Legislature
Parliament is the President plus two Houses, and a state legislature is the Governor plus one or two. Most questions here are about numbers, about the money bill, and about which House can do what.
Mental model
Parliament is best held as a contrast pair. LOK SABHA: directly elected, five-year term, dissolvable, Speaker presides, maximum strength 552 as per the Constitution — and it alone decides money matters and no-confidence. RAJYA SABHA: indirectly elected by state MLAs, permanent house with one-third retiring every two years, six-year terms, Vice-President as Chairman, maximum 250 — and it alone can act under Article 249 (Parliament legislating on a State List item) and Article 312 (creating a new All India Service). Then bills: an Ordinary Bill can go to a joint sitting under Article 108; a Money Bill (Article 110) cannot — Rajya Sabha can hold it only fourteen days; a Constitutional Amendment Bill has no joint sitting either. 'Who can block what' is the whole examinable core.
Associations
A short trigger on the left, everything it pulls with it on the right.
Money bill: Lok Sabha only, Speaker decides, Rajya Sabha may only recommend.
A money bill can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha and only on the President's recommendation. The Speaker's certificate on whether a bill is a money bill is final. The Rajya Sabha must return it within fourteen days and can only recommend changes, which the Lok Sabha may reject.
Joint sitting: yes for ordinary bills, never for money or constitutional amendment bills.
Article 108 lets the President summon a joint sitting to resolve a deadlock on an ordinary bill, presided over by the Speaker. It does not apply to money bills, because the Lok Sabha already prevails there, nor to constitutional amendment bills, which need each House separately.
Things to remember
The night-before list. Short enough to recall cold.
- 1The Lok Sabha's maximum strength under the Constitution is 550 — up to 530 from states and up to 20 from union territories.
- 2The Rajya Sabha's maximum strength is 250 — up to 238 representing states and union territories, and 12 nominated by the President.
- 3The Rajya Sabha is a permanent House that is never dissolved; one-third of its members retire every two years.
- 4The Gujarat Legislative Assembly is unicameral with 182 seats; the state has no legislative council.
- 5Under Article 249, the Rajya Sabha can by a two-thirds resolution allow Parliament to legislate on a State List subject in the national interest.
- 6A no-confidence motion can be moved only in the Lok Sabha, not in the Rajya Sabha.
In detail
- A Money Bill under Article 110 can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha, on the President's recommendation, and the Speaker's certification that a bill is a Money Bill is final.
- A joint sitting of both Houses under Article 108 is summoned by the President and presided over by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha; it is not available for Money Bills or Constitutional Amendment Bills.
- Rajya Sabha members serve six years with one-third retiring every second year; the House is never dissolved.
- Under Article 249, if the Rajya Sabha passes a resolution by a two-thirds majority of members present and voting, Parliament may legislate on a State List subject in the national interest for up to one year at a time.
- The gap between two sessions of Parliament cannot exceed six months, and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha submits his resignation to the Deputy Speaker.
Where people slip
- A joint sitting is not available for money bills or constitutional amendment bills — a favourite distractor.
- Gujarat has no legislative council. Options describing a bicameral Gujarat legislature are wrong.
Check yourself
Nothing here is scored — it will not change your mastery figures.
A joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament cannot be convened for:
From the question bank
As per the Constitution (prior to any delimitation-linked increase), what is the maximum strength envisaged for the Lok Sabha?
From the question bank
Who presides over a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament, summoned under Article 108?
Books to read
- NCERT Class XI — Indian Constitution at Work
- Indian Polity by M. Laxmikanth
- Our Parliament by Subhash C. Kashyap
Official sources
Hand-checked official domains only — the notes above carry no links of their own.