Question

When a bill is referred to a joint sitting of both the Houses of the Parliament, it has to be passed by

(a) a simple majority of members present and voting

(b) three-fourths majority of members present and voting

(c) two-thirds majority of the Houses

(d) absolute majority of the Houses

Answer 1

(a) a simple majority of members present and voting

In India, if a bill has been rejected by any house of the parliament and if more than six months have elapsed, the President may summon a joint session for purpose of passing the bill. The bill is passed by a simple majority of a joint sitting. Joint sitting is an extra-ordinary machinery provided by the constitution to resolve a deadlock between the two houses over the passage of a bill.

If the bill in dispute is passed by a majority of the total number of member both the houses present and voting in the joint sitting, the bill is deemed to have been passed by both the houses.