Various terms in relation to the Parliamentary Sessions

1. Recess

The period, between the prorogation of a House and its reassembly in a new session is called Recess.

2. Adjournment

A sitting of Parliament can be terminated by Adjournment. An Adjournment suspends the work in a sitting for specified time which may be days or weeks. A session of Parliament consists of several meetings. Each session of a day consists of two sittings. That is, one sitting from 11 am to 1 pm and another from 2 pm to 6 pm. Such meetings may sometimes have a break. It may be for hours, days or weeks. This temporary break is called an adjournment.

3. Adjournment Sine Die

Adjournment Sine Die is the suspension of the session of the House and the dissolution of the House for an indefinite period without specifying when the next sitting will be. The presiding officer usually declares it when the business of a session is completed. However, in this situation, the Speaker can order the Parliament to convene at any time.

4. Prorogation

Prorogation is the termination of a session of the House. At the end of a session, the Presiding Officer declares that the session of Parliament is over. This is done by the President under Article 85 (2). It does not however affect the bills pending before the House; but the notices lapse.

5. Dissolution

The House is dissolved when the term of the current House expires. Only the Lok Sabha can be dissolved in this way. Since the Rajya Sabha is a permanent house, it cannot be dissolved. The President has the power to do this. After this, fresh elections are also organized to form a new house. All bills, motions, resolution notices, petitions and its committees lapse when the House is dissolved.

The Lok Sabha can be dissolved in two ways.

a. Automatic dissolution (i.e. when the term of 5 years is completed)

b. When the President decides to dissolve the House

When the Lok Sabha is dissolved, all the bills, resolutions, notices, petitions, etc. under its consideration become null and void. However, some bills that are to be examined by the Government Assurance Committee do not expire when the Lok Sabha is dissolved.

Circumstances in which Bills become void (in case of dissolution of Lok Sabha)

• Bills referred to Lok Sabha for consideration shall become void.

• Bills passed by Lok Sabha and sent to Rajya Sabha shall become void.

• A Bill not passed by both the Houses due to disagreement shall not lapse if the President has notified a joint session of Lok Sabha before dissolution of Lok Sabha.

• A Bill pending in Rajya Sabha shall not become void by reason of non-passage by Lok Sabha.

• A Bill passed by both the Houses shall not become void by reason of failure to obtain the assent of the President.

• A Bill passed by both the Houses shall not become void if the House is dissolved on the ground that the President has returned a Bill passed by both the Houses for reconsideration.

6. Voting

All matters before either House or a joint sitting of both the Houses shall be decided by a vote of the members other than the Presiding Officer. For ordinary business of the House, a simple majority shall be required. Special Majority is required for impeaching the President, amending the Constitution, removing the Presiding Officers of Parliament, etc.

7. Language of Parliament

As per the Constitution, Hindi and English are the official languages ​​of Parliament. However, the Presiding Officer may allow a member to address the House in his mother tongue. According to the Official Languages ​​Act, 1963, English can be used in the House along with Hindi.

8. Quorum

It is the minimum number of members required to be present in the House before it transacts any business. A certain percentage of the members of the House must be present for a session to be held. This is called the quorum. The quorum for the session of Parliament is one-tenth (Lok Sabha - 55, Rajya Sabha - 25). In the case of states, ten or one-tenth, whichever is higher.

9. Filibuster

This is the method of prolonging the discussions in Parliament by strategically speaking in order to protect or achieve some special interests.

10. Gerrymandering

Gerrymandering is the practice of redefining constituencies in a way that benefits the current ruling political party in the next election.

11. Delimitation

Delimitation is the process of redefining the boundaries of the legislative assemblies. The Delimitation Commission is the commission that conducts the delimitation process. The years in which the Delimitation Commission was established in India are - 1952, 1963, 1973, 2002.

12. Lame Duck Session

The last session of the existing Lok Sabha after the election of a new Lok Sabha is called the Lame Duck Session. The members of the existing Lok Sabha who are not elected to the new Lok Sabha are called Lame Ducks.

13. Hung Parliament

A hung parliament is a parliament in which no party has a clear majority to form a government after a general election.

14. Coalition Government

A coalition government is a government formed by two or more parties after an election in which no party has a clear majority.

15. Expunction

Deletion of words, phrases of expression for the proceedings or records of the house by an order of the Speaker or from the proceedings or records of a committee by an order of the chairman of the committee.

16. Calendar of sittings

A provisional calendar of sittings circulated to members along with the summons for a session showing the days on which Lok Sabha is to sit and the nature of business to be transacted by it.