Terms

What is it?

Summoning
  • Summoning is the process of calling all members of the Parliament to meet.
  • The President summons each House of Parliament from time to time.
  • However, the maximum gap between two sessions of Parliament cannot exceed six months.
Sessions
  • Parliament meets for three sessions in a year.
    • Budget Session: Longest session, starts towards the end of January, and concludes by the end of April.
    • Monsoon Session: The second session usually begins in July and finishes in August.
    • Winter Session: Third session, held from November to December.
Adjournment
  • An adjournment suspends the work in a sitting for a specified time, which may be hours, days or weeks.
Adjournment sine die
  • When the meeting is terminated without any definite time/date fixed for the next meeting, it is called Adjournment sine die.
  • The power of adjournment as well as adjournment sine die lies with the presiding officer of the House.
Prorogation
  • Prorogation terminates a sitting as well as the session of the House.
  • It is done by the President of India.
Dissolution
  • Only the Lok Sabha is subject to dissolution.
  • A dissolution ends the very life of the existing House, and a new House is constituted after general elections are held.
  • Two ways for dissolution
    • On the expiry of its tenure of five years.
    • Whenever the President decides to dissolve the House

 

Source: The Hindu