RAS question
Who certifies whether a bill is a Money Bill or not?
Correct answer: (D) Speaker of Lok Sabha.
The Speaker of Lok Sabha certifies whether a Bill is a Money Bill under Article 110 of the Constitution of India.
Explanation
Article 110 of the Constitution defines a Money Bill and then answers the certification question directly. Article 110(3) says that if any question arises whether a Bill is a Money Bill or not, the decision of the Speaker of the House of the People is final. Article 110(4) also requires every Money Bill, when sent to the Council of States or presented to the President for assent, to carry the Speaker's signed certificate that it is a Money Bill. This is why the certifying authority is the Speaker of Lok Sabha, not the President, Prime Minister, or Rajya Sabha Chairman. The existing caveat is that Supreme Court precedent recognises only a narrow judicial-review exception where certification is blatantly contrary to the constitutional scheme.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The President gives assent to Bills, but Article 110 places Money Bill certification with the Speaker of the House of the People.
- (B) The Chairman of Rajya Sabha has no certification role; Article 110(4) refers to the Speaker's certificate when a Money Bill is transmitted to the Council of States.
- (C) The Prime Minister has no constitutional role in deciding or certifying whether a Bill is a Money Bill.
Concept
This tests Parliament's financial procedure under Article 110, especially the special position of Lok Sabha in Money Bills. It recurs in RAS because questions often turn on exact constitutional authorities and the limits of Rajya Sabha's role.