CHAPTER - II

SUMMONING AND PROROGATION OF BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT

 

2.1               Article 85(1) of the Constitution empowers the President to summon each House of Parliament to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit. Clause (2) thereof states that the President may from time to time prorogue the Houses or either House or dissolve the House of the People (Lok Sabha). The Allocation of Business Rules framed under Article 77(3) of the Constitution assign this function to the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. After assessing the time likely to be required for transaction of government business and for discussion on topics of public interest as may be demanded from time to time by Members of Parliament, a note is placed before the Cabinet for making a recommendation as to the date of commencement of a session of Parliament and its likely duration. The recommendation of the Cabinet is submitted to the President for his approval of the date of  commencement of the session. After the President’s approval, the date of commencement and  duration of session are conveyed to the  Secretariats of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for issuing summons to the members of Parliament.

 

Sessions

 

(i)         Summoning

 

2.2               During the period from 1.1.2003 to 31.03.2004, three Sessions each of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were held. The details of the sessions held are as follows:

 

 

THIRTEENTH LOK SABHA

 

Session

Duration

Sittings

Days

 

12th

February 17, 2003 to May 9, 2003

37

82

13th

July 21, 2003 to August 22, 2003

21

33

14th (1st Part)

December 02, 2003 to December 23, 2003

16

22

14th (2nd Part)

January 29, 2004 to February 5, 2004

05

08

 

RAJYA SABHA

 

198th

February 17, 2003 to May 9, 2003          

37

82

199th

July 21, 2003 to August 22, 2003

21

33

200th (1st Part)

December 02, 2003 to December 23, 2003

16

22

200th (2nd Part)

January 30, 2004 to February 5, 2004

04

07

         

 

(ii)               Prorogation

2.3   After obtaining the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs to the proposal to prorogue the Houses, the Government's decision is conveyed to the two Secretariats of Parliament to  enable them to issue the Order of the President and to notify the same in the Gazette of India. The details of dates of adjournment sine-die and the prorogation of the two Houses of the Parliament are as follows:

 

 

 

 

THIRTEENTH LOK SABHA

 

             Session

                                          Date  of

  Adjournment sine-die

       Prorogation

12th

May 9, 2003

May 10,  2003

13th

August 22, 2003

August 26,  2003

14th  (1st Part)

December 23, 2003

-

14th  (2nd  Part)

February 5, 2004

XIII Lok Sabha was dissolved on February 6, 2004

RAJYA SABHA

198th

May 9, 2003

May 10,  2003

199th

August 22, 2003

August 26,  2003

200th (1st Part)

December 23, 2003

-

200th (2nd Part)

February 5, 2004

February 10, 2004

 

Dissolution of Thirteenth Lok Sabha

 

2.4        The Thirteenth Lok Sabha, which was constituted on October 10, 1999, was dissolved by the President on February 6, 2004. During the tenure of the Thirteenth Lok Sabha and corresponding period of the Rajya Sabha, 14 sessions each of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were convened. Further, the Lok Sabha held 356 sittings spread over a period of 614 days and the Rajya Sabha held 351 sittings spread over a period of 612 days during this period.

 

DATES OF POLL, CONSTITUTION, FIRST SITTING,

EXPIRY OF THE TERM AND DISSOLUTION OF LOK SABHA

(First to Thirteenth Lok Sabha)

  Lok Sabha

Last Date of Poll

Date of the

Constitution

Date of the first sitting

Date of expiry of Term (Article

83(2) of the   Constitution)

Date of

Dissolution

1

2

3

4

5

6

First

21.02.52

02.04.52

13.05.52

12.05.57

04.04.57

Second

15.03.57

05.04.57

10.05.57

09.05.62

31.03.62

Third   

25.02.62

02.04.62

16.04.62

15.04.67

03.03.67

Fourth

21.02.67

04.03.67

16.03.67

15.03.72

*27.12.70

Fifth

10.03.71

15.03.71

19.03.71

18.03.77

*18.01.77

Sixth

20.03.77

23.03.77

25.03.77

24.03.82

*22.08.79

Seventh

06.01.80

10.01.80

21.01.80

20.01.85

31.12.84

Eighth

28.12.84

31.12.84

15.01.85

14.01.90

27.11.89

Ninth   

26.11.89

02.12.89

18.12.89

17.12.94

*13.03.91

Tenth

15.06.91

20.06.91

09.07.91

08.07.96

10.05.96

Eleventh

07.05.96

15.05.96

22.05.96

   21.05.2001

*04.12.97

Twelfth

07.03.98

10.03.98

23.03.98

   22.03.2003

*26.04.99

Thirteenth

04.10.99

10.10.99

20.10.99

      19.10.2004

*06.02.04

 

* 1. Mid-term polls were held, dissolution took place even before the elections.

               2. Last dates of poll in column (2) are based on reports of Election Commission.

 

 

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