The provision for a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament, summoned by the President, is contained in:

Article 108 empowers the President to summon a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament to resolve a deadlock between them over an ordinary bill.

When a joint sitting can be called:

• After a bill has been passed by one House and sent to the other, a deadlock arises in three situations.
• The other House rejects the bill.
• The Houses disagree about the amendments to be made in the bill.
• More than six months pass from the date the other House receives the bill without its being passed.
• In any of these situations, the President may notify his intention to summon a joint sitting.

Bills that cannot go to a joint sitting:

• Money Bills, because the Rajya Sabha has no power to block them.
• Constitutional Amendment Bills, which must be passed by each House separately by a special majority.

How decisions are taken:

• At a joint sitting, the bill is passed by a majority of the total number of members of both Houses present and voting.
• Because the Lok Sabha has more than twice as many members as the Rajya Sabha, the Lok Sabha's view usually prevails.

Lapse of bills:

If the Lok Sabha is dissolved after the President has notified his intention to hold a joint sitting, the joint sitting can still be held and the bill does not lapse.

History of joint sittings:

• Only three joint sittings have been held since 1950.
• The latest was in 2002, on the Prevention of Terrorism Bill, which became the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA).

Source of the provision:

The idea of a joint sitting was borrowed from the Constitution of Australia.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Article 104 deals with penalties for sitting without qualifications.
• ✗Article 122 bars courts from inquiring into the proceedings of Parliament.
• ✗Article 123 deals with the President's power to issue ordinances.