Q. Consider the following statements:
1. A bill amending the Constitution requires a prior recommendation of the Président of India.
2. When a Constitution Amendment Bill is presented to the President of India, it is obligatory for the President of India to give his/her assent.
3. A Constitution Amendment Bill must be passed by both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha by a special majority and there is no provision for joint sitting.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Exp) Option b is the correct answer.
Statement 1 is incorrect: Constitution Amendment Bill can be introduced either by a minister or by a private member and does not require prior permission from the President.
Statement 2 is correct: The 24th Amendment of the Indian Constitution amended Article 368 to provide expressly that Parliament has the power to amend any provision of the Constitution. The amendment further made it obligatory for the President to give his assent when a Constitution Amendment Bill was presented to him.
Statement 3 is correct: Article 368 of the Indian constitution requires that the constitution of India can be amended by both houses of parliament by a 2/3 majority(special majority). In case of disagreement between both houses, there is no provision to summon a joint session of parliament. The reasoning behind this is so as to not let the running government’s majority in Lok Sabha undermine the Rajya Sabha in a joint sitting.
Sources: Indian Polity by Laxmikanth, 6th Edition, Chapter-10
http://164.100.47.194/loksabha/writereaddata/Abstract/constitution_amendment_bills.pdf
