RAS question
A joint sitting of Parliament under Article 108 cannot be called for:
Correct answer: (C) Money Bills.
A joint sitting of Parliament under Article 108 cannot be called for a Money Bill.
Explanation
Article 108 is the deadlock provision for ordinary legislative business between the two Houses. It allows the President to indicate a joint sitting when the other House rejects a Bill, the Houses finally disagree on amendments, or more than six months pass after the Bill is received without being passed. The crucial limit is built into Article 108 itself: the clause does not apply to a Money Bill. Money Bills instead follow Article 109. They cannot be introduced in the Rajya Sabha; after the Lok Sabha passes one, the Rajya Sabha may only return recommendations within fourteen days, and the Lok Sabha may accept or reject them. That special route is why no joint sitting is available for Money Bills.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Article 108 expressly covers the case where more than six months elapse after the other House receives a Bill without passing it, subject to the stated conditions.
- (B) Ordinary Bills are the normal setting for Article 108 because they can create a deadlock between the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
- (D) Article 108 specifically includes rejection of a Bill by the other House as a ground on which a joint sitting may be notified.
Concept
This tests the constitutional procedure for resolving bicameral deadlock and the special treatment of Money Bills. It recurs in RAS because Parliament, financial legislation and Centre-level constitutional mechanisms are standard governance areas.