Question

Who presides over the joint session of the two Houses of the Parliament?

Answer 1

Hint: The Speaker of the Lok Sabha acts as the chair of the Lok Sabha and is elected by the members of the Lok Sabha from within themselves. The Speaker presides over the meetings and all other business of the Lower House and cannot be a part of the Council of Ministers. The Vice-President functions as the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and presides over all the meetings and other businesses of the Upper House.

Complete answer: The Speaker of the Lok Sabha presides over joint sessions called in the event of disagreement between the two Houses on a legislative measure. At the commencement of the first session after each Lok Sabha general election and at the commencement of the first session of each year, the President addresses the joint session of the two Houses to inform Parliament of the causes of its summons. The President has the power to summon a joint session of the Parliament at other times of the year as well, however, that session is also presided over by the Speaker.

Note: Both houses have parliamentary committees of their own which are known as select committees appointed by the Speaker in Lok Sabha and the Chairman in Rajya Sabha. Moreover, there are also joint committees with members of both houses.