Joint Session of Parliament comes under which article?
VerifiedAnswer: Article 108
Explanation:
Article 108 of the Indian Constitution deals with the Joint Session of Parliament, which is a special sitting where both Houses of Parliament - the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha - come together to deliberate and vote on specific matters. This provision ensures that legislative deadlocks between the two Houses can be resolved effectively.
A Joint Session can be called by the President of India when there is a disagreement between the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on a particular bill. This happens in three specific situations: when one House rejects a bill passed by the other, when the Houses disagree on amendments to be made in the bill, or when more than six months have elapsed since the receipt of the bill without it being passed by the receiving House.
During a Joint Session, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha presides over the proceedings. If the Speaker is absent, the Deputy Speaker takes charge. The decision in a Joint Session is taken by a simple majority of the total number of members present and voting from both Houses combined. Since the Lok Sabha has more members than the Rajya Sabha, it generally has a decisive influence in Joint Sessions.
It's important to note that Joint Sessions are not applicable to all types of bills. Money Bills and Constitutional Amendment Bills cannot be the subject of Joint Sessions. Money Bills have a special procedure under Article 109, and Constitutional Amendment Bills require special majorities in each House separately under Article 368.
Since India's independence, Joint Sessions have been called only four times - for the Dowry Prohibition Act (1961), Banking Service Commission (Repeal) Act (1978), Prevention of Terrorism Act (2002), and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (2016). This shows that while Article 108 provides an important constitutional mechanism, it is used sparingly and only when absolutely necessary to resolve legislative deadlocks.
