Joint Sitting of Parliament, Article 87 and 108, Leader of House

The Parliament of India consists of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha following the Bicameral Legislation. Every Bill must be approved by both Houses of the Parliament to become law. The Constitution clearly anticipates situations where disagreement or deadlock may arise between the two Houses during the legislative process. To address such deadlocks and ensure continuity of governance, the Constitution provides the mechanism of a Joint Sitting. A Joint Sitting of Parliament allows both Houses to deliberate together and arrive at a final decision.

Joint Sitting of Parliament

A Joint Sitting of Parliament refers to a special session where members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha meet together as a single legislative body to deliberate and vote on specific matters. It is summoned by the President of India and is Presided by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, ensuring continuity of lower house procedures. This mechanism acts as a constitutional safety valve to resolve legislative stalemates, maintain balance between Houses, and uphold parliamentary supremacy.

Joint Sitting of Parliament Constitutional Provisions

The Joint Sitting of Parliament is given under the article 87 and 108 of the constitution of India. These features of Join Sitting have been borrowed from the Constitution of Australia.

Article 87- Presidential Address: 

• Article 87 mandates that the President addresses both Houses together at the first session after each general election and annually, outlining government policies, priorities, and legislative agenda. 
• The Constitution (First Amendment) Act, 1951 modified Article 87 by replacing “every session” with “first session after each general election and first session of every year,” clarifying timing and reducing procedural ambiguity.

Article 108- Deadlock Resolution: 

• Article 108 empowers the President to summon a joint sitting when a Bill is rejected, stalled beyond six months, or amendments are disagreed upon, excluding periods of long adjournment or prorogation.
• The joint sitting is formally summoned by the President through message or public notification.
• Article 108 applies only to ordinary Bills, clearly excluding Money Bills and Constitution Amendment Bills, thereby preserving federal balance and special majority requirements.

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Joint Sitting of Parliament Features

The major features and provisions of the Joint Sitting of Parliament has been listed below:

• Presiding Authority: Joint sittings are Presided by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, followed by the Deputy Speaker or Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, ensuring continuity and procedural familiarity.
• Venue of Sitting: At present, all joint sittings are held in the Lok Sabha Chamber, which is structurally designed to accommodate combined membership and is also used for presidential addresses.
• Rules of Procedure: Proceedings follow Lok Sabha rules, reflecting the numerical dominance of the lower house and ensuring decisive outcomes during voting.
• Quorum Requirement: The quorum for a joint sitting is one-tenth of the total membership of both Houses combined, ensuring minimum representative participation.
• Voting Principle: Decisions are taken by a simple majority of members present and voting, making the numerical strength of the Lok Sabha decisive.
• Last Resort Mechanism: Joint sittings are used only after all other constitutional methods of reconciliation fail, reinforcing cooperative federalism and parliamentary decorum.
• Exceptions to Joint Sitting: Money Bills under Article 110 and Constitution Amendment Bills under Article 368 are excluded due to special procedures and majority requirements.

Joint Sitting of Parliament Leader of House

The Leader of the House is defined under the Rules of Procedure of both Houses and plays a key role in coordinating government business during normal and joint sittings. The roles and responsibilities of the LOH in Joint Sitting of Parliament has been listed below:

• In the Rajya Sabha, the Leader of the House is a senior minister nominated by the Prime Minister; recently Jagat Prakash Nadda was appointed during the 264th session.
• In the Lok Sabha, the Prime Minister is by convention the Leader of the House, reflecting executive accountability to the directly elected chamber.
• The Leader of the House facilitates debate management, legislative coordination, and ensures smooth conduct when both Houses deliberate together.
• The Leader of the House has authority to appoint a Deputy Leader, ensuring continuity during absence or extended proceedings.
• This role is comparable to the Majority Leader in the United States Congress, highlighting global parliamentary parallels.

Joint Sitting of Parliament Bills Passed

Since Independence, the Joint Sitting of Parliament has been summoned only 3 times. The three bills that have been passed through the Joint Sitting are:

• Dowry Prohibition Bill, 1961: This was the first Bill passed through a joint sitting, addressing social reform after prolonged disagreement between the two Houses on legal provisions.
• Banking Service Commission (Repeal) Bill, 1978: Passed during the post-Emergency period, this Bill reflected executive-legislative assertion and administrative restructuring.
• Prevention of Terrorism Bill, 2002: The most recent joint sitting, summoned amid intense debate, demonstrated the use of Article 108 to pass critical national security legislation.