Parliamentary Terms — Set 5

Correct Answer: C. Article 108

• **Article 108** = provides for the convening of a Joint Sitting of both Houses of Parliament to resolve a deadlock over an ordinary bill when one House refuses or fails to pass the bill passed by the other. • **Scope** — Joint Sitting applies only to ordinary (non-money, non-constitutional amendment) bills; Money Bills cannot be subjected to Joint Sitting; Constitutional Amendment Bills also cannot go to Joint Sitting. • 💡 Option A (Article 110) is wrong — Article 110 defines Money Bills; it is entirely unrelated to Joint Sitting of Parliament. Option B (Article 112) is wrong — Article 112 relates to the Annual Financial Statement (Budget); it has no connection to resolving legislative deadlocks. Option D (Article 123) is wrong — Article 123 deals with the President's Ordinance-making power when Parliament is not in session; it is unrelated to Joint Sittings.

Correct Answer: D. Speaker of Lok Sabha

• **Speaker of Lok Sabha** = the presiding officer of a Joint Sitting of Parliament held under Article 108; in the Speaker's absence, the Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha presides. • **Vice-President excluded** — the Vice-President, who is the ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha, never presides over a Joint Sitting; this is a firm constitutional rule. • 💡 Option A (Chairman of Rajya Sabha) is wrong — the Chairman (Vice-President) presides over Rajya Sabha sittings but has no role in presiding over Joint Sittings; the Constitution explicitly assigns this to the Speaker. Option B (Prime Minister) is wrong — the PM is the head of government, not a presiding officer; the PM does not chair parliamentary sittings. Option C (President) is wrong — the President summons and prorogues Parliament but does not personally preside over any sitting of either House or a Joint Sitting.

Correct Answer: D. 50 members

• **50 members** = the minimum support required for a No-Confidence Motion to be admitted in the Lok Sabha; the member must obtain the support of at least 50 members before the Speaker can admit the motion. • **After admission** — once the Speaker admits the No-Confidence Motion, a date is fixed for its discussion within 10 days; if passed by simple majority, the Council of Ministers must resign. • 💡 Option A (One-tenth of the House) is wrong — one-tenth of Lok Sabha would be about 55 members; the specific rule for No-Confidence Motion is 50 members, not a proportional fraction. Option B (100 members) is wrong — 100 members is twice the required number; the actual threshold is 50 members. Option C (20 members) is wrong — 20 members is less than the required 50; admitting with such a small number would allow frivolous motions.

Correct Answer: A. 6 months

• **6 months** = the maximum permissible gap between two consecutive sessions of Parliament as specified in Article 85(1); this means Parliament must be summoned at least twice in a year. • **Three sessions in practice** — India traditionally holds three sessions: Budget Session (Feb–May), Monsoon Session (Jul–Aug), and Winter Session (Nov–Dec); the 6-month constitutional rule ensures continuity of legislative oversight. • 💡 Option B (9 months) is wrong — a 9-month gap would mean Parliament meets less than twice a year, which would violate the constitutional requirement; the correct limit is 6 months. Option C (3 months) is wrong — 3 months is more restrictive than the constitutional requirement; the Constitution specifies 6 months as the maximum gap. Option D (1 year) is wrong — a full year gap would effectively mean Parliament could meet only once a year; Article 85 mandates the gap cannot exceed 6 months.

Correct Answer: B. Speaker of Lok Sabha

• **Speaker of Lok Sabha** = the sole authority who certifies whether a bill is a Money Bill under Article 110; the Speaker's certificate is mandatory for the bill to be transmitted to the Rajya Sabha as a Money Bill. • **Finality of decision** — the Speaker's certification is final and conclusive; it cannot be questioned in any court of law (Article 110(3)); the Rajya Sabha can only recommend amendments, which Lok Sabha may reject. • 💡 Option A (Prime Minister) is wrong — the PM has no constitutional role in certifying Money Bills; the Speaker alone certifies. Option C (President) is wrong — the President gives prior recommendation for the introduction of a Money Bill in Lok Sabha but does not certify whether a bill qualifies as a Money Bill. Option D (Finance Minister) is wrong — the Finance Minister usually introduces the Money Bill (budget) but has no authority to certify it as a Money Bill; that is the Speaker's exclusive constitutional function.

Correct Answer: D. Lok Sabha

• **Lok Sabha** = the only House where a Money Bill can be introduced; it cannot be introduced in the Rajya Sabha; it also requires the President's prior recommendation before introduction. • **Rajya Sabha's limited role** — Rajya Sabha can only recommend amendments within 14 days; Lok Sabha may accept or reject all recommendations; if Rajya Sabha does not return the bill in 14 days, it is deemed passed by both Houses. • 💡 Option A (Joint Sitting) is wrong — Money Bills are specifically excluded from the Joint Sitting mechanism under Article 108; Joint Sitting applies only to ordinary bills. Option B (Rajya Sabha) is wrong — the Rajya Sabha cannot introduce Money Bills; it can only make recommendations after receiving the bill from Lok Sabha. Option C (Any House) is wrong — unlike ordinary bills which can be introduced in either House, Money Bills must originate only in Lok Sabha.

Correct Answer: B. Article 112

• **Article 112** = deals with the Annual Financial Statement, which is the constitutional name for what is popularly called the 'Budget'; it contains the estimated receipts and expenditure of the Government of India for each financial year. • **No 'Budget' in Constitution** — the word 'Budget' does not appear anywhere in the Constitution of India; the document is officially called the Annual Financial Statement under Article 112. • 💡 Option A (Article 114) is wrong — Article 114 deals with the Appropriation Bill (which authorizes withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund); the Annual Financial Statement is under Article 112. Option C (Article 111) is wrong — Article 111 deals with the President's assent to bills; it is unrelated to budget/financial statements. Option D (Article 110) is wrong — Article 110 defines what constitutes a Money Bill; it does not cover the Annual Financial Statement.

Correct Answer: C. Green

• **Green colour** = Starred Questions lists are printed in green; the colour coding helps members and officials quickly identify question types on the day's order paper. • **Colour coding system** — Starred Questions = green (oral answers required); Unstarred Questions = white (written answers); Short Notice Questions = light pink; Private Notice Questions also have distinct printing. • 💡 Option A (Pink) is wrong — light pink is the colour for Short Notice Questions, not Starred Questions. Option B (White) is wrong — white is the colour for Unstarred Questions, which receive written answers; Starred Questions that require oral answers are printed in green. Option D (Yellow) is wrong — yellow is not the standard colour for any of the main question categories in Indian Parliament; it is a distracter.

Correct Answer: D. 25 years

• **25 years** = the minimum age for a person to be a member of the Lok Sabha as specified in Article 84(b) of the Constitution of India. • **Age comparison** — Lok Sabha minimum age = 25 years; Rajya Sabha minimum age = 30 years; President minimum age = 35 years; Vice-President minimum age = 35 years. • 💡 Option A (30 years) is wrong — 30 years is the minimum age requirement for Rajya Sabha, not Lok Sabha; confusing the two Houses' age requirements is the primary; it is not the minimum age for Lok Sabha membership. Option C (35 years) is wrong — 35 years is the minimum age for the President and Vice-President of India; Lok Sabha requires only 25 years.

Correct Answer: B. Estimates Committee

• **Estimates Committee** = the largest standing financial committee of Parliament, comprising 30 members — all from the Lok Sabha only (no Rajya Sabha representation); it. • **Function** — the Estimates Committee; it cannot question policy; its main job is to suggest alternatives for economy, efficiency, and improvement in organisation and administration. • 💡 Option A (Committee on Public Undertakings) is wrong — Committee on Public Undertakings has 22 members and; it is smaller than the Estimates Committee. Option C (Public Accounts Committee) is wrong — PAC has 22 members (15 Lok Sabha + 7 Rajya Sabha); it is smaller than the 30-member Estimates Committee. Option D (Business Advisory Committee) is wrong — Business Advisory Committee regulates the time allotted for debate on various legislative business; it has only 15 members and is not the largest.