Context

The budget session 2024 of the Parliament is set to begin on 31st January. This will be the final session before the general elections.

Parliament Budget Session 2024

• The Budget session 2024 will have eight sittings in total, and the government has expressed no intention of introducing a new legislative agenda.
• The finance minister, during the session, will also present the Budget for Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), which is under President’s Rule.
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is presenting her sixth budget in the Lok Sabha.

Download Budget 2024-25 Summary

About Budget Session of Parliament

• About: The budget session is the Parliamentary session held every year to present the Union Budget. It is the first session of the year.
• Commencement: The budget session of parliament usually begins just before the presentation of the Union budget, which is by the end of January. 
  • It is generally split into two periods with a gap of one month between them. 

• Events During Budget Session of Parliament

  • President’s Speech: The President of India will address both the houses of the Parliament on the first day of the Budget Session of parliament every year.
  • Motion of Thanks: Following the President’s speech, a motion of thanks is presented in each House by MPs belonging to the ruling party. 
    • Discussions take place on the motion, typically spanning three to four days, where approximately 80 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 40 MPs in the Rajya Sabha participate. 
    • The discussions conclude with the Prime Minister responding to the raised points during the debate. After the prime Minister’s response, MPs vote on the motion of thanks, and some may propose amendments to the address.
    • The Motion of Thanks has to be passed in the house. Else, it amounts to the defeat of the government.

• Significance of Budget Session of Parliament

• • Passage of Finance Bill: During the budget session, the finance bill is passed in the Lok Sabha for drawing funds from the Consolidated Fund of India.
  • Announcement of New Policies and Schemes: The budget session provides the occasion for the government to announce new plans and schemes.

Also Read: Union Budget 2024-25: Live Updates

Sessions of Indian Parliament

• About: A session of the Indian Parliament is the period during which a House meets uninterruptedly almost every day to manage the business.
• Responsibility of Conducting: The Government of India is responsible for commencing a Parliamentary session and does not have a fixed parliamentary calendar.
• • The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs is responsible for the decision on convening the Parliamentary session.
• Constitutional Provisions: The summoning of session is specified in Article 85 of the Indian constitution.
  • It does not provide the details of the session or number of times it has to be held. It only says that the gap between two sessions of the Parliament cannot exceed 6 months, which means the Parliament must meet at least two times in one year.
• Summoning: The President of India formally summons MPs to convene for a session. The President is bound by the decision of the government.
  • The President addresses both the houses during the first session of the year and also the first session after a general election.

Different Sessions of Indian Parliament

Terms Associated With Parliamentary Sessions