Who among the following presides over a joint sitting of the two houses of Parliament?

The Correct Answer is The Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

Key Points

• The parliament of India is the supreme legislative organ of the Republic of India.
• Part V of the Indian Constitution deals with the affairs of the Parliament.
• Joint sitting: Being a bicameral state, the Indian parliament has two houses viz. Upper House (Rajya Sabha or Council of States) and Lower House (Lok Sabha or House of the People).
• To sort out any deadlock between the two houses there is a provision of joint sitting in the constitution which enables the President of India to call for a joint sitting and the sitting is chaired by the speaker of the Lok sabha or, in his absence, by the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha.​

Additional Information

• Constitutional enlistment: Article 108 of the Indian Constitution provides for a joint sitting of both Houses of the Parliament to resolve deadlock over the passage of a bill.
• Conditions: Joint Session of Parliament can be summoned if it satisfied the following three conditions (after a bill has been passed by one house and transferred to the other house)
• If it is rejected by the other house.
• If the house disagrees with the amendments made to the bill.
• If the bill has been elapsed by the other house for more than six months since its receipt without passing.
• Exceptions: In the case of a Constitution Amendment Bill, which has to be passed by both houses of Parliament separately as per article 368 and in the case of a money bill, which only requires the Lok Sabha’s approval to pass as per article 110, a joint sitting cannot be summoned.