Parliamentary Procedures, Question Hour & Parliamentary Committees — Indian Polity

Sessions of Parliament

The Indian Parliament meets in three sessions every year. There is no constitutional provision prescribing how many sessions must be held, but Article 85 mandates that no more than six months shall intervene between two consecutive sessions.

The session begins with the summons issued by the President on the advice of the Cabinet. A session ends with prorogation by the President. It is important to distinguish prorogation from adjournment and dissolution:

• Adjournment — Suspends a sitting temporarily (hours, days, weeks). Business is not lost; it resumes when the House meets again.
• Adjournment Sine Die — Terminates a sitting indefinitely without a fixed reassembly date.
• Prorogation — Formally ends a session. Issued by the President. Most pending business lapses (except Bills pending in Rajya Sabha or Select/Joint committees).
• Dissolution — Terminates the Lok Sabha itself; requires fresh elections. The Rajya Sabha, being a permanent House, is never dissolved.

Question Hour

The first hour of every sitting is Question Hour, during which MPs hold ministers accountable for their ministries. It is considered the most vibrant time in Parliament for executive accountability.

Types of Questions

The 15-day advance notice rule applies to starred and unstarred questions. The time allotted for a starred question and supplementary questions is limited to keep the proceeding efficient.

Zero Hour

Zero Hour is an Indian parliamentary innovation that has no mention in the Constitution or Rules of Procedure. It starts immediately after Question Hour (at noon — hence "Zero Hour") and allows MPs to raise matters of urgent public importance without any prior notice.

• Commenced in the Indian Parliament in 1962
• Ministers are expected to respond or make statements
• Unlike Question Hour, Zero Hour is not regulated by any formal rules — it operates on convention

Parliamentary Motions

Several parliamentary devices allow MPs to raise issues or check the executive:

Types of Bills

Classification by Origin

Private Member Bills rarely become law; their primary value is in raising public debate and signalling legislative priorities.

Classification by Subject Matter

Ordinary Bills (Article 107-108)

• Can be introduced in either House
• Passed separately by both Houses; if disagreement persists, joint sitting convened (Article 108)
• President can give assent, withhold assent, or return for reconsideration (not to Money Bills)

Money Bills (Article 110)

• Deal exclusively with taxation, government borrowing, Consolidated Fund — as defined in Article 110(1)(a) to (g)
• Can only be introduced in Lok Sabha
• Rajya Sabha has 14 days to return — its recommendations are not binding on Lok Sabha
• No joint sitting for Money Bills — Lok Sabha alone decides
• Speaker certifies whether a Bill is a Money Bill

Finance Bills

• Category I: Contains provisions of Article 110 plus other matters — treated like a Money Bill
• Category II: Contains tax provisions not solely in Article 110 — can be introduced in either House; Rajya Sabha can amend

Constitutional Amendment Bills (Article 368)

• Can be introduced in either House
• Require special majority (2/3rd of members present and voting + majority of total membership)
• Some provisions require ratification by at least half the State Legislatures

Stages of an Ordinary Bill

1. Introduction (First Reading) — Title read; no discussion on merits
2. Second Reading — General discussion on principles; referral to committee possible
3. Committee Stage — Clause-by-clause examination
4. Third Reading — Final vote; no amendments on principle, only verbal/drafting changes
5. Transmission to Other House — Same three readings
6. Presidential Assent (Article 111) — President can assent, withhold assent, or return for reconsideration (once)

Financial Committees

Financial oversight is Parliament's most critical function. Three major financial committees scrutinise government spending:

Public Accounts Committee (PAC)

Estimates Committee

Committee on Public Undertakings

Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSCs)

DRSCs were introduced in 1993 (initially as 17 committees) and expanded to 24 committees to cover all central ministries and departments. They are joint committees of Parliament.

DRSCs have been credited with improving legislative quality. However, only about 25% of Bills are referred to committees in recent Parliaments (down from earlier practice), which remains a concern for deliberative quality.

Other Important Committees

Recent Developments (2024–2026)

Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 — Parliament, President, Supreme Court

A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) was constituted in August 2024 to examine the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. The JPC submitted its report with dissent notes from Opposition members in early 2025. Parliament passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill on 4 April 2025; the President gave assent on 5 April 2025 — it became the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.

Over 65 petitions were filed in the Supreme Court challenging the Act. On 17 April 2025, the Supreme Court clubbed all petitions under In re: Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025 and issued an interim protective order: no waqf property (whether registered, unregistered, or waqf by user) was to be denotified, altered, or interfered with until the next hearing. On 15 September 2025, in its interim judgment, the Court (two-judge bench) stayed specific provisions — including Section 3(r) (the five-year practising-Muslim requirement before creating a waqf) and parts of Section 3C (government property "identified or declared" as waqf) — while declining to stay the Act in its entirety.

The substantive constitutional hearing on the Act's validity is ongoing as of April 2026.

UPSC angle: Prelims — Waqf Amendment Act 2025 passed April 2025; Presidential assent April 5, 2025; SC partial stay April 17, 2025. Mains — minority property rights vs regulatory reform; SC's use of separation of powers to stay an executive adjudication clause; JPC's role in scrutinising contentious legislation.

Parliament Suspension Record — Opposition Members Expelled (December 2023 and 2024)

In December 2023, 146 Opposition Members of Parliament were suspended from Parliament during the Winter Session — the largest mass suspension in Indian parliamentary history. The Opposition had sought a statement from the Home Minister on a security breach in the Lok Sabha gallery. In 2024, similar friction continued in Budget and Winter Sessions. These episodes have renewed debate about the role of the Speaker in maintaining order under Rule 374A and whether mass suspensions undermine the constitutional role of the Opposition.

UPSC angle: Prelims — December 2023 suspension; 146 MPs largest in history; Rule 374A. Mains — examine the constitutional implications of large-scale parliamentary suspensions; is the Speaker's power to suspend MPs subject to judicial review?

One Nation One Election — 129th Amendment Bill Referred to JPC (December 2024)

The Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 17 December 2024 and referred to a JPC for detailed examination. The Bill proposes simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and all State Assemblies by amending Articles 83, 172, and 327. The Kovind High-Level Committee (constituted September 2023, submitted report 14 March 2024) had recommended this reform; the Union Cabinet accepted the recommendations on 18 September 2024.

The Bill requires ratification by at least half of the State Assemblies as a constitutional amendment under Article 368, making parliamentary procedure on this bill constitutionally complex.

UPSC angle: Prelims — 129th Amendment Bill, 2024; JPC referred; Kovind Committee (March 2024). Mains — what amendment procedure (under Article 368) is required for ONOE? How many states need to ratify? Evaluate the JPC's role in examining this landmark constitutional change.

Question Hour — Reforms and Disruptions (2024)

In 2024, the Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman continued to grapple with the disruption of Question Hour (11:00 AM to 12:00 PM), a constitutional mechanism for executive accountability. The DRSC (Departmentally Related Standing Committees) continued reviewing ministries' performance, with committees on Finance, Health, and Defence producing significant reports in 2024–25.

Budget Session 2025 saw the full budget process completed with passage of the Appropriation Bill and Finance Bill, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presenting the Union Budget 2025-26 on 1 February 2025.

UPSC angle: Prelims — Question Hour (Article 74 read with Rules 32-54 Lok Sabha); Zero Hour (12:00–1:00 PM, not in Rules but a convention); Budget Session 2025. Mains — assess Question Hour's effectiveness in ensuring ministerial accountability in the 18th Lok Sabha.

One Nation One Election — JPC Gets Extension; Work Continues (2025–2026)

The 39-member JPC examining the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024 (ONOE) received successive deadline extensions. In August 2025, Lok Sabha extended the JPC's tenure to allow it to submit its report by the first day of the last week of the Winter Session 2025. However, the committee had not finalised its report by that deadline. A further extension was granted, with the deadline moved to the 2026 Monsoon Session.

The JPC, chaired by BJP MP P.P. Chaudhary, held extensive consultations with experts, state governments, former Chief Election Commissioners, and constitutional scholars. The committee's deliberations revealed deep disagreements among states and Opposition parties about ONOE's implications for federalism and State Assembly autonomy. As of April 2026, the JPC report has not been tabled; the Bill awaits committee clearance before being scheduled for floor votes.

UPSC angle: Prelims — ONOE JPC: extended to Monsoon Session 2026; PP Chaudhary (JPC Chair); 129th Amendment Bill 2024. Mains — what does the JPC's prolonged examination reveal about parliamentary committee processes in India? Is the ONOE Bill's extensive JPC scrutiny a sign of robust legislative deliberation or political delay?

Election Reforms Discussion in Parliament — Winter Session 2025

A focused discussion on Election Reforms was held in both Houses during the Winter Session 2025 (Lok Sabha: December 9–10; Rajya Sabha: December 11, 15, 16). Key themes debated: electoral roll quality and the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive; the One Nation One Election framework; criminalization of politics and the case for lifetime bans; and the constitutional status of the Election Commission's independence (vis-à-vis the CEC & ECs Act 2023). This was a rare dedicated parliamentary discussion on electoral governance — a sign of rising political salience of the ONOE and delimitation debates.

UPSC angle: Prelims — Winter Session 2025: dedicated Election Reforms discussion in both Houses (December 9–16). Mains — evaluate the adequacy of India's current electoral reform framework; should parliamentary discussions on electoral issues translate into specific legislative proposals?

Recent Reforms

Budget Presentation Advanced (2017) The Government advanced the Union Budget presentation from February 28 to February 1 to enable completion of budget process and passage of Appropriation Bill before the start of the new financial year (April 1). This allows the government to begin spending from April 1 instead of waiting until June.

Merger of Railway Budget with Union Budget (2017) Following the recommendation of the Bibek Debroy Committee, the separate Railway Budget (presented since 1924) was merged with the Union Budget. Railways are now a regular part of the general budget.

Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) The idea of a Parliamentary Budget Office (on lines of the US Congressional Budget Office) has been proposed to provide Parliament with independent economic and fiscal analysis to improve budget scrutiny.

Rajya Sabha's Role in the Federal Structure

The Rajya Sabha represents States in the Union legislature. Its special powers include:

• Article 249 — By 2/3rd majority, can authorise Parliament to legislate on a State subject in the national interest
• Article 312 — By 2/3rd majority, can authorise creation of new All-India Services
• Rajya Sabha cannot be dissolved; one-third retires every 2 years (each member serves 6 years)
• Equal powers with Lok Sabha on all non-money, non-confidence matters, including ordinary legislation and constitutional amendments

Exam Strategy Note: For Mains, the significance of parliamentary committees (especially DRSCs) in strengthening legislative oversight is a recurring theme. Link PAC's work with CAG accountability for GS2. For Prelims, remember the exact membership numbers and which committees are exclusively Lok Sabha.