Legislative Procedure in Parliament

Prerequisites

• Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha — the two Houses, the Speaker and the Chairman.
• Union Executive — the President’s assent, veto and ordinance power.

The Hook: How Chhattisgarh Was Born in Parliament

Why it matters: “Which bill can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha?”, “Which bill cannot go to a joint sitting?” and “Which bills lapse on dissolution?” are classic statement-based questions. Mains asks about misuse of the Money Bill route and declining committee scrutiny.

Four Kinds of Bills

Bills are also classified by who moves them:

Ordinary Bill: The Five Stages

graph TD
    A["1. First Reading
Leave to introduce; bill published in the Gazette
(no discussion)"] --> B["2. Second Reading
(a) General discussion
(b) Committee stage: select, joint
or Departmental Standing Committee
(c) Consideration clause by clause"]
    B --> C["3. Third Reading
Accept or reject the bill as a whole;
only verbal amendments"]
    C --> D["4. Bill in the second House
Pass, amend, reject,
or keep pending"]
    D --> E["5. Assent of the President
(Art 111)"]
    D -.->|"Deadlock"| F["Joint sitting
(Art 108)"]
    F --> E

• Second reading is the most important stage: the bill is examined in detail. The House may refer it to a select committee (members of that House), a joint committee (both Houses) or, since 1993, the relevant Departmentally Related Standing Committee (see Parliamentary Committees).
• Second House options: pass it as sent (bill goes for assent); pass it with amendments (back to the first House); reject it; or take no action. The last three can lead to a deadlock.

Joint Sitting (संयुक्त बैठक), Article 108

When can the President summon one? When a bill passed by one House is in the other House and:

1. it is rejected by the other House; or
2. the Houses disagree on amendments; or
3. more than six months pass from the date the other House receives it without its being passed. (Periods of prorogation or adjournment of more than four consecutive days are not counted.)

Money Bill (Articles 109–110)

Article 110(1): A bill is a Money Bill if it contains only provisions dealing with all or any of:

• (a) imposition, abolition, remission, alteration or regulation of any tax;
• (b) regulation of borrowing by the Government of India;
• (c) custody of the Consolidated Fund or the Contingency Fund of India, payment into or withdrawal from them;
• (d) appropriation of money out of the Consolidated Fund;
• (e) declaring any expenditure to be charged on the Consolidated Fund, or increasing such an amount;
• (f) receipt of money on account of the Consolidated Fund or the Public Account, or its audit;
• (g) any matter incidental to the above.

Not Money Bills (Art 110(2)): a bill merely providing for fines or penalties, fees for licences or services, or taxes imposed by a local body for local purposes.

Procedure (Art 109)

graph LR
    A["Introduced in Lok Sabha only
(President's recommendation;
Speaker's certificate)"] --> B["Passed by Lok Sabha"]
    B --> C["Rajya Sabha: 14 days
Recommendations only"]
    C --> D["Lok Sabha accepts or rejects
recommendations"]
    D --> E["Deemed passed by both Houses"]
    E --> F["President: assent or withhold
(cannot return)"]

• If the Rajya Sabha does not return the bill within 14 days, it is deemed passed by both Houses in the form passed by the Lok Sabha.
• The Speaker’s certificate that a bill is a Money Bill is endorsed on it when it goes to the Rajya Sabha and to the President (Art 110(4)), and the decision is “final” (Art 110(3)).
• Because the bill is introduced with the President’s prior recommendation, the President in practice gives assent.

Money Bill vs Financial Bills

Constitution Amendment Bill (Article 368)

Remember also: some provisions can be amended by a simple majority outside Art 368 — new states (Arts 2–4, used for Chhattisgarh in 2000), creation or abolition of Legislative Councils (Art 169), the Fifth and Sixth Schedules, quorum and salaries of MPs, and others. These are expressly “not deemed amendments” for Art 368.

The President’s Assent and Veto (Article 111)

When a bill is presented, the President may:

Lapse of Bills on Dissolution of the Lok Sabha

Shortcut: a bill lapses only if it is sitting in the Lok Sabha or has left the Lok Sabha and is waiting in the Rajya Sabha. A bill that has never touched the Lok Sabha, or has finished with both Houses, survives. Prorogation never causes a bill to lapse.

Memory Tricks

Don’t Confuse

Common Mistakes

Practice

All questions below are original practice questions written in CGPSC style. They are not previous-year questions.

Level 1: Foundation

1. The Rajya Sabha must return a Money Bill within ______ days.
2. A joint sitting of the two Houses is presided over by the ______.
3. The President’s assent to a Constitution Amendment Bill was made obligatory by the ______ Amendment.
4. The Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000 was passed under Articles ______ and ______.

Level 2: Prelims MCQs

Q1. Consider the following statements:

1. A Money Bill can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha, on the recommendation of the President.
2. If the Rajya Sabha does not return a Money Bill within 14 days, it is deemed to have been passed by both Houses.
3. A deadlock over a Money Bill is resolved by a joint sitting under Article 108.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• (a) 1 only
• (b) 1 and 2 only
• (c) 2 and 3 only
• (d) 1, 2 and 3

Q2. Match List I (Joint sitting year) with List II (Bill):

• (a) A-2, B-3, C-1
• (b) A-3, B-2, C-1
• (c) A-2, B-1, C-3
• (d) A-1, B-3, C-2

Q3. Which of the following bills will not lapse on the dissolution of the Lok Sabha?

1. A bill passed by the Lok Sabha and pending in the Rajya Sabha
2. A bill introduced in the Rajya Sabha and pending there
3. A bill passed by both Houses and returned by the President for reconsideration
4. A bill pending in the Lok Sabha

• (a) 1 and 4 only
• (b) 2 and 3 only
• (c) 1, 2 and 3 only
• (d) 2, 3 and 4 only

Q4. A bill provides only for the imposition of fines for violating a new traffic rule. Which statement is correct?

• (a) It is a Money Bill because it involves receipt of money
• (b) It is not a Money Bill, by virtue of Article 110(2)
• (c) It is a Financial Bill under Article 117(1)
• (d) It must be introduced only in the Lok Sabha

Q5. With reference to a Constitution Amendment Bill under Article 368, which one of the following is correct?

• (a) It can be introduced only by a minister
• (b) It requires the prior recommendation of the President
• (c) If the two Houses disagree, the President may summon a joint sitting
• (d) It can be introduced in either House of Parliament

Level 3: Mains Answer Writing

Q1. (150–200 words) Distinguish between a Money Bill and a Financial Bill. Is the use of the Money Bill route for non-financial legislation a threat to bicameralism?

Q2. (60–80 words) Explain the three kinds of veto available to the President of India.

Quick Revision Table

Key Takeaways

What’s Next

• Budget and Parliamentary Devices — the budget cycle, cut motions, Question Hour and motions
• Parliamentary Committees — where bills are scrutinised in detail
• Formation of Chhattisgarh — the 2000 Act in detail
• Centre–State Relations — legislative lists and Art 249–254