Sessions of Parliament: Summoning, Prorogation, Dissolution & Money Bill Timing Explained

Quick Answer: Under Article 85, the President summons each House of Parliament, and not more than six months can pass between two sessions — so Parliament must meet at least twice a year. The President prorogues a session (pending bills survive) and may dissolve the Lok Sabha, upon which most pending bills lapse. A Money Bill (Article 110) must be returned by Rajya Sabha within 14 days, or it is deemed passed. The Rajya Sabha is never dissolved.

## Article 85 Explained: Sessions of Parliament

Article 85 of the Constitution deals with sessions of Parliament, prorogation and dissolution. After the Constitution (44th Amendment) Act, 1978, the relevant text reads:

• Article 85(1): The President shall from time to time 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 the date appointed for its first sitting in the next session.
• Article 85(2)(a): The President may from time to time prorogue the Houses or either House.
• Article 85(2)(b): The President may dissolve the House of the People (Lok Sabha).

The summoning power is formally the President’s, but in practice the government of the day decides the calendar. The President acts on the advice of the Council of Ministers (Article 74), so summoning is an executive-driven, though constitutionally formalised, act. For the authoritative text, see the Constitution of India on india.gov.in or the Lok Sabha’s own portal.

## Summoning of Parliament: Who, When and How

Summoning means calling Parliament to meet — the President issues a formal notification naming the date, time and place for each House to assemble.

Key points:

• The President must summon each House so that the six-month gap is never breached.
• Parliament typically meets in three sessions each year: the Budget Session (February–May), the Monsoon Session (July–September) and the Winter Session (November–December).
• The session begins with the President’s Address in the case of the first session after an election (and the first session each year), under Article 87.

## The Six-Month Rule: Why Parliament Must Meet Twice a Year

The constitutional mandate is arithmetic: since the gap between the last sitting of one session and the first sitting of the next session cannot exceed six months, and a year has twelve months, Parliament must hold at least two sessions per year. In practice it meets three times.

This rule prevents the executive from keeping Parliament in abeyance indefinitely — a key accountability safeguard. It corresponds to the UK flexibly and to many state assemblies, where Article 174 imposes the identical six-month rule for state legislatures.

## Prorogation: Ending a Session, Not the House

Prorogation terminates a session, not the life of the House. The President issues a proclamation ending the session, usually issued while the House is adjourned sine die.

Effects of prorogation:

• All pending notices and motions lapse (questions, adjournment motions, resolutions).
• Pending bills do NOT lapse — a bill pending in a House or passed by one House survives prorogation.
• The House itself continues; a new session is created by a fresh summoning order.

## Dissolution of Lok Sabha: Types and Effects

Dissolution ends the very life of the Lok Sabha. Two types:

1. Automatic (expiry): dissolution by efflux of time after five years from its first meeting (Article 83).
2. Order of the President: the President may dissolve the Lok Sabha earlier — either on the advice of the Prime Minister, or as a consequence of a no-confidence motion being passed, or after a defeated confidence motion.

The Rajya Sabha is never dissolved. It is a permanent House (Article 83) whose members retire in batches — one-third retire every two years — ensuring continuity in legislation.

## Effect of Dissolution on Pending Bills and Motions

This is a favourite UPSC area. When the Lok Sabha is dissolved:

Note the asymmetry: a bill originating in the Rajya Sabha and still pending there survives dissolution, but once the Lok Sabha has passed it, its fate is tied to that House’s life.

## The Budget Session Calendar: February to May

Since 2017, the Union Budget has been presented on 1 February (earlier it was the last working day of February). This advance gives Parliament roughly two months to pass the Budget, the Appropriation Bills and the Finance Bill before the new financial year begins on 1 April, ending the earlier practice of the vote-on-account stretching into the fiscal year.

Structure of the Budget Session:

• Phase 1: President’s Address (first session of the year) and the presentation of the Economic Survey (31 January) and the Union Budget (1 February), followed by general discussion.
• Recess: about a month, during which the departmental standing committees examine the Demands for Grants.
• Phase 2: discussion and voting on Demands for Grants, passage of the Appropriation Bill and the Finance Bill.

Interim budgets in election years follow a compressed version of this calendar. See PIB for the budget documents each year.

## Money Bill Timing: Article 110 and the 14-Day Rule

A Money Bill is defined in Article 110 — a bill that contains only matters like taxation, borrowing by the government, custody of the Consolidated and Contingency Funds, appropriation from the Consolidated Fund, and matters incidental thereto.

Key procedural rules:

• A Money Bill can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha, and only on the President’s recommendation.
• The Speaker of the Lok Sabha certifies whether a bill is a Money Bill; the decision is final (though under judicial scrutiny debates like A.K. Gopalan-era conventions, certification was litigated in the 2019 Rojer Mathew referral).
• The Speaker transmits it to the Rajya Sabha, which must return it — with or without recommendations — within 14 days.
• Rajya Sabha cannot amend or reject a Money Bill; it can only recommend changes, and the Lok Sabha may accept or reject any recommendation.
• If Rajya Sabha does not return the bill within 14 days, it is deemed to have been passed by both Houses in the form passed by Lok Sabha.
• The President cannot return a Money Bill for reconsideration (unlike ordinary bills).

## Sessions vs Sittings vs Recess: Key Terms Compared

## Previous Year Questions on Parliamentary Sessions

UPSC Prelims-style PYQs (based on past patterns):

1. With reference to a Money Bill in Parliament, which of the following statements is correct? (PYQ pattern)
(a) Rajya Sabha can amend it by a simple majority
(b) Rajya Sabha must return it within 14 days
(c) The President can return it for reconsideration
(d) It can be introduced in either House
Answer: (b) — Rajya Sabha can neither amend nor reject; it only recommends within 14 days, failing which the bill is deemed passed.

2. Which of the following bills lapse on dissolution of the Lok Sabha? (PYQ pattern)
(a) A bill passed by both Houses awaiting Presidential assent
(b) A bill pending in the Rajya Sabha and not passed by the Lok Sabha
(c) A bill passed by the Lok Sabha and pending in the Rajya Sabha
(d) A bill rejected by the Lok Sabha
Answer: (c) — once the Lok Sabha has passed a bill, its fate is linked to that House; bills pending only in the Rajya Sabha or already cleared by both Houses survive.

3. What is the maximum permissible gap between two sessions of Parliament? (PYQ pattern)
Answer: Six months — no more than six months shall intervene between the last sitting of one session and the first sitting of the next (Article 85).

## Quick Revision Chart and Memory Tips

Mnemonics:

• “SPD” — the President’s trio under Article 85: Summon, Prorogue, Dissolve.
• “Prorogue = bills live; Dissolve = bills die” (most of them).
• “6–2–14” — six months’ gap, at least two sessions a year, fourteen days for Rajya Sabha on a Money Bill.
• “1 Feb → 1 April” — Budget in, fiscal year begins: a two-month runway for passage.

## Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many times must Parliament meet in a year?

At least twice. Article 85 mandates that no more than six months can elapse between the last sitting of one session and the first sitting of the next, which makes a minimum of two sessions per year necessary. In practice, Parliament meets three times a year.

Q: Do bills lapse when Parliament is prorogued?

No. Prorogation only ends a session. A bill pending in either House — or passed by one House — survives prorogation and can be taken up in the next session. Bills lapse only on dissolution of the Lok Sabha, and even then not all of them do.

Q: What is the difference between adjournment and prorogation?

Adjournment suspends a sitting and is done by the Presiding Officer of the House; it may be for a fixed period or sine die (indefinitely). Prorogation ends the entire session and is done by the President. Notices lapse on prorogation but not on adjournment.

Q: Can Rajya Sabha amend or reject a Money Bill?

No. Rajya Sabha can only recommend changes and must return the bill within 14 days. The Lok Sabha is free to accept or reject any or all recommendations. If the bill is not returned within 14 days, it is deemed passed by both Houses.

Q: When did the Budget date shift to 1 February?

From 2017. The presentation of the Union Budget was advanced from the end of February to 1 February so that the Budget, Appropriation Bills and the Finance Bill are passed before the new financial year begins on 1 April — ending reliance on a prolonged vote-on-account.

Related reading

• Round Table Conferences 1930-32: Session-wise Decisions and Why Gandhi Attended Only the Second
• Fundamental Rights (Articles 12–35): Landmark Supreme Court Judgments Every UPSC Prelims Tests

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Round Table Conferences 1930-32: Session-wise Decisions and Why Gandhi Attended Only the Second

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