Who can summon the parliament for joint sitting?
VerifiedAnswer: President
Explanation:
The President of India holds the constitutional authority to summon a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament. This power is specifically mentioned in Article 108 of the Indian Constitution and represents one of the important functions of the President in the parliamentary system.
A joint sitting becomes necessary when there is a deadlock between the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha regarding a particular bill. The President can call for a joint sitting in the following situations:
• When a bill passed by one House is rejected by the other House
• When more than six months have passed since a House received a bill for consideration
• When the Houses have finally disagreed on the amendments to be made in the bill
During a joint sitting, both Houses meet together, and the Speaker of Lok Sabha presides over the session. The decision is taken by a simple majority of the total members present and voting. Since the Lok Sabha has more members than the Rajya Sabha, the joint sitting usually reflects the will of the Lok Sabha.
It's important to note that joint sittings are quite rare in Indian parliamentary history. Only four joint sittings have been held so far, with the most recent one being in 2002 for the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA). This shows that despite having this constitutional provision, most legislative matters are resolved through normal parliamentary procedures and negotiations between the two Houses.
The President's power to summon joint sittings ensures that legislative work doesn't come to a complete standstill due to disagreements between the Houses, maintaining the smooth functioning of the democratic process in India.
