Why in the News?

The winter session of Parliament begins today and will run until 20^th December, with several bills up for discussion, including the Waqf Act (Amendment) Bill, Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, and others like the Railways and Banking Laws (Amendment) Bills. There will be no sittings on 26^th November to observe "Constitution Day." Meanwhile, opposition leaders of the INDIA bloc will meet at 10am to finalize their strategy for the session.

About Sessions of Parliament

• A "Session of Indian Parliament" is a period when both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha convene to carry out legislative duties.
• These sessions offer a platform for elected representatives to debate, deliberate, and pass laws that influence the governance and progress of the country
• There is no fixed Parliamentary Calendar in India.
• Article 85 of the Constitution only stipulates that:
  • The President shall from time to time summon each House of the Parliament to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit.
  • The maximum gap between two sessions of Parliament cannot be more than six months. Hence, the Parliament should meet at least twice a year.
  • The President may from time to time prorogue the Houses or either House and dissolve the House of the People i.e. the Lok Sabha.
  • By Convention, there are, usually, three sessions of the Indian Parliament in a year – Budget Session, Monsoon Session, and Winter Session.

Types of Sessions of Indian Parliament

• Budget Session:
  • The Budget Session is the longest and most important session of the Parliament.
  • The primary focus of the Budget Session is the presentation, discussion, and passing of the Union Budget, which outlines the government’s revenue and expenditure plans for the upcoming fiscal year.
  • However, other legislative business and debates also take place during this session.
  • The Budget Session is generally held from February to May.
• Monsoon Session:
  • The name “Monsoon Session” derives from the fact that it coincides with the Monsoon Season (Seasonal Rains) in India.
  • The primary focus of the “Monsoon Session” is to conduct legislative business, including the passage of bills, discussions on important national issues, and scrutiny of government policies.
  • The Monsoon Session is generally held from July to September.
• Winter Session:
  • Similar to the Monsoon Session, the primary objective of the Winter Session is to transact legislative business and prioritize urgent matters and bills.
  • The Winter Session is generally held from November to December.
• Lame-duck Session:
  • Lame-duck Session refers to the last session of the preceding Lok Sabha after a new Lok Sabha has been elected.
  • Those members of the preceding Lok Sabha who could not get re-elected to the new Lok Sabha are called lame-duck