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Functioning: sessions, committees and oversight

How Parliament and the State legislatures do their work: sessions, sittings, committees and the means by which they hold the government to account.

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Functioning of Parliament

Prelims and Mains

LeadHow Parliament worked: the Monsoon Session of 2026August 2026

Why in news

The Monsoon Session ended on 13 August 2026. Parliament passed 12 Bills in 19 sittings, counting the Appropriation Bill. But the Lok Sabha worked for only 15 per cent of its scheduled time, by the count of PRS Legislative Research.

Background

Article 85: the President summons each House, and not more than six months may pass between two sessions. The President acts on the advice of the Council of Ministers.
By convention there are three sessions a year: Budget, Monsoon and Winter.
Parliament has three jobs: to make law, to control the purse, and to hold the executive to account. A session is judged on all three.

Law making without debate

Nine Bills passed the Lok Sabha with no speaker other than the Minister.
The Bill raising the Supreme Court's strength passed without debate. So did the Tribunals Reforms Bill, which was introduced and passed the same day.
One Bill showed what debate can look like: the Bill that became the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Act was discussed for about 11 hours by 48 members.
Only about one Bill in five has gone to a committee in the present Lok Sabha.

Oversight that did not happen

Question Hour in the Lok Sabha ran for nine minutes in the whole session.

The post of Deputy Speaker has been vacant for over seven years. Article 93 says the House shall choose one "as soon as may be", but sets no deadline.

Control of the purse

Parliament approved excess grants for money spent in 2022-23 beyond what it had voted.

Under Article 115 an excess grant is voted only after the Public Accounts Committee has examined it, which explains the gap of three years.

Why disruption persists

The Opposition sees disruption as its only tool when its demands for debate are refused.
The government sets the agenda and has little reason to yield time.
The anti defection law removes the need to persuade members, since a whip decides the vote.
Fewer sittings: the first Lok Sabha sat for about 135 days a year; recent ones sit for far fewer.

Cases to cite

Raja Ram Pal v. Speaker, Lok Sabha (2007): courts cannot question proceedings for irregularity of procedure, but can for illegality or unconstitutionality (Article 122).
Rojer Mathew v. South Indian Bank (2019): referred to a larger bench the question of what may be passed as a Money Bill.
Kalpana Mehta v. Union of India (2018): reports of parliamentary committees may be relied on in court without breach of privilege.

The way forward

A minimum number of sitting days fixed by law or rule; the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution suggested 120 days for the Lok Sabha.
Opposition days, on which the Opposition sets the agenda, as in the United Kingdom.
Refer every Bill to a committee, unless the House decides otherwise by vote.
Elect a Deputy Speaker within a fixed time of a new House meeting.

Prelims facts

Article 85: not more than six months between two sessions.
Article 93: Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha. The Deputy Speaker has often come from the Opposition.
Article 115: supplementary, additional and excess grants.
A Joint Committee has members of both Houses; the committee on the FCRA Bill has 31.
Adjournment is by the presiding officer; prorogation by the President.

Open the lead on its own page

Article 85: the President summons each House, and not more than six months may pass between two sessions. The President acts on the advice of the Council of Ministers.

What changed

13 Aug 2026LeadHow Parliament worked: the Monsoon Session of 2026