Joint Sitting of Parliament

A joint sitting of Parliament is a constitutional mechanism for resolving a legislative deadlock between the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Under Article 108, the President may notify an intention to summon both Houses together when specified disagreements arise over a Bill.

Conditions for summoning

After one House passes a Bill and transmits it to the other House, the President may initiate a joint sitting if the Bill has not lapsed and any one of the following situations arises:

• The other House rejects the Bill.
• The Houses finally disagree on amendments to be made in the Bill.
• More than six months elapse from the date the other House receives the Bill without passing it. Periods of prorogation or adjournment exceeding four consecutive days are excluded from this calculation.

Notification and summoning

The President first notifies both Houses, by message if they are sitting or by public notification otherwise, of the intention to summon them. After this notification, neither House may proceed further with the Bill, and the President may summon the joint sitting at any time.

• A joint sitting may still be held even if the Lok Sabha is dissolved after the President has notified the intention to summon it.
• The Bill is passed if approved by a majority of members of both Houses present and voting at the joint sitting.

Bills outside the mechanism

• A Money Bill cannot be referred to a joint sitting because the Constitution gives the Lok Sabha primacy in its passage.
• A Constitution Amendment Bill cannot be resolved through a joint sitting because Article 368 requires it to be passed separately by each House with the prescribed special majority.