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Parliament (Articles 79–122) ​

📊 High-Yield Data & Statistical Fact Sheet
  • Constitutional Structure: Established under Part V Chapter II (Articles 79 to 122). Comprises the President, the Rajya Sabha (Council of States), and the Lok Sabha (House of the People).
  • Functioning Decline Trends (PRS Data):
    • Lok Sabha sitting days: Average sitting days dropped from 121 days (1950s) to 58 days (2014–2024) (a decline of over 50%).
    • Committee Referrals: Bills referred to Parliamentary Committees dropped to a record low of 16% under the 17th Lok Sabha, reflecting reduced scrutiny.
  • Divergence Split (Rajya Sabha vs. Lok Sabha):
    • Rajya Sabha (Article 80): 250 max members (238 representing states/UTs, 12 nominated by the President for literature, science, art, and social service). Electors are elected MLAs of states via proportional representation (STV).
    • Lok Sabha (Article 81): 550 max members (directly elected). Seat allocation frozen at the 1971 Census; constituency boundaries frozen at the 2001 Census; both frozen until the first census post-2026.
  • Disqualification Milestones:
    • Anti-Defection (10th Schedule): Added by 52nd CAA, 1985. 91st CAA (2003) abolished the 1/3rd "split" exemption; now only a wholesale merger (2/3rd legislative party) shields members from defection penalties.
    • conviction Cap (RPA 1951 Sec 8(3)): Sentencing of 2+ years triggers immediate disqualification (Lily Thomas v. Union, 2013). If the conviction is stayed by an appellate court, the disqualification is also stayed (Lok Prahari, 2018).
  • Joint Sitting (Article 108) Presiding Order: 1. Speaker of the Lok Sabha, 2. Deputy Speaker, 3. Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (VP) cannot preside as they are not a member of either House. Held only 3 times: Dowry Prohibition Bill (1961), Banking Service Commission (Repeal) Bill (1978), POTA (2002).
  • Quorum (Article 100(3)): One-tenth of total members — 55 in Lok Sabha, 25 in Rajya Sabha.
  • Sessions (Article 85): Gap between two sessions must not exceed 6 months; Parliament must meet at least twice a year. No minimum number of sitting days is prescribed.
  • Motion Thresholds: Adjournment Motion and No-Confidence Motion each require the support of 50 members; adjournment motion discussion must run at least 2 hours 30 minutes.
  • Cut Motions: Policy Cut (reduce to Re. 1), Economy Cut (reduce by a specified amount), Token Cut (reduce by Rs. 100).
  • Money Bill Deeming Rule: If the Rajya Sabha does not return a Money Bill within 14 days, it is deemed passed by both Houses in the Lok Sabha's form.
  • Contingency Fund of India (Article 267): Corpus raised to Rs. 30,000 crore by the Finance Act, 2021; held by the Finance Secretary on behalf of the President.
  • Finance Bill Deadline: Must be enacted within 75 days of introduction. Vote on Account (Article 116) normally covers 2 months (one-sixth of estimated expenditure).
  • Leader of Opposition: Statutory recognition under the 1977 Act; requires 10% of House strength (Mavalankar Rule); ranks as a Cabinet Minister.
  • Private Member Bills: Only 14 have received Presidential assent since Independence; none since 1970 has cleared both Houses. Discussed on Fridays.

Lok Sabha Annual Sitting Days (Decadal Average)

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Bills Referred to Parliamentary Committees (%)

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1. COMPOSITION & LIFE CYCLES OF HOUSES ​

COMPOSITION & LIFE CYCLES OF HOUSES ​

COMPOSITION & LIFE CYCLES OF HOUSES
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  • | Constitutional Parameter | Rajya Sabha (Council of States) | Lok Sabha (House of the People) |

    | :--- | :--- | :--- |

    | House Character | Permanent body; not subject to dissolution (Article 83(1)). | Temporary body; standard 5-year term from its first meeting. |

    | Retirement Tiers | One-third of members retire every second year; individual terms last 6 years. | Entire House dissolves at the end of its 5-year term or earlier. |

    | Emergency Extensions | Permanent; unaffected by emergencies. | Term can be extended by Parliament by 1 year at a time, up to 6 months after the emergency ends. |

    | Minimum Age | 30 years (Article 84(b)). | 25 years (Article 84(b)). |

    | UT Representation | Represented: Delhi, Puducherry, Jammu & Kashmir. | All UTs are represented. |

2. STATUTORY POWERS, DISQUALIFICATIONS & MERGER RULES ​

STATUTORY POWERS, DISQUALIFICATIONS & MERGER RULES ​

STATUTORY POWERS, DISQUALIFICATIONS & MERGER RULES
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  • Merger Exemption (Tenth Schedule): Under the 91st CAA, 2003, a split is no longer recognized. Defection penalties do not apply only if not less than two-thirds of the members of the legislative party agree to merge with another party. Rulings in 2025 confirmed this wholesale merger requirement.
  • RPA 1951 Disqualification Limits:
  • Section 8(3): Conviction for any offense carrying a sentence of 2+ years triggers disqualification from the date of conviction and continues for 6 years post-release.
  • Lily Thomas Case (2013): The Supreme Court struck down Section 8(4), which had allowed a 3-month grace period for appeals. Disqualification is now immediate upon conviction.
  • Vacation of Seats (Article 101):
  • Dual Membership: A member elected to both Houses of Parliament must indicate within 10 days which House they wish to serve in, or their Rajya Sabha seat is vacated.
  • Absence: A seat is declared vacant if a member is absent for 60 consecutive days without permission.

3. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF BILLS ​

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF BILLS ​

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF BILLS
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  • The Constitution outlines four major types of legislative bills, each with distinct procedures:

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