With reference to the 'Joint Sitting of Parliament', which of the following statements is/are correct?

Question

With reference to the 'Joint Sitting of Parliament', which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. Article 109 of the Constitution of India provides for the Joint Sitting of Parliament.

2. A Joint Sitting of Parliament may be called to pass a Constitution Amendment Bill.

Select the correct answer from the code given below:

1. A. Both 1 and 2
2. B. Neither 1 nor 2 (Correct answer)
3. C. Only 2
4. D. Only 1

Correct Answer

Option B — Neither 1 nor 2

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Neither 1 nor 2.

Key Points

• Statement 1 is incorrect. It is Article 108, not Article 109, that provides for a joint sitting of the two Houses. Article 109 deals with the special procedure for Money Bills — and precisely because Money Bills follow that special procedure, there can be no joint sitting over them.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. A joint sitting cannot be called to pass a Constitution Amendment Bill. Such a Bill must be passed separately by each House by the prescribed special majority.
• Neither statement holds, giving option (b).

Additional Information

• A joint sitting may be summoned by the President for an ordinary bill or a financial bill where the other House has rejected it, disagreed on amendments, or let more than six months pass without passing it.
• The Speaker of the Lok Sabha presides over a joint sitting; if unavailable, the Deputy Speaker, and then the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (Vice-President) does not preside.
• The bill is passed by a simple majority of the total members present and voting of both Houses together — an arrangement that favours the Lok Sabha, whose membership is roughly twice that of the Rajya Sabha.
• A joint sitting has been held only three times: the Dowry Prohibition Bill (1961), the Banking Service Commission (Repeal) Bill (1978) and the Prevention of Terrorism Bill, POTA (2002).
• Money Bills and Constitution Amendment Bills are the two categories for which no joint sitting is possible.