UPSC Prelims 2023 Q37: Indian Polity – Parliament & State Legislatures
- (a) Only one
- (b) Only two
- (c) All three
- (d) None
Answer: (b) Only two
Explanation
Finance Bill vs Money Bill — Parliamentary Powers
| Statement | Claim | Verdict | Correct Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rajya Sabha can amend or reject a Finance Bill | TRUE | A Finance Bill (not a Money Bill) is an Ordinary Bill for the purposes of inter-house disagreement. Rajya Sabha has full powers to amend or reject it — it goes through the normal bicameral process. |
| 2 | Rajya Sabha cannot amend or reject a Money Bill; can only recommend | TRUE | Under Article 110, Money Bills are sent to Rajya Sabha for recommendations only. Rajya Sabha cannot amend or reject — Lok Sabha may accept or reject recommendations. This is explicitly stated in Art 109. |
| 3 | No joint sitting for Money Bill, but joint sitting needed for Finance Bill | FALSE | Joint sitting under Article 108 applies to Ordinary Bills (deadlock between houses). Finance Bills that are not Money Bills = Ordinary Bills = joint sitting possible. But Money Bills have NO joint sitting. The statement says 'joint sitting BECOMES NECESSARY for Finance Bill' — this is not accurate; it is POSSIBLE (if there's a deadlock) not automatically necessary. |
Statements 1 and 2 correct → Only two.
Answer: (b) Only two.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. 'Only one' — both statements 1 and 2 accurately describe Rajya Sabha's different powers over Finance Bills and Money Bills.
- (b) CORRECT. Statements 1 (RS can fully act on Finance Bill) and 2 (RS can only recommend on Money Bill) are correct. Statement 3 overstates the inevitability of joint sitting for Finance Bills.
- (c) Incorrect. 'All three' — Statement 3 says joint sitting 'becomes necessary' for Finance Bills, which is incorrect; joint sitting is possible but not automatically required.
- (d) Incorrect. 'None' — the distinction between Finance Bill (full bicameral) and Money Bill (Lok Sabha dominant) is a fundamental constitutional principle.
Key point
Money Bill: RS can only RECOMMEND (Art 109). Finance Bill: RS can AMEND or REJECT (ordinary bill procedure). Joint sitting: possible for Finance Bill deadlock but not 'necessary.' Joint sitting: IMPOSSIBLE for Money Bill. Stmts 1+2 correct, Stmt 3 wrong.
Remember
Rajya Sabha can amend or reject a Finance Bill but can only make recommendations on a Money Bill. Joint sitting is possible (not necessarily required) for Finance Bills in case of deadlock — but there is never a joint sitting for Money Bills.
Common mistakes
- Thinking 'joint sitting becomes necessary for Finance Bill' — joint sitting happens only if both houses fail to agree; it is a conditional possibility, not a necessity.
- Confusing Finance Bill with Money Bill — Finance Bill is the budget implementation bill with ONLY money-related provisions; it may or may not be certified as a Money Bill.
- Missing that Article 109 (Money Bill) and Article 108 (joint sitting) are separate provisions with different applicability.
Exam tip
Money Bill = RS has advisory role only (no amendment, no rejection, only recommendations). Finance Bill = full bicameral. Joint sitting = possible for Finance Bill if deadlock, IMPOSSIBLE for Money Bill. Statement 3's 'becomes necessary' is the error.
Sources
- Constitution of India — Articles 108, 109, 110
- NCERT Political Science Class 11 — Chapter 5: Legislature