What is Article 85 of Indian constitution ? |
Article 85 of the Indian Constitution deals with the sessions of the Indian Parliament, prorogation, and dissolution of the Lok Sabha (House of the People). It gives the President the authority to summon and end Parliament sessions and dissolve the Lok Sabha.
📜 Text of Article 85 (Simplified)
🔹 Clause (1): Summoning the Parliament
The President shall summon each House of Parliament from time to time, but there should not be a gap of more than 6 months between two sessions.
✅ That means Parliament must meet at least twice a year.
🔹 Clause (2):
The President may:
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Prorogue either House (i.e., end a session), or
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Dissolve the Lok Sabha (House of the People)
✅ Key Terms Explained
Term | Meaning |
---|---|
Summon | Call Parliament to meet for a session |
Prorogue | End a session of Parliament (but not the House itself) |
Dissolve | End the entire Lok Sabha term — leads to a general election |
🧾 Examples
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The President, on advice of the Prime Minister, summons Parliament for the Budget Session.
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After the Monsoon Session ends, the President prorogues both Houses.
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Before elections, the President dissolves Lok Sabha to conduct fresh elections.
📌 Summary of Article 85
Feature | Description |
---|---|
Who summons Parliament? | President of India |
Minimum sessions required | Parliament must meet at least once every 6 months |
Prorogation power | President can end a session of either House |
Dissolution power | President can dissolve Lok Sabha (not Rajya Sabha) |
On whose advice? | All actions taken on advice of the Council of Ministers (Article 74) |
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