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PART V THE UNION · CHAPTER II.— PARLIAMENT · General

Article 83: Duration of Houses of Parliament

The Constitution of India

(1) The Council of States shall not be subject to dissolution, but as nearly as possible one-third of the members thereof shall retire as soon as may be on the expiration of every second year in accordance with the provisions made in that behalf by Parliament by law.

(2) The House of the People, unless sooner dissolved, shall continue for 1[five years] from the date appointed for its first meeting and no longer and the expiration of the said period of 1[five years] shall operate as a dissolution of the House:

Provided that the said period may, while a Proclamation of Emergency is in operation, be extended by Parliament by law for a period not exceeding one year at a time and not extending in any case beyond a period of six months after the Proclamation has ceased to operate.

Footnotes in the official text

  1. 1.Subs. by the Constitution (Forty-second Amendment) Act, 1976, s. 17, for "five years" (w.e.f. 3-1- 1977) and further subs. by the Constitution (Forty-fourth Amendment) Act, 1978, s. 13, for "six years" (w.e.f. 20-6-1979).

Questions on this article

10 questions in 9 of our papers cite Article 83. Try these from the free papers:

  1. 1. Assertion (A): The President has no power to dissolve the Council of States. Reason (R): Under Article 83(1), the Council of States is not subject to dissolution, and as nearly as possible one-third of its members retire on the expiration of every second year.

  2. 2. Match List I (legislative chamber) with List II (term or duration as fixed by its constitutional text): List I A. House of the People (India) B. House of Representatives (Australia) C. UK Parliament (Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act, 2022) D. House of Representatives (United States) List II 1. Members chosen every second year 2. Three years from the first meeting of the House, unless sooner dissolved 3. Five years from the date appointed for its first meeting, unless sooner dissolved 4. Dissolves at the beginning of the fifth anniversary of the day it first met, if not dissolved earlier

  3. 3. Assertion (A): While a Proclamation of Emergency is in operation, Parliament may by law extend the term of the House of the People for a period not exceeding one year at a time. Reason (R): Such an extension may continue for a period of up to one year after the Proclamation of Emergency has ceased to operate.

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