SSC
A joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament is presided over by the:
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Answer: Option A — Speaker of the Lok Sabha
Detailed Solution
A joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament is presided over by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
Why the Speaker presides:
- The Lok Sabha is the larger and directly elected House.
- The rules framed for joint sittings give this role to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
Rules for joint sittings:
- The President summons a joint sitting.
- The rules of procedure for joint sittings are made by the Speaker after consulting the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
- Decisions are taken by a majority of the total number of members of both Houses present and voting.
- The quorum for a joint sitting is one-tenth of the total number of members of both Houses.
Joint sittings in history:
- Joint sittings have been held only three times since 1950.
- The most recent one, in 2002, passed the Prevention of Terrorism Bill.
Joint sitting versus joint session:
A joint sitting under the Constitution is called to resolve a deadlock on a bill.
The President's address at the beginning of the first session after a general election and of the first session each year is made to both Houses assembled together. This is a ceremonial occasion, not a joint sitting for passing laws.
The Speaker's other powers:
- The Speaker presides over the Lok Sabha and maintains order.
- The Speaker certifies Money Bills.
- The Speaker decides disqualification cases under the Tenth Schedule.
- The Speaker has a casting vote in case of a tie.
The Speaker's position:
The Speaker is elected by the members of the Lok Sabha.
G.V. Mavalankar was the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The President summons the joint sitting but does not preside over it.
- ✗The Vice-President is the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and does not preside over joint sittings.
- ✗The Prime Minister is the leader of the government.
Quick tip
Remember: Joint sitting = summoned by the President, presided over by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
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Parliament — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Parliament, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the Parliament of India: the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, their composition, powers and officers, sessions, the law-making process, money bills, joint sittings, parliamentary committees, and devices such as question hour, zero hour and the various motions. Typical questions ask about the maximum strength of each house, the minimum age for members, who certifies a money bill (the Speaker), who presides over a joint sitting, and which committee is chaired by a member of the opposition (the Public Accounts Committee, by convention). Note the special powers of the Rajya Sabha under Articles 249 and 312. Practise the Parliament questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.