CHAPTER – III

 

PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS AND ORDINANCES

 

President's Address

 

3.1        Article 87(1) enjoins upon the President to address both Houses of Parliament assembled together at the commencement of the first session after each General Election and also at the commencement of the first session of each calendar year.

 

3.2        In accordance with clause (2) of Article 87, provisions has been made in the Rules of Procedure of the Lok Sabha and of the Rajya Sabha for discussion on the matters referred to in the President's Address. The debate in both Houses takes place on a Motion of Thanks which is moved and seconded by members selected by the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs. The motion duly signed by such members are forwarded by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs to the Parliament Secretariat concerned. The scope of the discussion on the Address is very wide and members are free to speak on any subject, whether national or international. Even matters not specifically mentioned in the Address are touched upon by members through tabling of amendments to the Motion of Thanks on the Address or through participation in the debate. The office of the President is not criticised for anything contained in the Address, as it is drafted by the Government. The criticism, if any, has to be directed towards the Government.

 

3.3        In 2001, the Address was delivered by the President on 19th  February, 2001. The text of the Address by the President of India  delivered  to the two  Houses of Parliament assembled together on 19th  February, 2001 can be glanced through at Appendix -II. The following table indicates the date of delivery of the Address, the names of movers and seconders of the Motion of Thanks and the time taken on the discussion on the Address:-

_______________________________________________________________________________________

 

Date of Delivery of the              Names of mover and seconder on                      Dates of discussion

President's Address                   Motion of Thanks

______________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Sixth  Session of Thirteenth Lok Sabha

 

February 19, 2001                      Shri Vijay Kumar Malhotra (Mover)                   March, 7,8 & 12

                                                Dr. S. Venugopal (Seconder)    

 

192nd  Session of Rajya Sabha

 

                        Shri T.N. Chaturvedi (Mover)                            March,  1, 7, 8 & 12

                                                Shri Sharif-Ud-Din Shariq (Seconder)    

_______________________________________________________________________________________

 

Provisions Regarding Ordinance

 

3.4        According to Article 123, if at any time (except when both Houses of Parliament are in Session), the President is satisfied that circumstances exist which render it necessary for him to take immediate action, the President may promulgate an Ordinance as the circumstances appear to him to require. Such Ordinances shall have the same force and effect as an Act of Parliament but they should not contain any provision which Parliament would not under the constitution be competent to enact. The said Article further stipulates laying of Ordinances before both Houses of Parliament. Provision also exists for moving Statutory Resolutions seeking their disapproval. Under the constitution, an Ordinance shall cease to operate at the expiration of six weeks from the reassembly of Parliament, or if before the expiration of that period, Resolutions disapproving it are passed by both Houses, upon the passing of the second of those Resolutions. Where the Houses of Parliament are summoned on different dates, the period of six weeks shall be reckoned from the later of those dates.

 

3.5.       Provisions have been made in the Rules of Procedure of the two Houses for laying of statements explaining the circumstances which necessitated promulgation of Ordinances so that members might make use of the same while deliberating upon them.

 

3.6        The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs ensures compliance of various provisions of the Constitution of India and the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the two Houses of Parliament by arranging laying of copies of the Ordinances, requesting the Ministries to lay explanatory statements and providing time for consideration of Resolutions seeking disapproval of the Ordinances alongwith consideration of Bills seeking to replace these Ordinances. All efforts are made to get action completed well within the period of six weeks as stipulated in the Constitution.

 

Ordinances

 

3.7        During the period from 1.1.2001 to 31.12.2001, 12 Ordinances were promulgated by the President.  Out of 12 Ordinances, 4 Ordinances at Sl. No. 1, 6, 8 & 9 had to be repromulgated during 2001 because these could not be replaced by Acts of Parliament within stipulated period in terms of Article 123 (2) (a) of the Constitution. A copy each of  9 Ordinances at Sl. No. 1 to 9  was laid each in English and Hindi versions on the table of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha by the Ministers of State for Parliamentary Affairs as per details indicated in the following statement:-

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Sl.            Title of the Ordinance &         Date of laying                          Introduction of Bill                  Consideration & passing                           Date of Assent

No.          Date of  promulgation                                                              replacing the Ordinance           of the Bill                                                and Act No.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

                                                Lok Sabha                Rajya Sabha                                                              Lok Sabha                Rajya Sabha

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1.             The Indian Council  22.2.2001                19.2.2001                                27.11.2000              18.12.2000              *10.8.2001              *Withdrawn

of World Affairs                                                                                      (LS)                         *10.8.2001

                Ordinance, 2001

                (No. 1 of 2001),

                (5.1.2001)

 

2.             The Taxation Laws  22.2.2001                19.2.2001                                1.3.2001                  2.3.2001                  12.3.2001                March 20, 01

                (Amendment)                                                                                          (LS)                                                                                         Act 4, of  01

                Ordinance, 2001

                (No. 2 of 2001),

                (3.2.2001)

 

3.             The Indian Council  24.7.2001                24.7.2001                                14.8.2001                23.8.2001                29.8.2001                September 3, 01

                of World Affairs                                                                                      (LS)                                                                                         Act 29, of  01

                (Second Ordinance),

                2001 (No. 3 of 2001),

                (8.5.2001)

 

4.             The Food                 24.7.2001                24.7.2001                                30.7.2001                7.8.2001                 21.8.2001                August 29, 01

                Corporations                                                                                            (LS)                                                                                         Act 27, of  01

                (Amendment)

                Ordinance, 2001

                (No. 4 of 2001),

                (22.5.2001)

 

5.             The Live-Stock        24.7.2001                24.7.2001                                30.7.2001                  8.8.2001                21.8.2001                August 29, 01

                Importation                                                                                             (LS)                                                                                         Act 28, of  01

                (Amendment)

                Ordinance, 2001

                (No. 5 of 2001),

                (5.7.2001)

 

6.             The Institute of       20.11.2001              20.11.2001                              27.11.2001                    -                             -                                  -

                Technology                                                                                             (RS)

                (Amendment)

                Ordinance, 2001

                (No. 6 of 2001),

                (21.9.2001)

 

7.             The Companies        20.11.2001              20.11.2001                              22.11.2001              26.11.200                3.12.2001                Dec. 22, 01

                (Amendment)                                                                                          (LS)                         29.11.2001                                              57 of  01

                Ordinance, 2001

                (No. 7 of 2001),

                (23.10.2001)

 

8.             The Passports          20.11.2001              20.11.2001                              22.11.2001                   -                          10.12.2001                      -

                (Amendment)                                                                                          (RS)                                                         (Inclusive)

                Ordinance, 2001

                (No. 8 of 2001),

                (23.10.2001)

 

9.             The Prevention of   20.11.2001              20.11.2001                              -                                   -                                  -                                -

                Terrorism

                Ordinance, 2001

                (No. 9 of 2001),

                (24.10.2001)

 

10.                 The Institute of       -                               -                                               -                                    -                                 -                                -

Technology

(Amendment)

Second

Ordinance, 2001

(No. 10 of 2001),

(30.12.2001)

 

11.                 The Passports          -                               -                                               -                                    -                                 -                                 -

(Amendment)

Second

Ordinance, 2001

(No. 11 of 2001)

(30.12.2001)

 

12.                 The Prevention       -                               -                                               -                                   -                                  -                                 -     

of Terrorism

(Second

Ordinance),

2001 (No. 12

of 2001)

(30.12.2001)

______________________________________________________________________________________________

 

3.8        Resolutions seeking disapproval of Ordinances were moved in respect of Ordinances mentioned at Sl.No. 2 and 7 in both Houses and in respect of ordinances at Sl.No. 3 to 5 in Lok Sabha  and in respect of Sl.No. 8 in Rajya Sabha only.

 

 

 

ORDINANCES PROMULGATED BY THE PRESIDENT FROM 1952 TO 2001

 

 


Year                 Number of Ordinances              Year                 Number of Ordinances

                        Promulgated                                                      Promulgated

 

 


1952                             09                                 1953                             07

1954                             09                                 1955                             07

1956                             09                                 1957                             06

1958                             07                                 1959                             03

1960                             01                                 1961                             03

1962                             08                                 1963                             --

1964                             03                                 1965                             07

1966                             13                                 1967                             09

1968                             13                                 1969                             10

1970                             05                                 1971                             23

1972                             09                                 1973                             04

1974                             15                                 1975                             29

1976                             16                                 1977                             16

1978                             06                                 1979                             10

1980                             10                                 1981                             12

1982                             01                                 1983                             11

1984                             15                                 1985                             08

1986                             08                                 1987                             10

1988                             07                                 1989                             02

1990                             10                                 1991                             09

1992                             21                                 1993                             34

1994                             14                                 1995                             15

1996                             32                                 1997                             31

1998                             20                                 1999                             10

2000                                                          05                                 2001                             12

 

 


N.B.: The Position regarding Governments which were in power at the Centre during the years  in which Ordinances were promulgated is as udner:-

 

 

First Lok Sabha:                        April 2, 52 to April 4, 57; National Congress (Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru)

 

Second Lok Sabha:                    April 5, 57 to March 31, 62: National Congress (Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru)

 

Third Lok Sabha:                       April 2, 62 to March 3, 67; National Congress (Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, from April 2, 62 to May 27, 1964, Shri Gulzari Lal Nanda from May 27, 1964 to June 9, 1964, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri from June 9, 1964 to January 11, 1966 and Shri Gulzari Lal Nanda from January 11, 1966 to January 24, 1966 and Smt. Indira Gandhi from January 24, 1966 to March 3, 1967)

 

Fourth Lok Sabha:                     March 4, 67 to December 27, 70: Congress (I) (Smt. Indira Gandhi)

 

Fifth Lok Sabha:                        March 15, 71 to January 18, 77: Congress (I) (Smt. Indira Gandhi)

 

Sixth Lok Sabha:                       March 23, 77 to August 22, 79: Congress (I)/Janata Party (Smt. Indira Gandhi 18.1.77 to 24.3.77)

(Shri Morarji Desai from March 24, 77 to July 28, 79 and Shri Charan Singh from July 28, 79 to January 14, 80)

 

Seventh Lok Sabha:                   January 10, 80 to December 31, 84: Congress (I) (Smt. Indira Gandhi from January 14, 80 to October 31, 84 and Shri Rajiv Gandhi from October 31, 84 to December 31, 84)

 

Eighth Lok Sabha:                     December 31, 84 to November 27, 89: Congress (I) (Shri Rajiv Gandhi from October 31, 84 to December 2, 1989)

Ninth Lok Sabha:                       December 2, 89 to March 13, 91: (Shri V.P. Singh from December 2, 89 to November 10, 90 and Shri Chandra Shekhar from November 10, 90 to June 21, 91)

 

Tenth Lok Sabha:                      June 20, 91 to May 10, 96: Congress (I) Shri P.V. Narasimha Rao from June 21, 91 to May 16, 1996)

 

Eleventh Lok Sabha:                  May 15, 96 to Dec. 4, 1997; Bharatiya Janata Party/United Front

(i)                  (Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee from May 16, 96 to June 1, 1996);

(ii)                (Shri H.D. Deve Gowda from June 1, 96 to April 21, 1997 and Shri I.K. Gujral from April 21, 1997 to March 19, 1998).

 

Twelfth Lok Sabha:                   March 10, 98 to 26.4.99: Bharatiya Janata Party led alliance (Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee from March 19, 1998 to 13.10.1999)

 

Thirteenth Lok Sabha:                October 10, 1999 onwards: Bharatiya Janata Party led NDA (Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee from October 13, 1999 onwards).

 

 

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