Parliament usually meets in three sessions a year: the Budget Session, the Monsoon Session and the:

By convention, the Indian Parliament usually meets in three sessions every year: the Budget Session, the Monsoon Session and the Winter Session.

The three sessions:

Budget Session: the longest session, at the start of the year. The Union Budget is presented and passed during this session. It begins with the President's address to both Houses assembled together.

Monsoon Session: held in the middle of the year. It deals mainly with legislative business and discussion of matters of public importance.

Winter Session: the third and usually the shortest regular session of the year.

Constitutional basis:

• The Constitution does not fix the number of sessions or their dates.
• Article 85 only provides that the President shall summon each House from time to time, and that the gap between two sessions must not exceed the limit laid down.
• The pattern of three sessions is a matter of convention and practice.

Special sessions:

• Apart from the regular sessions, Parliament can be summoned for a special session to deal with urgent matters.
• For example, a special session was held in September 2023, during which the women's reservation bill was passed and Parliament moved to the new building.
• A special midnight session was also held to launch the Goods and Services Tax.

Number of sitting days:

• In the early years after independence, Parliament met for more than 120 days a year.
• In recent decades, it has met for around 60 to 70 days a year, which many experts consider too low.

Importance of regular sessions:

They allow Parliament to make laws, approve spending and question the government regularly.

Why not the other options?

• ✗There is no regular "Spring Session" or "Emergency Session" in Parliament.
• ✗A special session is called only when needed and is not one of the three regular sessions.