Nikita at 02:02, 16 September 2023

2023-09-16T02:02:07Z

New page

{{short description|Special gathering of legislature in Indian Parliament}}

A special session in the [[New Parliament House, New Delhi|Indian Parliament]] is a period when the legislature body of [[Member of Parliament (India)|MP]]s gather to conduct the House business outside of their usual legislative sessions.

Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs in an official capacity decides on calling for the session. The calendar-of-events for the legislature in India is not fixed. <ref name="CR2020prs">{{cite web |last1=Roy |first1=Chakshu |title=Explained: A look at how and when Parliament is convened |url=https://prsindia.org/articles-by-prs-team/explained-a-look-at-how-and-when-parliament-is-convened |website=[[PRS Legislative Research]] |access-date=15 September 2023 }}</ref> Parliament of India usually convenes three times a year, with the budget session in beginning of calendar year, the monsoon session during the mid-year and the winter session at the end of calendar year.<ref name="etvBHARAT">{{cite news |title=Special Session of Parliament: What is so special about it? |url=https://www.etvbharat.com/english/opinion/opinion-news/parliament-special-session-agenda/na20230902222219910910768 |access-date=14 September 2023 |work=ETV Bharat News |language=en}}</ref><ref name="TIE6sep23">{{cite news |title=Special Parliament session: As govt says no need to consult parties, here is what the rules say |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/special-parliament-session-govt-says-no-need-to-consult-parties-what-rules-say-8927778/ |access-date=14 September 2023 |work=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

==Constitutional Provision==
During the [[British Raj|British era]], ruling lawmakers in the subcontinent were summoned once-a-year for revenue accountability as prescribed in the [[Government of India Act, 1935]]. However, founding fathers of the [[Indian Constitution]] made it imperative that there exists no interval exceeding six months between two consecutive [[Parliament of India|parliament]] sessions.<ref>{{cite news |title=Special Parliament session: As govt says no need to consult parties, here is what the rules say |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/special-parliament-session-govt-says-no-need-to-consult-parties-what-rules-say-8927778/ |access-date=14 September 2023 |work=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> '''Article 85(1)''' of the constitution reads "''The President shall from time to time summon each House of Parliament to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit, but six months shall not intervene between its last sitting in one session and the date appointed for its first sitting in the next session''"<ref>{{cite web |title=The Constitution of India – in English |url=https://cdnbbsr.s3waas.gov.in/s380537a945c7aaa788ccfcdf1b99b5d8f/uploads/2023/05/2023050195.pdf |access-date=14 September 2023}}</ref>

Though the constitution has no direct mention of the "Special Session" but the '''Article 352''' under Emergency Provisions touch upon a "special sitting of the House."<ref name="etvBHARAT" /><ref name="Outlook13sep23">{{cite news |title=From 1947 To 2023, Times When Parliament Was Convened For A Special Session |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/national/from-1947-to-2023-times-when-parliament-was-convened-for-a-special-session-news-317505 |access-date=14 September 2023 |work=Outlook India}}</ref>
Since the existing provisions does not impose any restriction on the frequency of parliamentary sessions, this grants the [[President of India]] the authority to convene Parliament on an indefinite number of occasions, as deemed necessary. Even as the President is responsible for issuing the summons, it is the Prime Minister-led government that initiates the session.<ref name="TIE6sep23" />

==Timeline==

===1947===
The inaugural special session of the Parliament was assembled on the midnight of 14 and 15 August, with the purpose of commemorating India's independence and acknowledging the relinquishment of authority from the British.<ref name="etvBHARAT" /><ref name="Outlook13sep23" /><ref name="bs23" />

===1962===
Amidst the [[Sino-Indian War]], a delegation headed by the erstwhile Jan Sangh leader, [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]], demanded for a special parliamentary session to deliberate upon the ongoing conflict. The then Prime Minister, [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] yielded to this demand and held a parliament special session on 8 November to discuss the issue.<ref name="Outlook13sep23" /><ref name="bs23">{{cite news |last1=Singh |first1=Nandini |title=Special session of Parliament: All about the agenda, history and overview |url=https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/special-session-of-parliament-all-about-the-agenda-history-and-overview-123091200657_1.html |access-date=15 September 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Call special session of Parliament, allow debates on issues raised by Opposition: Congress to PM Modi |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/congress-dares-pm-modi-to-call-special-session-of-parliament-allow-debates-on-issues-raised-by-opposition/cid/1940599 |access-date=15 September 2023 |work=Telegraph India |language=en |quote=In 1962, then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had called a special session of Parliament in the midst of war with China on the request of a lone MP, Atal Bihari Vajpayee}}</ref>

===1972===
On 15 August early midnight, a special session was convened to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of India's freedom from Colonial rule.<ref name="etvBHARAT" /><ref name="Outlook13sep23" /><ref name="bs23" />

===1977===
A two-day special session was called in 28 February to discuss on the extension of President's Rule in the state of [[Nagaland]] and [[Tamil Nadu]]. Members of the upper house met while the lower house was dissolved.<ref name="Outlook13sep23" /><ref name="AAdh">{{cite news |last1=Arora |first1=Ayushi |title=Explained {{!}} What is a Special Session of Parliament? How does it work? |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/india/explained-what-is-a-special-session-of-parliament-how-does-it-work-2670559 |access-date=14 September 2023 |work=Deccan Herald |date=2 September 2023 |language=en}}</ref> It was the 99th session of Rajya Sabha.<ref name="bs23" />

===1991===
Rajya Sabha members met on 3 and 4 June in order to obtain the endorsement of the President's Rule in the state of [[Haryana]].<ref name="Outlook13sep23" /><ref name="AAdh" /> While the Lok Sabha was dissolved, the 158th session of Rajya Sabha was convened.<ref name="bs23" />

===1992===
An early midnight session was convened on 9 August to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the [[Quit India Movement]].<ref name="Outlook13sep23" /><ref name="TIE6sep23" /><ref name="bs23" />

===1997===
A midnight session was convened on 15 August, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of India's independence. Leader of Opposition party [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]] moved the motion to consider ''the state of Indian democracy and its democratic institutions, economic situation, position of infrastructure and potential in the field of science and technology and the state of human development in the country.'' The six-day special session was held from 26 August to 1 September to discuss on the agenda.<ref name="etvBHARAT" /><ref name="Outlook13sep23" /><ref>{{cite journal |title=Editorial Note |journal=The Journal of Parliamentary Information |volume=XLIII |issue=4 |page=357 |url=https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/763113/1/jpi_December_1997.pdf |access-date=14 September 2023}}</ref>

===2008===
In July, a special session of the Lok Sabha was convened during the tenure of Prime Minister [[Manmohan Singh]]. This session was called when the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government lost the coalition support of the Left parties leading to a no-confidence motion.<ref name="Outlook13sep23" /><ref name="AAdh" />

===2012===
On May 13, the Lok Sabha convened a special session on a Sunday to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the inaugural sitting of the Indian Parliament.<ref name="bs23" />

===2015===
On 26 November, a two-day special session was called to commemorate 125th birth anniversary of Dr. [[B. R. Ambedkar]], the founding father of Indian Constitution.<ref name="etvBHARAT" /><ref name="bs23" />

===2017===
On 30 June, the [[Narendra Modi]] administration convened a joint midnight session of both houses of Parliament to introduce the [[Goods and Services Tax (India)|Goods and Services Tax]] (GST), which was hailed as the most significant indirect tax reform since India's independence. This marked the first instance of a special session of Parliament being convened to deliberate on a bill.<ref name="etvBHARAT" /><ref name="Outlook13sep23" /><ref name="AAdh" />

===2023===
{{main|Parliament Special Session, 2023}}
The Modi Government called for a [[Parliament Special Session, 2023|special session]] of the parliament from 18 to 22 September. The newly built [[New Parliament House, New Delhi|Sansad Bhavan]] will see the commencement of House business during Day 2 of the special session. The session will begin the old building and proceedings will move to the new parliament building on 19 September, the auspicious day of [[Ganesh Chaturthi]].<ref name="etvBHARAT" /><ref name="Outlook13sep23" /><ref>{{cite news |title=How the new Parliament building is readying for special session |url=https://www.firstpost.com/explainers/new-parliament-building-special-session-19-september-ganesh-chaturthi-puja-13114192.html |access-date=14 September 2023 |work=Firstpost |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

{{Parliament of India}}
{{Law}}
{{India topics}}

[[Category:Parliament of India]]
[[Category:Lok Sabha]]
[[Category:Rajya Sabha]]
[[Category:Law of India]]
[[Category:National legislatures|India]]
[[Category:Government of India]]
[[Category:Politics of India]]
[[Category:2023 in India]]

Parliament Special Session (India) - Revision history

Nikita at 02:02, 16 September 2023