The maximum permissible gap between two sessions of Parliament is:

Under Article 85(1), the President must summon each House of Parliament from time to time, so that six months do not pass between its last sitting in one session and the date appointed for its first sitting in the next session.

What this means:

• Parliament must meet at least twice a year.
• In practice, Parliament usually meets three times a year, in the Budget, Monsoon and Winter Sessions.

Who summons Parliament:

• The President summons and prorogues the Houses, on the advice of the Council of Ministers.
• The dates of sessions are recommended by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs.

Parallel provision for states:

Article 174 lays down the same six-month rule for state legislatures, which are summoned by the Governor.

Origin of the provision:

• A similar provision existed in the Government of India Act, 1935, where the gap between sessions was limited to twelve months.
• The framers of the Constitution reduced it to six months to ensure more regular meetings.

Criticism:

• Experts say that the six-month rule sets only a minimum and that Parliament should meet for more days in a year.
• The National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (2002) recommended that the Lok Sabha should meet for at least 120 days a year and the Rajya Sabha for 100 days.
• In recent decades, Parliament has met for only about 60 to 70 days a year.

Special sessions:

Parliament can be summoned for a special session at any time, in addition to regular sessions.

Ordinances:

• When Parliament is not in session, the President can issue ordinances under Article 123.
• An ordinance lapses six weeks after Parliament reassembles, so the maximum life of an ordinance is six months and six weeks.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Three months, four months and one year are not the maximum gap allowed between sessions of Parliament.