BPSC questions commonly test a changed word: introduced versus passed, recommend versus amend, discussed versus voted, and prorogation versus dissolution. Read each statement through four filters: Which House can begin it? What can the other House do? Is presidential recommendation needed, and at which stage? What happens on dissolution of Lok Sabha?
The constitutional core is Articles 107–117. Articles 118–122 add House rules, financial procedure, language, the restriction on discussing judges' conduct, and protection of proceedings from challenge merely for procedural irregularity. Parliamentary rules and conventions then supply tools such as Question Hour, Zero Hour, cut motions and committee scrutiny.
2. Article map: 107–122
Article
Subject
Exam cue
107
Introduction/passing of Bills and lapse rules.
Either House ordinarily; dissolution matters.
108
Joint sitting in specified legislative deadlocks.
Not for a Money Bill.
109–110
Special procedure and definition of Money Bill.
Lok Sabha primacy; Speaker's certificate.
111
President's assent to Bills.
Return only a non-Money Bill.
112–116
Annual Financial Statement, estimates, appropriation, supplementary/excess grants and special grants.
Budget architecture.
117
Special provisions for Financial Bills.
Two distinct categories.
118–120
House rules, regulation of financial business and language.
Procedure and conduct.
121–122
Restriction on discussing judges' conduct; judicial non-interference for procedural irregularity.
Neither provision creates unlimited immunity.
3. Four legislative categories
Category
Origin and recommendation
Rajya Sabha power
Joint sitting
Ordinary Bill
Either House; no special Article 117 recommendation merely because it is ordinary.
May amend or reject; identical text must pass both Houses.
Possible under Article 108 deadlock conditions.
Money Bill, Article 110
Only Lok Sabha; prior presidential recommendation is required for introduction under Article 117(1).
May only recommend changes within 14 days; Lok Sabha may accept or reject them.
Never.
Financial Bill category I, Article 117(1)
Contains one or more Article 110(1)(a)–(f) matters plus other matters; only Lok Sabha, on President's recommendation.
Full power to amend or reject because it is not a Money Bill.
Possible.
Financial Bill category II, Article 117(3)
If enacted, it involves expenditure from Consolidated Fund of India; may originate in either House. Presidential recommendation is needed before that House passes it.
Full legislative power.
Possible.
4. Ordinary Bill: legislative journey
5. When a pending Bill lapses
Situation
Result
Either House is prorogued
A pending Bill does not lapse merely because of prorogation.
Bill pending in Rajya Sabha and not yet passed by Lok Sabha when Lok Sabha dissolves
Does not lapse.
Bill pending in Lok Sabha when Lok Sabha dissolves
Lapses.
Bill passed by Lok Sabha and pending in Rajya Sabha when Lok Sabha dissolves
Lapses, subject to the special position after an Article 108 joint-sitting notification.
President has already notified intention to summon a joint sitting
The joint sitting may still be held after dissolution; Article 108 preserves the process.
6. Joint sitting: Article 108
The President may notify a joint sitting when one House rejects a non-Money Bill, the Houses finally disagree on amendments, or the other House does not pass it for more than six months after receiving it. In calculating six months, periods when that House is prorogued or adjourned for more than four consecutive days are excluded. The Speaker of Lok Sabha presides under the applicable rules; the numerical strength of Lok Sabha usually gives it an advantage, but the decision is by the members of both Houses present and voting.
There is no joint sitting for a Money Bill. There is also no Article 108 route for a Constitution Amendment Bill: Article 368 requires the prescribed majority in each House separately. A joint sitting is a deadlock remedy, not a routine third chamber.
Verified joint sittings of Parliament
7. Money Bill: definition and route
Part
Rule
Tax
Imposition, abolition, remission, alteration or regulation of a tax.
Borrowing
Union borrowing, guarantees and amendment of law relating to Union financial obligations.
Funds
Custody of Consolidated Fund or Contingency Fund of India, payment into or withdrawal from them.
Appropriation
Appropriation of money out of Consolidated Fund of India.
Charged expenditure
Declaring expenditure charged, or increasing such expenditure.
Receipts and audit
Receipt/custody/issue of money in Consolidated Fund or Public Account and audit of Union or State accounts.
Incidental matter
A matter incidental to any of the listed subjects.
Certification
If a question arises, Speaker's decision is final; the Speaker's signed certificate accompanies the Bill to Rajya Sabha and the President.
8. Presidential assent: the comparison trap
Do not confuse a Bill with an Act. A passed Bill becomes an Act only after the constitutionally required assent and commencement arrangements.
9. Budget vocabulary
Term
Meaning
Who controls it?
Annual Financial Statement, Article 112
Estimated receipts and expenditure of Government of India for a financial year, shown separately as charged and other expenditure and as revenue/other expenditure.
President causes it to be laid before both Houses.
Charged expenditure
Constitutionally charged on Consolidated Fund of India; examples include President's emoluments, debt charges and constitutionally specified judicial/CAG expenses.
May be discussed but is not submitted to vote.
Voted expenditure
Other expenditure presented as Demands for Grants.
Lok Sabha may assent, refuse, or reduce a demand.
Appropriation Act
Legal authority to withdraw voted grants and charged sums from Consolidated Fund of India.
Follows passage of Demands for Grants.
Finance Bill
Gives effect to taxation proposals; classify it by its actual constitutional content rather than assuming every “Finance Bill” label has identical treatment.
Usually follows Money Bill rules when it satisfies Article 110.
11. Cut motions and the guillotine
Motion
Reduction sought
Purpose
Policy cut
Demand reduced to Re 1.
Expresses disapproval of the policy underlying the demand.
Economy cut
Demand reduced by a specified amount.
Shows the economy that can be effected; may target an item or a lump sum.
Token cut
Demand reduced by ₹100.
Ventilates a specific grievance within Union responsibility.
12. Grants beyond the original Budget
Grant
When used
Memory cue
Supplementary grant
Authorised amount for a service is insufficient.
Same service, more money.
Additional grant
A need arises for a new service not contemplated in the Annual Financial Statement.
New service.
Excess grant
Money has already been spent beyond the amount granted for a service in that year.
Post-expenditure regularisation.
Vote on account
Advance grant for part of a financial year pending completion of the full budget procedure.
Routine interim spending bridge.
Vote of credit
Unexpected demand of indefinite character or magnitude makes ordinary detail impracticable.
Exceptional, uncertain demand.
Exceptional grant
Grant for a special purpose that forms no part of the current service of a financial year.
Outside current service.
13. Parliamentary committees
Committee
Composition/term
Main scrutiny
Public Accounts Committee
22: 15 Lok Sabha + 7 Rajya Sabha; one year.
Appropriation/accounts and CAG reports; whether money was spent within grant and for the intended purpose.
Estimates Committee
30, all from Lok Sabha; one year.
Economy, efficiency, administrative reform and alternative policies in estimates.
Committee on Public Undertakings
22: 15 Lok Sabha + 7 Rajya Sabha; one year.
Reports/accounts of public undertakings and relevant CAG reports; efficiency and sound business principles.
Department-related Standing Committees
24 committees; each 31: 21 Lok Sabha + 10 Rajya Sabha; term not exceeding one year.
Demands for Grants, referred Bills, annual reports and long-term policy documents; reports are recommendatory.
14. Devices of parliamentary control
Device
Essential feature
Vote?
Question Hour
Generally the first hour; starred questions receive oral answers and allow supplementaries, unstarred questions receive written answers, and short-notice questions concern urgent public importance.
No decision vote.
Zero Hour
Period after Question Hour/laying of papers for urgent issues; an Indian parliamentary practice not formally recognised in the rules.
No automatic vote.
Calling Attention
Member calls a Minister's attention to an urgent public matter; Minister makes a statement and brief clarifications follow. It is an Indian innovation.
No vote.
Short Duration Discussion
Lok Sabha Rule 193 discussion on urgent public importance without a formal motion.
No vote.
Adjournment Motion
Lok Sabha device that interrupts normal business for a definite, urgent matter of public importance; admission rests with Speaker.
If adopted, it is treated as censure.
No-confidence motion
Tests whether the Council of Ministers retains collective confidence of Lok Sabha; need not state grounds and cannot target only one minister.
Yes; defeat requires ministry to resign.
Censure motion
Criticises specified policies/actions and states reasons.
Yes, according to the motion admitted.
Motion of Thanks
Discussion on President's Address permits broad review of government policy.
Amendments and motion are put to vote.
15. Articles 118–122: procedural safeguards and limits
16. Bihar relevance
18. Prelims traps
19. Official PYQ status
No question is reproduced as an official BPSC PYQ because complete wording and options were not verified from an official BPSC booklet for this topic during preparation. The following are original BPSC-style practice questions, not claimed PYQs.