Parliament’s Monsoon session remains unprorogued for record 88 days

New Delhi: Parliament’s Monsoon session has remained unprorogued for 88 days since both Houses were adjourned indefinitely on August 13, breaking the previous record of 87 days in 2008.

As of Monday morning, neither the Lok Sabha nor the Rajya Sabha had been formally prorogued, keeping open the possibility of convening an extended sitting of the existing session.

The government’s decision not to prorogue (formally end) the Monsoon session has kept alive speculation about the possibility of convening Parliament at short notice to consider the proposed constitutional amendment linked to the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill, which seeks to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 seats to a maximum of 850 through delimitation.

An extended or special sitting of Parliament within the same session requires a minimum notice of two days, whereas convening a fresh session requires at least 14 days’ notice.

This has added significance as a similar Constitution Amendment Bill had failed to secure the required numbers in the Lok Sabha during a special sitting of the Budget session on April 17.

The Constitution does not prescribe any specific time frame within which a House must be prorogued after being adjourned sine die (for an indefinite period).

The mere fact that a House remains unprorogued for an extended period does not, by itself, amount to any constitutional or procedural impropriety.

According to records, Parliament had remained unprorogued for 87 days in 2008, 76 days in 1987, 54 days in 1989, 49 days each in 2006 and 2013, and 41 days in 1963.

In 2008, the Lok Sabha met for two days, July 21 and 22, to discuss the no-confidence motion against the then UPA government. The House was subsequently kept unprorogued, reconvened on October 17 and was adjourned on October 24 to meet again on December 10.

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