Title Ordinary Bills Slug ordinary-bills Content

Ordinary Bills

Introduction

An Ordinary Bill is a legislative proposal dealing with matters that do not fall exclusively under the special procedures applicable to:

• Money Bills
• Financial Bills
• Constitutional Amendment Bills

Ordinary Bills form the most common category of legislation in Parliament.

The principal constitutional provisions are:

Article 107 → Introduction and passing of Bills

Article 108 → Joint Sitting

Article 111 → President's Assent

1. Introduction of an Ordinary Bill

An Ordinary Bill can be introduced in:

Either House of Parliament

Therefore:

Lok Sabha + Rajya Sabha

both have the power to initiate an Ordinary Bill.

2. Who Can Introduce an Ordinary Bill?

An Ordinary Bill may be introduced by:

Government Member

A Bill introduced by a Minister is called a:

Government Bill

Private Member

A Bill introduced by an MP who is not a Minister is called a:

Private Member's Bill

3. First Reading

The introduction of the Bill constitutes the:

First Reading

At this stage:

• The Bill is introduced
• Its title and objectives are presented
• Detailed discussion normally does not take place

The Bill may subsequently be circulated or referred for detailed consideration according to parliamentary procedure.

4. Second Reading

The Second Reading involves detailed consideration of the:

Principles and provisions of the Bill

It generally has two broad stages:

Stage 1 — General Discussion

Members discuss:

• Objectives
• Principles
• Need for legislation
• General provisions

Stage 2 — Detailed Consideration

The Bill is examined:

Clause by clause

Amendments may be proposed and voted upon.

5. Committee Stage

An Ordinary Bill may be referred to a:

Parliamentary Committee

for detailed examination.

The committee may examine:

• Clauses
• Policy implications
• Administrative consequences
• Financial implications
• Stakeholder concerns

The committee submits a:

Report

to the House.

Important

Committee recommendations are generally:

Advisory

They are not automatically binding on Parliament.

6. Third Reading

After detailed consideration, the Bill enters the:

Third Reading

The House considers whether the Bill should be:

Passed or rejected

The debate is generally limited compared with the Second Reading.

If the House passes the Bill, it is sent to the:

Other House

7. Consideration by the Other House

The second House may:

1. Pass the Bill
2. Reject the Bill
3. Pass the Bill with amendments
4. Take no action

If both Houses agree on the same text:

The Bill is deemed to have been passed by Parliament

It is then presented to the:

President

8. If the Other House Rejects the Bill

If one House passes an Ordinary Bill and the other House:

Rejects it

a legislative deadlock may arise.

In such circumstances, the Constitution provides for:

Joint Sitting

under:

Article 108

subject to the constitutional conditions.

9. If the Houses Disagree on Amendments

A deadlock may also arise when:

One House passes amendments

and:

The other House disagrees with those amendments

A joint sitting may be possible under Article 108.

10. Six-Month Delay

A joint sitting may also be considered when:

More than six months pass

without the other House passing the Bill.

The period is calculated according to the constitutional conditions governing joint sittings.

Periods during which the Houses are prorogued or adjourned for more than four consecutive days are excluded for this purpose.

11. Joint Sitting

A joint sitting brings together:

Lok Sabha + Rajya Sabha

for resolving a legislative deadlock.

It is summoned by the:

President

and is generally presided over by the:

Speaker of Lok Sabha

12. Majority in Joint Sitting

At a joint sitting, the Bill is generally decided by:

Majority of members present and voting

Since Lok Sabha has a larger membership, it normally has an advantage in a joint sitting.

13. When Joint Sitting Is Not Available

Joint sitting cannot be used for:

Money Bills

Because the Constitution provides a separate procedure.

Constitutional Amendment Bills

Because Article 368 requires each House to separately pass the Bill with the prescribed majority.

Important

Ordinary Bill → Joint Sitting possible

Money Bill → No Joint Sitting

Constitutional Amendment Bill → No Joint Sitting

14. Presidential Assent

After being passed by Parliament, an Ordinary Bill is presented to the:

President

Under Article 111, the President may:

1. Give assent
2. Withhold assent
3. Return the Bill for reconsideration

However, a Money Bill cannot be returned for reconsideration.

15. Reconsideration by Parliament

If the President returns an Ordinary Bill for reconsideration:

Parliament may:

Pass the Bill again

with or without amendments.

If Parliament passes it again:

The President cannot withhold assent

16. Pocket Veto

The Constitution does not prescribe a specific time limit within which the President must act on an Ordinary Bill.

Therefore, in practice, the President may:

Keep the Bill pending

This is commonly referred to as:

Pocket Veto

17. Ordinance vs Ordinary Bill

An Ordinance is promulgated by the:

President

when Parliament is not in session and immediate action is considered necessary.

An Ordinary Bill, by contrast, follows the:

Parliamentary legislative procedure

and requires passage through Parliament.

18. Ordinary Bill and Money Bill

19. Ordinary Bill and Constitutional Amendment Bill

20. Lapsing of Ordinary Bills

The dissolution of Lok Sabha can affect the status of pending Ordinary Bills.

Generally, a Bill pending in Lok Sabha

Lapses

when Lok Sabha is dissolved.

Bill passed by Lok Sabha but pending in Rajya Sabha

It generally:

Lapses

upon dissolution of Lok Sabha.

Bill pending in Rajya Sabha but not passed by Lok Sabha

It:

Does not lapse

merely because Lok Sabha is dissolved.

21. Bill Pending After Prorogation

Prorogation does not normally cause a Bill to:

Lapse

The Bill can continue in the next session.

Memory

Prorogation → Bill continues

Dissolution → Some Bills lapse

22. Private Member's Bill

An Ordinary Bill may be introduced as a:

Private Member's Bill

if introduced by an MP who is not a Minister.

Private Member's Bills provide an opportunity for individual MPs to:

• Raise policy issues
• Propose legislative changes
• Bring public concerns before Parliament

23. Government Bill

A Government Bill is introduced by:

A Minister

It represents the legislative policy of the:

Government

Most major legislation is introduced through Government Bills.

24. Ordinary Bill — Complete Process

Bill drafted
↓
Introduction in Either House
↓
First Reading
↓
Second Reading
↓
Committee Examination
↓
Clause-by-Clause Consideration
↓
Third Reading
↓
Other House
↓
Agreement
↓
President
↓
Assent
↓
Act

If disagreement occurs:

Lok Sabha ↔ Rajya Sabha
↓
Deadlock
↓
Joint Sitting under Article 108
↓
Decision
25. Important Constitutional Articles
Article	Subject
Article 107	Introduction and passing of Bills
Article 108	Joint Sitting
Article 111	President's Assent
Article 118	Rules of procedure
Article 122	Courts and parliamentary proceedings
26. UPSC Prelims Facts

Ordinary Bill → Either House

Government Bill → Introduced by Minister

Private Member's Bill → Introduced by non-Minister MP

Article 107 → Ordinary Bills

Article 108 → Joint Sitting

Article 111 → Presidential Assent

Joint Sitting → Ordinary Bills

Money Bill → No Joint Sitting

Constitutional Amendment Bill → No Joint Sitting

President can return Ordinary Bill → Yes

President can return Money Bill → No

27. UPSC Prelims Traps
Trap 1

"An Ordinary Bill can be introduced only in Lok Sabha."

False

It can be introduced in:

Either House

Trap 2

"Rajya Sabha has only a recommendatory role in Ordinary Bills."

False

Rajya Sabha generally has:

Equal legislative power

in relation to Ordinary Bills.

Trap 3

"Joint Sitting is available for every type of Bill."

False

It is not available for:

Money Bills and Constitutional Amendment Bills

Trap 4

"A Bill pending in Rajya Sabha automatically lapses when Lok Sabha is dissolved."

False

A Bill pending in Rajya Sabha but not passed by Lok Sabha:

Does not lapse merely because of Lok Sabha's dissolution

Trap 5

"Prorogation causes pending Bills to lapse."

False

Prorogation does not normally cause Bills to lapse.

Trap 6

"The President must give assent immediately after Parliament passes an Ordinary Bill."

False

Under Article 111, the President may:

Assent
Withhold assent
Return the Bill for reconsideration
Trap 7

"After Parliament re-passes a returned Ordinary Bill, the President can return it again."

False

Once Parliament passes the Bill again:

The President cannot withhold assent

28. Quick Revision
Ordinary Bill
↓
Either House
↓
First Reading
↓
Second Reading
↓
Committee / Detailed Consideration
↓
Third Reading
↓
Other House
↓
President
↓
Act
Deadlock
↓
Article 108
↓
Joint Sitting
↓
Speaker of Lok Sabha
President
↓
Assent
OR
Withhold
OR
Return once for reconsideration
Prorogation
→ No automatic lapse
Lok Sabha Dissolution
→ Some pending Bills lapse
29. Mains Relevance

The procedure for Ordinary Bills reflects the principle of:

Bicameral Deliberation

Both Houses participate in law-making, allowing:

Debate + Review + Reconsideration

The possibility of a joint sitting provides a constitutional mechanism to resolve legislative deadlocks while preventing one House from permanently blocking ordinary legislation.

At the same time, the special procedures for Money Bills and Constitutional Amendment Bills demonstrate that Parliament follows:

Different levels of legislative scrutiny for different categories of legislation.