With reference to the Parliament of India, consider the following statements:

Prorogation of a House by the President of India does not require the advice of the Council of Ministers.
Prorogation of a House is generally done after the House is adjourned sine die but there is no bar to the President of India prorogating the House which is in session.
Dissolution of the Lok Sabha is done by the President of India who, save in exceptional circumstances, does so on the advice of the Council of Ministers.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2
(c) 2 and 3
(d) 3 only

Correct Answer: (c) 2 and 3

Statement 1: Incorrect. The prorogation of a House by the President of India is generally done on the advice of the Council of Ministers.
Statement 2: Correct. Prorogation of a House is generally done after the House is adjourned sine die, but there is no bar to the President of India proroguing the House which is in session .
Statement 3: Correct. Dissolution of the Lok Sabha is done by the President of India, who, save in exceptional circumstances, does so on the advice of the Council of Ministers.

Learn more

Prorogation:
- Definition: Prorogation means the termination of a session of the House by an order made by the President under Article 85(2)(a) of the Constitution.
- Process: Usually, within a few days after the House is adjourned sine die by the presiding officer, the President issues a notification for the prorogation of the session .
- Effects: Prorogation terminates both the sitting and session of the House. All pending notices (other than those for introducing bills) lapse on prorogation, and fresh notices have to be given for the next session .
Dissolution:
- Definition: Dissolution ends the very life of the existing House, and a new House is constituted after general elections are held.
- Process: The President can dissolve the Lok Sabha on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers. This is a power that the President has under Article 85 of the Indian Constitution .
- Effects: When the Lok Sabha is dissolved, all business including bills, motions, resolutions, notices, petitions, and so on pending before it or its committees lapse .
Adjournment:
- Definition: An adjournment suspends the work in a sitting for a specified time, which may be hours, days, or weeks. The time of reassembly is specified .
- Adjournment Sine Die: This means terminating a sitting of Parliament for an indefinite period. The power of adjournment sine die lies with the presiding officer of the House .
Summoning:
- Definition: Summoning is the process of calling all members of the Parliament to meet. It is the duty of the Indian President to summon each House of the Parliament from time to time .
- Frequency: The maximum gap between two sessions of Parliament cannot be more than six months. In other words, the Parliament should meet at least twice a year .