MONSOON SESSION OF PARLIAMENT BEGINS

MONSOON SESSION OF PARLIAMENT BEGINS

Context:

The monsoon session of Parliament has started.

Constitutional Provisions About Sessions of Parliament:

• According to Article 85 there should not be a gap of more than 6 months between 2 sessions of Parliament. That means the Parliament should meet at least twice a year.
• The Constitution does not specify when or for how many days Parliament should meet.
• The power to summon a session of Parliament rests with the Government.
• The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, comprising senior ministers, decides on the dates for parliament’s sitting and it is then forwarded to the president.
• So, the executive, headed by the prime minister, which steers the business to be taken up by parliament will have the power to advise the president to summon the legislature.

The last session of Parliament:

• It was curtailed and ended on March 25 and under the Constitutional norms, the next session has to be held within 6 months. This period will end on September 14.

Three sessions of the Parliament:

• The longest, Budget Session (1st session), starts towards the end of January, and ends by the end of April or first week of May. The session has a recess so that Parliamentary Committees can discuss the budgetary proposals.
• The 2nd session is the 3-week Monsoon Session, which usually starts in July and ends in August.
• Winter Session the 3rd session is held from November to December.