Parliament of India Notes for SSC Exams: Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and Procedures

The Parliament of India is the most important topic of the Indian polity section of SSC exams. Every year, questions come on the strength of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the Speaker, the types of bills, the money bill, the joint sitting and the parliamentary committees. These Parliament of India notes for SSC explain everything in simple language with tables, article numbers and 20 practice questions. Read them with the Fundamental Rights Notes, Important Constitutional Amendments Notes and Union and its Territory Notes.

Composition of the Parliament (Article 79)

The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body of the country. It has three parts: the President, the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States). The President is a part of the Parliament because a bill becomes a law only after his assent, although he does not sit in either house. The Parliament has its seat in New Delhi, and the new Parliament building was inaugurated on 28 May 2023.

• India follows the bicameral system: two houses at the Centre.
• The system of the Parliament was taken from the British constitution (parliamentary form of government).
• The Lok Sabha is called the lower house (the popular house) and the Rajya Sabha is called the upper house (the house of the states).
• The 18th Lok Sabha was constituted in June 2024 after the general elections.

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Compared

• The Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha is Om Birla (elected for a second term in 2024). The first Speaker was G. V. Mavalankar (1952) and the first woman Speaker was Meira Kumar (2009).
• The Rajya Sabha is chaired by the Vice-President. C. P. Radhakrishnan became the Vice-President in September 2025, so he is the ex-officio Chairman. The Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is elected by its members.
• A person who is a member of one house cannot be a member of the other house at the same time.
• The nominated members of the Rajya Sabha are persons with special knowledge in literature, science, art and social service.
• Lok Sabha seats are distributed on the basis of population; the delimitation is done after each census, and the number of seats is frozen up to the first census after 2026.
• The Women's Reservation Act (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam), 2023 (the 106th Amendment) gives one-third reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies; it will come into effect after the next delimitation.

Sessions of the Parliament

• The President summons the Parliament (Article 85). The gap between two sessions cannot be more than six months, so the Parliament meets at least twice a year.
• The prorogation ends a session by the order of the President; the adjournment stops a sitting for a time and is done by the presiding officer; the dissolution ends the life of the Lok Sabha (only the Lok Sabha can be dissolved).
• The Question Hour is the first hour of a sitting when the members ask the questions to the ministers. The Zero Hour is the time after the Question Hour in which the members raise urgent matters without a notice; it is an Indian innovation (1962).
• Pro-tem Speaker is appointed by the President to administer the oath to the new members before the Speaker is elected.
• The Speaker has the casting vote in a tie, decides if a bill is a money bill (Article 110) and decides the disqualification of a member under the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection law).

Types of Bills and the Law-making Procedure

1. First reading: the bill is introduced and its title is read.
2. Second reading: the general discussion, the clause-by-clause discussion and the amendments.
3. Third reading: the final discussion and the voting; the bill is passed by a majority.
4. The bill goes to the other house, and the same three readings are done there.
5. The bill goes to the President for his assent; he can give assent, withhold it or return the bill (except a money bill) for reconsideration once.

Joint sitting (Article 108): called by the President when the two houses disagree on an ordinary bill. The Speaker presides over it, and the bill is passed by a majority of the total members present and voting. A joint sitting has been held only three times: in 1961 (the Dowry Prohibition Bill), 1978 (the Banking Service Commission Repeal Bill) and 2002 (the Prevention of Terrorism Bill, POTA).

Financial Powers and the Budget

• The Union Budget (Article 112, the Annual Financial Statement) is presented by the Finance Minister in the Lok Sabha, usually on 1 February.
• The Consolidated Fund of India (Article 266) has all revenues and loans of the Government; the money can be taken out only with the approval of the Parliament. The Contingency Fund (Article 267) is kept at the disposal of the President for the unforeseen expenses; the Public Account has the money held by the Government as a banker.
• Appropriation Bill allows the withdrawal of money from the Consolidated Fund; a Finance Bill has the tax proposals.
• Cut motions (policy cut, economy cut and token cut) are the motions that reduce the amount of a demand for grants.
• Vote on account allows the Government to spend for a short period before the Budget is passed; vote of credit is for an unexpected demand during a war.

Parliamentary Committees and Motions

• No-confidence motion: moved in the Lok Sabha to test the support of the Council of Ministers; if it is passed, the Council of Ministers has to resign (Article 75: collective responsibility).
• Adjournment motion: moved to draw attention to an urgent matter of public importance; it needs the support of 50 members and is allowed only in the Lok Sabha.
• Censure motion, calling-attention notice, point of order and half-an-hour discussion are the other procedures.
• Privileges (Article 105) are the special rights of the members, such as the freedom of speech in the Parliament and the freedom from arrest in civil cases during the session.

Anti-defection Law and Qualifications

• The Tenth Schedule was added by the 52nd Amendment (1985); the 91st Amendment (2003) removed the exception of one-third split and limited the size of the council of ministers to 15 percent of the house.
• A member is disqualified if he voluntarily gives up the membership of his party or votes against the party whip; the Speaker or the Chairman decides.
• Qualifications of a member (Article 84): citizen of India, minimum age (25 or 30), and the other qualifications by the law.
• Disqualifications (Article 102): holding an office of profit, unsound mind, an undischarged insolvent, not a citizen, or disqualified by the law.
• A member loses the seat if he is absent from the house for 60 days without the permission.

Important Questions Explained

Question 1: What is the maximum strength of the Lok Sabha under the Constitution?
Answer: 550 members: 530 from the states and 20 from the Union territories. At present 543 members are elected.

Question 2: What is the maximum strength of the Rajya Sabha?
Answer: 250 members: 238 elected and 12 nominated by the President.

Question 3: Who presides over a joint sitting of the Parliament?
Answer: The Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

Question 4: In which house can a money bill be introduced?
Answer: Only in the Lok Sabha.

Question 5: How many times has the joint sitting been held in India?
Answer: Three times: 1961, 1978 and 2002.

Question 6: Which Amendment added the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection law)?
Answer: The 52nd Amendment (1985).

Question 7: What is the maximum gap between two sessions of the Parliament?
Answer: Six months (Article 85).

Quick Tips to Remember

• Learn the numbers in pairs: Lok Sabha 550 (543) and 5 years; Rajya Sabha 250 (245) and 6 years.
• Remember the article numbers: 79 (Parliament), 80 (Rajya Sabha), 81 (Lok Sabha), 85 (sessions), 100 (quorum), 108 (joint sitting), 110 (money bill), 112 (budget).
• Remember that the Rajya Sabha is never dissolved and one-third of its members retire every two years.
• Remember that the Speaker certifies the money bill and his decision is final.
• Learn the members of the PAC (22) and the Estimates Committee (30).
• Revise the names of the present Speaker and the Chairman before the exam.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Writing the maximum strength of the Lok Sabha as 552 or 545 without checking the present rule.
• Confusing the Article numbers of the Lok Sabha (81) and the Rajya Sabha (80).
• Thinking that a joint sitting is possible for a money bill.
• Mixing the prorogation, the adjournment and the dissolution.
• Writing that the Rajya Sabha can reject a money bill.

Quick Revision Points

• Parliament = President + Lok Sabha + Rajya Sabha (Article 79).
• LS: max 550, now 543, term 5 years, age 25. RS: max 250, term 6 years, age 30.
• Money bill: Article 110, only in the Lok Sabha, 14 days for the Rajya Sabha.
• Joint sitting: Article 108, Speaker presides, held 3 times (1961, 1978, 2002).
• Quorum: one-tenth. Gap between sessions: not more than six months.
• Anti-defection: Tenth Schedule, 52nd Amendment (1985), 91st Amendment (2003).
• PAC: 22 members; Estimates Committee: 30 members.

Practice Questions With Answers

1. Which Article deals with the composition of the Parliament?
   Answer: Article 79 (President + two houses).
2. Which Article deals with the Lok Sabha?
   Answer: Article 81 (House of the People).
3. Which Article deals with the Rajya Sabha?
   Answer: Article 80 (Council of States).
4. What is the minimum age to become a member of the Lok Sabha?
   Answer: 25 years (Rajya Sabha: 30).
5. What is the term of a member of the Rajya Sabha?
   Answer: 6 years (One-third retire every 2 years).
6. Who is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha?
   Answer: The Vice-President (Elected indirectly).
7. Which Article deals with the joint sitting?
   Answer: Article 108 (Speaker presides).
8. Which Article deals with the money bill?
   Answer: Article 110 (Lok Sabha only).
9. Within how many days must the Rajya Sabha return a money bill?
   Answer: 14 days (Recommendations only).
10. Which Article provides for the Union Budget?
    Answer: Article 112 (Annual financial statement).
11. What is the quorum of a house?
    Answer: One-tenth of the total members (Article 100).
12. Which Article deals with the Ordinance-making power of the President?
    Answer: Article 123 (Within six weeks of reassembly).
13. Which committee is called the continuous economy committee?
    Answer: Estimates Committee (30 members).
14. Which committee examines the reports of the CAG?
    Answer: Public Accounts Committee (Chairman from the opposition).
15. Which Schedule contains the anti-defection law?
    Answer: Tenth Schedule (52nd Amendment).
16. Who was the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha?
    Answer: G. V. Mavalankar (1952).
17. Who was the first woman Speaker of the Lok Sabha?
    Answer: Meira Kumar (2009).
18. Who is the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha?
    Answer: Om Birla (Elected in 2024).
19. When was the new Parliament building inaugurated?
    Answer: 28 May 2023 (New Delhi).
20. Which Amendment gave the one-third reservation to women in the Lok Sabha?
    Answer: 106th Amendment (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam 2023).

How to Practise This Topic

1. Make a table of the article numbers of the Parliament and learn it.
2. Compare the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha in your own table.
3. Revise the types of bills and the committees the next day.
4. Attempt the practice questions without looking at the answers.
5. Solve the SSC practice papers and the previous year papers for the polity pattern.

Related Notes and Practice

• Fundamental Rights Notes
• Important Constitutional Amendments Notes
• Citizenship in India Notes
• Union and its Territory Notes
• Indian Polity Notes
• SSC practice papers

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Parliament of India?

The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body of the country and has three parts: the President, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

What is the maximum strength of the Lok Sabha?

The Constitution fixes the maximum strength of the Lok Sabha at 550, and at present 543 members are elected.

What is the maximum strength of the Rajya Sabha?

The maximum strength of the Rajya Sabha is 250, of which 238 are elected and 12 are nominated by the President.

Can the Rajya Sabha be dissolved?

No. The Rajya Sabha is a permanent house, and one-third of its members retire every two years.

What is a money bill?

A money bill is a bill that deals only with the taxes, borrowing and the expenditure from the Consolidated Fund. It can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha.

What is a joint sitting of the Parliament?

A joint sitting under Article 108 is the meeting of both houses to solve a deadlock on an ordinary bill. The Speaker presides over it.

How many times has a joint sitting been held?

A joint sitting has been held three times, in 1961, 1978 and 2002.

What is the Question Hour and the Zero Hour?

The Question Hour is the first hour of a sitting for the questions to the ministers, and the Zero Hour is the time after it in which the members raise urgent matters without notice.

What is the anti-defection law?

The anti-defection law in the Tenth Schedule disqualifies a member who leaves his party voluntarily or votes against the party whip.

Which committee is headed by a member of the opposition?

The Public Accounts Committee is traditionally chaired by a member of the opposition.

How many polity questions come from the Parliament in SSC exams?

Usually 1 to 2 questions come from the Parliament and its procedures in each SSC exam.

How can I prepare the Parliament topic quickly?

Learn the table of the two houses, the article numbers, the types of bills and the committees, and solve the MCQs.