Who acts as the chairperson during a joint meeting of both houses of Parliament?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Correct Answer
Lok Sabha Speaker
Explanation
According to Article 118(4) of the Indian Constitution, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha presides over a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament. A joint sitting is called by the President of India under Article 108 to resolve a deadlock between the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha over the passage of a bill.
If the Lok Sabha Speaker is absent from the joint sitting, the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha presides over the meeting. In the rare event that the Deputy Speaker is also absent, the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha takes the chair. It is an important constitutional rule that the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (who is the Vice-President of India) never presides over a joint sitting because they are not a member of either house of Parliament.
Key Points
The President has the constitutional power to summon or call a joint sitting under Article 108, but the President never presides over the meeting itself.
A joint sitting can only be summoned for Ordinary Bills or Financial Bills, and it can never be called for a Money Bill or a Constitutional Amendment Bill.
The quorum required to constitute a joint sitting is one-tenth of the total number of members of both houses combined, and the bill is passed by a simple majority of the members present and voting.
Important Questions and Answers
Question: Which article of the Indian Constitution contains the provision for summoning a joint sitting of both houses?
Answer: Article 108 of the Indian Constitution provides for a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
Question: Why can the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha never preside over a joint sitting of Parliament?
Answer: The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is the Vice-President of India and is not an elected or nominated member of either house of Parliament, which disqualifies them from presiding.