SSC
The quorum to constitute a meeting of either House of Parliament is one-tenth of the total number of members of the House. This is laid down in:
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Answer: Option D — Article 100(3)
Detailed Solution
Article 100(3) provides that, until Parliament by law otherwise provides, the quorum to constitute a meeting of either House of Parliament shall be one-tenth of the total number of members of the House.
Meaning of quorum:
- Quorum is the minimum number of members who must be present for a House to carry on its business.
- It ensures that important decisions are not taken by a very small number of members.
In practice:
- In the Lok Sabha, with 543 elected members plus the presiding officer, the quorum is 55 members.
- In the Rajya Sabha, with up to 250 members, the quorum is 25 members.
- The quorum includes the presiding officer.
What happens when quorum is lacking:
- Business cannot go on without a quorum.
- A quorum bell is rung to call members to the House, and the sitting cannot continue until enough members are present.
Other provisions of Article 100:
- Article 100(1) says that all questions at any sitting shall be decided by a majority of votes of the members present and voting, other than the presiding officer.
- The presiding officer does not vote in the first instance but has a casting vote in the case of a tie.
- Article 100(2) says that the House may act even if there is a vacancy in its membership, and that proceedings are valid even if some person who was not entitled sat or voted.
State legislatures:
Article 189 contains similar provisions for state legislatures, with a quorum of ten members or one-tenth of the total membership, whichever is greater.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Article 99 deals with the oath or affirmation by members.
- ✗Article 101(4) deals with vacating a seat for absence without permission.
- ✗Article 118 deals with the rules of procedure of each House.
Quick tip
Remember: Quorum = one-tenth of the total membership (Article 100(3)); Lok Sabha quorum about 55.
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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.