Consider the following statements:When Lok Sabha is dissolved, 1. a Bill pending in Rajya Sabha which has not been passed by Lok Sabha lapses. 2. a Bill pending in Lok Sabha lapses. 3. a Bill passed by both Houses but pending assent of the President of India does not lapse. Which of the statements given above is/ are correct ?

1. Structure of Parliament and Nature of Houses (basic)

To understand how our laws are made, we must first look at the blueprint of the Indian Parliament. Under the Constitution, the Parliament of India consists of three pillars: the President, the Lok Sabha (House of the People), and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States). While the President is not a member of either House, they are an integral part of Parliament because no bill can become law without their signature.

The two Houses differ significantly in their nature and continuity. The Rajya Sabha is known as the 'Permanent House' because it is never fully dissolved. Instead, it operates on a cycle where one-third of its members retire every second year, ensuring that the House always has experienced legislators available to conduct urgent business, even when the Lok Sabha is dissolved NCERT Class XI: Indian Constitution at Work, Chapter 5: Legislature, p.106. In contrast, the Lok Sabha has a normal term of five years, after which it is dissolved and fresh elections are held. It can also be dissolved earlier by the President. Currently, the number of seats in the Lok Sabha is frozen based on the 1971 census and will remain so until the first census after 2026 Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Chapter 23: Parliament, p.237.

Feature	Rajya Sabha (Upper House)	Lok Sabha (Lower House)
Continuity	Permanent body; not subject to dissolution.	Not permanent; subject to dissolution every 5 years (or earlier).
Representation	Represents States and Union Territories.	Represents the people of India directly.
Membership	Max 250 (Includes 12 nominated by the President).	Max 550 (All elected members).
Term of Members	6 years.	5 years (unless dissolved earlier).

It is important to distinguish between Adjournment (which only pauses a sitting) and Dissolution. Only the Lok Sabha faces dissolution, which ends the very life of the existing House. When this happens, all business pending before the Lok Sabha typically lapses, unless specific constitutional exceptions apply Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Chapter 23: Parliament, p.236.

Sources: Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth (7th ed.), Chapter 23: Parliament, p.236-237; Indian Constitution at Work, NCERT Class XI, Chapter 5: Legislature, p.106

2. Terminating a Session: Adjournment, Prorogation, and Dissolution (basic)

To master Parliamentary procedures, we must distinguish between three ways a House stops its work: Adjournment, Prorogation, and Dissolution. Think of these as different 'pause' and 'stop' buttons. While the Rajya Sabha is a permanent body and only experiences the first two, the Lok Sabha is subject to all three Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity. 7th ed., Chapter 23, p. 237. Adjournment and Adjournment Sine Die are tools used by the Presiding Officer (the Speaker or Chairman). An adjournment suspends a sitting for a specific time—be it hours, days, or weeks. If the House is adjourned without naming a day for reassembly, it is called adjournment sine die. Crucially, these actions only pause the daily work; they do not end a session or kill any pending bills Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity. 7th ed., Chapter 23, p. 236. Prorogation, on the other hand, is a power exercised by the President. After a House is adjourned sine die, the President typically issues a notification to end the entire session (such as the Budget or Monsoon Session). While prorogation terminates the session, it does not cause bills to lapse. However, other pending notices—like those to ask questions or move motions—do lapse and must be resubmitted in the next session. Dissolution is the 'death' of the Lok Sabha. It happens either at the end of its five-year term or when the President dissolves it earlier. This is where the "Lapsing of Bills" rules become vital. Because the Lok Sabha is gone, any bill it was currently considering or had already passed (but which hasn't finished its journey in the Rajya Sabha) generally dies. However, bills that the Rajya Sabha is holding onto which haven't even reached the Lok Sabha yet survive, because the Rajya Sabha itself never dissolves Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity. 7th ed., Chapter 23, p. 237.

Feature	Adjournment	Prorogation	Dissolution
Who Decides?	Presiding Officer	President	President
Terminates...	A sitting (day/week)	A session	Life of the House
Effect on Bills	No effect	No effect	Pending bills may lapse

Sources: Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, Chapter 23: Parliament, p.236-237

3. The Legislative Journey: How a Bill Becomes an Act (intermediate)

The journey of a bill from a mere proposal to a binding law is one of the most rigorous processes in our democracy. Every Ordinary Bill must pass through five distinct stages in each House of Parliament before it reaches the President’s desk. It begins with the First Reading, which is primarily a formal introduction where the title and objectives are read out, followed by publication in the Gazette of India. No discussion happens yet. However, the real heavy lifting occurs during the Second Reading. This is the most crucial stage where the bill undergoes detailed scrutiny Indian Polity, Parliament, p.246. It involves three sub-stages: a general discussion on principles, a Committee Stage where experts examine clauses thoroughly, and a Consideration Stage where each clause is voted upon individually. Finally, the Third Reading is a simple 'yes' or 'no' vote on the bill as a whole.

For a bill to become an Act, it must be passed by both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. If the two Houses reach a deadlock—where one rejects the bill or keeps it pending for more than six months—the President can summon a Joint Sitting (Article 108) to resolve the disagreement Indian Constitution at Work, LEGISLATURE, p.113. Once passed by both, the bill is presented to the President. The President may give Assent (making it an Act), withhold assent, or return it for reconsideration. Note that if the Houses pass the bill again with or without changes, the President must give assent.

A unique aspect of our system is what happens when the Lok Sabha dissolves. Because the Rajya Sabha is a permanent body, bills solely sitting there (that haven't touched the Lok Sabha yet) do not die. However, any bill that is currently 'in the hands' of the Lok Sabha—whether it started there or was sent from the Rajya Sabha—generally lapses upon dissolution Indian Polity, Parliament, p.237. To help you distinguish between what stays and what goes, refer to the table below:

Status of the Bill	Effect of Lok Sabha Dissolution
Pending in Lok Sabha (originated there or sent by RS)	Lapses
Passed by LS, but pending in Rajya Sabha	Lapses
Pending in Rajya Sabha, but NOT yet passed by LS	Does NOT Lapse
Passed by both Houses, awaiting President's Assent	Does NOT Lapse
Returned by President for reconsideration	Does NOT Lapse

Sources: Indian Polity, Parliament, p.246; Indian Constitution at Work, LEGISLATURE, p.113; Indian Polity, Parliament, p.237

4. The Joint Sitting Mechanism (Article 108) (intermediate)

In a bicameral legislature like ours, harmony between the two Houses is ideal, but conflict is inevitable. Article 108 of the Constitution provides an extraordinary machinery known as the Joint Sitting to resolve deadlocks between the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Think of it as a tie-breaker mechanism where both Houses sit together as a single body to vote on a bill. Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.), Parliament, p.249

A deadlock is officially recognized in three specific situations after one House passes a bill and sends it to the other:

• Rejection: The second House rejects the bill outright.
• Disagreement: Both Houses finally disagree on the amendments to be made.
• Delay: More than six months pass from the date the second House receives the bill without it being passed (excluding periods where the House is prorogued or adjourned for more than four consecutive days).

Once the President notifies his intention to summon a joint sitting, neither House can proceed further with the bill individually. Interestingly, if the Lok Sabha is dissolved after the President has notified a joint sitting, the bill does not lapse; the joint sitting takes place regardless. Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity. 7th ed., McGraw Hill., Parliament, p. 250

Who presides and how is it decided?

Feature	Rule/Detail
Presiding Officer	The Speaker of the Lok Sabha. If absent, the Deputy Speaker; if he is also absent, the Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha.
Voting Requirement	Passed by a simple majority of the total number of members of both Houses present and voting.
Quorum	One-tenth of the total number of members of both Houses.

Crucially, the joint sitting is not available for all bills. It is restricted to Ordinary Bills and Financial Bills (Category I & II). It cannot be used for Money Bills (where Lok Sabha has overriding powers anyway) or Constitutional Amendment Bills, which must be passed by each House separately with a special majority under Article 368. Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.)., The Union Legislature, p.257

Sources: Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.), Parliament, p.249; Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity. 7th ed., McGraw Hill., Parliament, p.250; Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.), The Union Legislature, p.257

5. Presidential Assent and Reconsideration (Article 111) (intermediate)

Once a bill is passed by both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha (or in a joint sitting), it is presented to the President for their assent. Under Article 111 of the Constitution, the President has three primary choices regarding Central bills: they may give assent, withhold assent, or return the bill for reconsideration Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, President, p. 191. If the President gives assent, the bill becomes an Act. If they withhold assent, the bill dies (known as an Absolute Veto), though in a parliamentary system, this usually only happens if the government changes before the bill is signed or if it is a private member's bill.

The power of reconsideration is technically a Suspensive Veto. The President can return a bill (provided it is not a Money Bill) to the Houses with a message suggesting changes. However, this veto is limited: if both Houses pass the bill again, with or without the suggested amendments, and present it back to the President, the President must give their assent Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, President, p. 191. Interestingly, the Constitution does not prescribe a specific time limit for the President to act, which gives rise to the 'Pocket Veto'—where the President simply keeps the bill pending indefinitely Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu, The Union Executive, p. 217.

It is also vital to distinguish how the President handles bills reserved by a Governor under Article 201. Unlike Central bills, if the President returns a State bill for reconsideration and the State Legislature passes it again, the President is not bound to give assent; they can still withhold it Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, President, p. 196.

Feature	Central Bill (Art. 111)	State Bill (Art. 201)
Return for Reconsideration	Allowed (except Money Bills)	Allowed (except Money Bills)
Obligation on Re-passage	Mandatory to give assent	Not Mandatory; can withhold assent again

Sources: Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth, President, p.191; Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity, President, p.196; Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu, The Union Executive, p.217

6. Specific Rules for Lapsing of Bills on Dissolution (exam-level)

In our previous hops, we discussed how the Lok Sabha is a temporary body. When the Lok Sabha is dissolved, it ceases to exist, and all its pending business—including motions, resolutions, and notices—typically dies with it. However, the fate of Bills is governed by specific rules because a Bill represents months of legislative effort. The core principle is simple: if a Bill is 'tainted' by its presence in the Lok Sabha or its passage through it, it usually lapses. But if it exists safely within the Rajya Sabha (a permanent body) or has already completed its journey through both Houses, it survives. Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth (7th ed.), Chapter 23: Parliament, p.237 To master this for the exam, you need to look at the 'location' and 'status' of the Bill at the moment the President dissolves the House. Let’s break it down into a clear logic table:

Scenario	Status	Logic
Bill pending in the Lok Sabha (whether it started there or came from Rajya Sabha).	Lapses	The House where it is currently being considered is gone.
Bill passed by Lok Sabha but pending in Rajya Sabha.	Lapses	The Bill was passed by a House that no longer exists; it loses its mandate.
Bill pending in Rajya Sabha but NOT yet passed by Lok Sabha.	Does NOT Lapse	The Bill hasn't 'touched' the Lok Sabha yet, and Rajya Sabha is permanent.
Bill passed by both Houses and awaiting Presidential Assent.	Does NOT Lapse	The legislative work of Parliament is complete.
Bill returned by the President for reconsideration of the Houses.	Does NOT Lapse	The Bill is already in the final stages of the constitutional process.

There is one very important exception regarding Joint Sittings. If the two Houses disagreed on a Bill and the President formally notified a Joint Sitting before the Lok Sabha was dissolved, that Bill does not lapse. The Joint Sitting can still be held to resolve the deadlock. Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth (7th ed.), Chapter 23: Parliament, p.250

Sources: Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.), Chapter 23: Parliament, p.237; Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.), Chapter 23: Parliament, p.250

7. Solving the Original PYQ (exam-level)

This question tests your understanding of the Constitutional mechanics governing the continuity of legislation during the transition of power. The core principle to remember from your lessons is that the Lok Sabha is a temporary body subject to dissolution, whereas the Rajya Sabha is a permanent chamber. Therefore, any Bill that is currently 'in the hands' of the Lok Sabha—meaning it originated there or was transmitted to it—is effectively 'killed' when the House dissolves to prevent an outgoing government from binding its successor. This directly confirms that Statement 2 is correct, as the physical or procedural presence of a Bill in the Lok Sabha at the time of dissolution causes it to lapse.

To navigate the remaining options, think like a legislator: if the Lok Sabha has never even seen a Bill (i.e., it is pending in the Rajya Sabha and has not yet been passed by the Lok Sabha), the dissolution of the lower house has no logical impact on it. This makes Statement 1 incorrect because such Bills remain alive. Conversely, once both Houses have fulfilled their legislative duty and passed a Bill, it moves into the executive domain for the President's assent. Since the legislative 'will' has already been expressed by both Houses, the dissolution of one House cannot undo that completed act, making Statement 3 correct. As noted in M. Laxmikanth's Indian Polity, the only exceptions that save a Bill from lapsing are those that have moved past the friction of the Lok Sabha's active floor.

The correct answer is (D) 2 and 3 only. UPSC often sets traps by reversing the logic of Statement 1, hoping you will confuse the 'pending' status in the Rajya Sabha with the Bill having already been 'touched' by the Lok Sabha. Always ask yourself: 'Has the dissolving House already rejected, passed, or currently held this Bill?' If it hasn't touched it, or if it has already finished passing it, the Bill usually survives. Option (B) is a common pitfall for students who forget that the Rajya Sabha's permanence acts as a constitutional 'safe haven' for legislation that hasn't yet entered the Lok Sabha's volatile arena.