Parliament of India MCQ & Notes — Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, Sessions and Bills for UPSC, SSC

Parliament of India MCQ & Notes — Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, Sessions and Bills for UPSC, SSC

The Parliament of India (Part V, Chapter II, Articles 79–122 of the Constitution) is one of the highest-yield topics in Indian Polity for UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, State PSC and banking GK sections. This guide covers the composition of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, sessions and quorum, joint sitting, types of Bills and key article numbers — followed by 10 practice MCQs with answers.

Why This Topic Matters for Competitive Exams

Parliament questions are asked almost every year, usually as direct fact-recall ("the quorum for either House is...") or as comparison-type questions between Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Because the topic has precise numbers (250, 552, 5 years, 1/10th, 6 months), it is a favourite for both objective MCQs and one-word-answer questions in State PSC mains.

What Is the Parliament of India?

Under Article 79, the Parliament of India consists of the President and two Houses — the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States). The President is not a member of either House but is an integral part of Parliament: no Bill can become law without the President's assent, and the President summons, prorogues and can dissolve the Lok Sabha.

Lok Sabha vs Rajya Sabha — Quick Comparison

Feature	Lok Sabha	Rajya Sabha
Nature	Lower House, directly elected	Upper House, permanent body
Maximum strength (Article 81/80)	552 (up to 530 from states + 20 from UTs)	250 (238 elected to represent states/UTs + 12 nominated)
Term	5 years, unless dissolved earlier	Not subject to dissolution; 1/3 members retire every 2 years
Member's term	Ends with dissolution of the House	6 years per member
Presiding officer	Speaker	Chairman (the Vice-President of India)
Nominated members	None (Anglo-Indian nomination abolished by the 104th Amendment Act, 2019, effective 25 Jan 2020)	12, nominated by the President for special knowledge in literature, science, art or social service
Money Bills	Can introduce and has final say	Cannot introduce; can only recommend changes within 14 days

Article-wise Quick Reference

• Article 79 — Constitution of Parliament: President + Lok Sabha + Rajya Sabha.
• Article 80 — Composition of Rajya Sabha; maximum 250 members (238 + 12 nominated).
• Article 81 — Composition of Lok Sabha; maximum 552 members.
• Article 83 — Duration of the Houses: Lok Sabha 5 years (extendable by 1 year at a time during a National Emergency, not beyond 6 months after the Emergency ends); Rajya Sabha is a continuing chamber.
• Article 85 — President summons and prorogues each House; gap between two sessions cannot exceed 6 months.
• Article 87 — Special address by the President at the start of the first session after each general election and the first session of each year.
• Article 100 — Quorum to constitute a sitting of either House is 1/10th of the total membership.
• Article 105 — Powers, privileges and immunities of Members of Parliament and its committees.
• Article 108 — Joint sitting of both Houses in case of a deadlock over an ordinary Bill; presided over by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha; does not apply to Money Bills or Constitutional Amendment Bills.
• Article 109 — Special procedure for Money Bills: can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha; the Rajya Sabha must return it within 14 days with or without recommendations.
• Article 110 — Defines a Money Bill; the Speaker's decision on whether a Bill is a Money Bill is final.
• Article 111 — President's assent to Bills: may give assent, withhold assent, or return a Bill (except a Money Bill) for reconsideration.
• Article 112 — The Annual Financial Statement (Union Budget) is laid before both Houses.
• Article 122 — Courts cannot inquire into the validity of proceedings in Parliament on the ground of an alleged procedural irregularity.

Types of Bills

• Ordinary Bill — Can be introduced in either House; needs a simple majority in both Houses; in case of deadlock, a joint sitting under Article 108 can be summoned.
• Money Bill — Deals only with matters listed in Article 110 (taxation, borrowing, Consolidated Fund); can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha, and only with the President's prior recommendation; the Rajya Sabha has no power to reject or amend it.
• Financial Bill — Contains some financial provisions along with other matters; introduced only in the Lok Sabha but, unlike a Money Bill, can be amended and rejected by the Rajya Sabha.
• Constitutional Amendment Bill — Passed under Article 368; needs a special majority (and, for federal provisions, ratification by half the state legislatures); no joint sitting is possible if the two Houses disagree.

Parliament of India MCQ — Practice Questions

Q1. Under which Article is the Parliament of India constituted?
A. Article 74 B. Article 79 C. Article 81 D. Article 100
Answer: B. Article 79

Q2. What is the maximum strength of the Rajya Sabha as per the Constitution?
A. 245 B. 250 C. 545 D. 552
Answer: B. 250 (238 elected + 12 nominated)

Q3. What is the maximum strength of the Lok Sabha as per the Constitution?
A. 543 B. 545 C. 550 D. 552
Answer: D. 552

Q4. The Anglo-Indian nomination to the Lok Sabha was abolished by which amendment?
A. 42nd Amendment B. 44th Amendment C. 91st Amendment D. 104th Amendment
Answer: D. 104th Amendment Act, 2019 (effective 25 January 2020)

Q5. What is the quorum required to constitute a sitting of either House of Parliament?
A. 1/4th of total membership B. 1/10th of total membership C. 1/3rd of total membership D. 1/2 of total membership
Answer: B. 1/10th of total membership (Article 100)

Q6. A joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament, under Article 108, is presided over by:
A. The President B. The Vice-President C. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha D. The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha
Answer: C. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha

Q7. A Money Bill can be introduced only in:
A. The Rajya Sabha B. The Lok Sabha C. Either House D. A joint sitting
Answer: B. The Lok Sabha

Q8. Who decides whether a particular Bill is a Money Bill, and is that decision final?
A. The President B. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha C. The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha D. The Attorney General
Answer: B. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha

Q9. As per Article 85, the maximum permissible gap between two sessions of Parliament is:
A. 3 months B. 6 months C. 9 months D. 12 months
Answer: B. 6 months

Q10. Rajya Sabha members are nominated by the President for special knowledge or practical experience in:
A. Sports, cinema, business, politics B. Literature, science, art and social service C. Law, medicine, engineering, defence D. Agriculture, industry, trade, journalism
Answer: B. Literature, science, art and social service

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can the Rajya Sabha reject a Money Bill?
No. The Rajya Sabha can only make recommendations on a Money Bill within 14 days. The Lok Sabha may accept or reject those recommendations, and if the Rajya Sabha does not return the Bill within 14 days, it is deemed to have been passed by both Houses.

Q. What is the difference between a Money Bill and a Financial Bill?
A Money Bill deals exclusively with matters specified in Article 110 (such as taxation and the Consolidated Fund) and follows the special Article 109 procedure. A Financial Bill contains some financial provisions along with other, non-financial matters, and — unlike a Money Bill — can be amended or rejected by the Rajya Sabha.

Q. Is a joint sitting possible for a Constitutional Amendment Bill?
No. Article 108 explicitly excludes Constitutional Amendment Bills (and Money Bills) from the joint-sitting mechanism.

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