Q. With reference to the provisions related to the Members of Parliament (MPs), consider the following statements:
1. According to the Indian Constitution, no person shall be a member of both Houses of Parliament at the same time.
2. Any MP can resign from the Parliament by addressing his resignation to the President of India.
3. If an MP remains absent continuously for 60 days without permission, he is liable to be disqualified.
4. Salaries and allowances of MPs are provided in the Second Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
How many statements given above are correct?
Exp) Option b is the correct answer.
Statement 1 is correct. Article 190 of the Indian Constitution states that no person shall be a member of both Houses of Parliament and provision shall be made by Parliament by law for the vacation by a person who is chosen a member of both Houses of his seat in one House or the other.
Statement 2 is incorrect. A member may resign his seat by writing to the Chairman of Rajya Sabha or Speaker of Lok Sabha, as the case may be (and not to the President). The seat falls vacant when the resignation is accepted. However, the Chairman/ Speaker may not accept the resignation if he is satisfied that it is not voluntary or genuine.
Statement 3 is correct. A House can declare the seat of a member vacant if he is absent from all its meetings for a period of sixty days without its permission. In computing the period of sixty days, no account shall be taken of any period during which the House is prorogued or adjourned for more than four consecutive days.
Statement 4 is incorrect. The Salaries and Allowances of the Members of Parliament are determined by the Salaries, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954. It is not charged on the Consolidated Fund of India and is not provided for in the Second Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
