RAS question
The minimum number of sessions of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly that must be held in a year is:
Correct answer: (C) Two.
The Rajasthan Legislative Assembly must effectively meet in at least two sessions each year because Article 174 does not allow more than six months between the last sitting of one session and the first sitting of the next.
Explanation
Article 174 of the Constitution says the Governor shall summon the House or Houses of a State Legislature from time to time, and that six months must not intervene between the last sitting of one session and the first sitting of the next. For the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, this gap rule is the key point. If more than six months cannot pass between two sessions, a single annual session will not satisfy the requirement across a full year. The practical minimum is therefore two sessions in a year. Rajasthan may commonly have Budget, Monsoon and Winter sessions, but that is practice, not the constitutional minimum under Article 174.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Three sessions may reflect the usual Budget, Monsoon and Winter pattern, but Article 174 fixes the minimum through the six-month gap rule, which effectively requires two sessions, not three.
- (B) One session in a year would leave the Assembly exposed to a gap of more than six months before the next session, which conflicts with Article 174.
- (D) Four sessions are not required by Article 174; the constitutional rule is about avoiding a gap of more than six months between sessions.
Concept
Article 174 governs the constitutional functioning of a State Legislature. Assembly sessions, the Governor's summoning power and legislative procedure are core parts of Rajasthan polity in RAS.