Article 108 — Joint Sitting of Both Houses in Certain Cases

(1) If after a Bill has been passed by one House and transmitted to the other House — (a) the Bill is rejected by the other House; or (b) the Houses have finally disagreed as to the amendments to be made in the Bill; or (c) more than six months elapse from the date of the reception of the Bill by the other House without the Bill being passed by it, the President may, unless the Bill has elapsed by reason of a dissolution of the House of the People, notify to the Houses by message if they are sitting or by public notification if they are not sitting, his intention to summon them to meet in a joint sitting for the purpose of deliberating and voting on the Bill.

Source: Constitution of India, as published by the Ministry of Law and Justice.

Joint sittings have been held only three times in Indian history: for the Dowry Prohibition Act 1961, the Banking Service Commission (Repeal) Bill 1978, and the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2002. The rarity reflects the political cost of invoking the provision, as it is widely seen as confrontational.

• Article 79
• Article 80
• Article 81
• Article 110

Last reviewed: 3 July 2026