of state (e.g., the monarch in the UK, the President in India, the Governor General in Canada), typically acting on the advice of the government.

36. Which one of the following is authorized to prorogue the session of the House of the People? [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2015]

Correct Answer: (d) President
Solution:The sitting of the House of the People may be terminated by way of Adjournment, Prorogation, and Dissolution. Adjournment is done by the speaker of Lok Sabha while Prorogation and Dissolution are done by the President under Article 85 (2).

Adjournment of the House" - Suspend (proceedings) for the day; to put off until a future day. The word 'Adjourn' applies to the action of a deliberative body etc. in bringing a sitting to a close, with the intention of resuming on the next working day or a specified later date. In Lok Sabha, the Speaker determines when sitting of House is to adjourn sine die or to a particular day or to an hour or part of same day.
Dissolution" - The President of India dissolves the Lok Sabha on the advice of the Prime Minister. At the end of its term of five years, the House stands automatically
dissolved even if no formal order of dissolution is issued by the President. With dissolution, the life of the House comes to an end and it cannot again assemble until after
a general election. Dissolution 'passes a sponge over the Parliamentary slate' and all business pending before it or any of its committees lapses on dissolution.
Prorogation is the formal end of a parliamentary session. It signifies a recess period between the end of one session and the start of the next, effectively halting all parliamentary business. It's a prerogative power of the head of state (e.g., the monarch in the UK, the President in India, the Governor General in Canada), typically acting on the advice of the government.

37. The term of the Lok Sabha: [I.A.S. (Pre) 2002]

Correct Answer: (c) Can be extended by one year at a time during the proclamation of emergency.
Solution:According to Article 83 (2) of the Constitution, the House of the People, unless sooner dissolved shall continue for five years from the date appointed for its first meeting and no longer after the expiration of the said period of five years. Provided that the said period may, while a Proclamation of Emergency is in operation, be extended by Parliament by law for a period not exceeding one year at a time and nit extending in any case beyond a period of six months after the Proclamation has ceased to operate.

38. Session of Lok Sabha is called for at least- [42th B.P.S.C. (Pre) 1997]

Correct Answer: (b) Two times in a year
Solution:According to Article 85(1), the president shall, from time to time, summon each House of the Parliament to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit, but six months shall not pass between its last sitting in one session and the date appointed for its first sitting in the next session. This indicates that the session of Lok Sabha is called for at least two times in a year.

39. What is the quorum of Lok Sabha in relation to its strength? [M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1995]

Correct Answer: (d) 1/10
Solution:Quorum is the minimum number of members required to be present in the House before it can transact any business, as provided by Article 100(3). The quorum to constitute a meeting of either House of parliament is 1\10th of the total number of members of the House.
  • The Lok Sabha can declare the seat of a Member vacant if he/she is absent from all its meetings for a period of sixty days without its permission.
  • In computing the period of sixty days, no account shall be taken of any period during which the Lok Sabha is prorogued or adjourned for more than four consecutive days.

A Member of Lok Sabha has to vacate his/her seat in the Parliament if:

  • his/her election is declared void by the court,
  • he/she is expelled by the House,
  • he/she is elected to the office of President or Vice-President of India,
  • he/she is appointed to the office of Governor of a State

40. What is the quorum to constitute a meeting of Lok Sabha? [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2017]

Correct Answer: (b) One tenth of the total members of the House.
Solution:Quorum is the minimum number of members required to be present in the House before it can transact any business, as provided by Article 100(3). The quorum to constitute a meeting of either House of parliament is 1\10th of the total number of members of the House.
  • The Lok Sabha can declare the seat of a Member vacant if he/she is absent from all its meetings for a period of sixty days without its permission.
  • In computing the period of sixty days, no account shall be taken of any period during which the Lok Sabha is prorogued or adjourned for more than four consecutive days.

A Member of Lok Sabha has to vacate his/her seat in the Parliament if:

  • his/her election is declared void by the court,
  • he/she is expelled by the House,
  • he/she is elected to the office of President or Vice-President of India,
  • he/she is appointed to the office of Governor of a State