Prelims 2022 · Q13
EasyConsider the following statements:
- 1.A bill amending the Constitution requires a prior recommendation of the President of India.
- 2.When a Constitution Amendment Bill is presented to the President of India, it is obligatory for the President of India to give his/her assent.
- 3.A Constitution Amendment Bill must be passed by both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha by a special majority and there is no provision for joint sitting.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only
Article 368(2) lets an amendment bill be introduced in either House without any prior recommendation of the President. Each House must pass it separately by a special majority — no joint sitting — and the President then 'shall give his assent', so assent is obligatory.
- ✗ 1. Article 368(2) only says an amendment is initiated by introducing a Bill in either House of Parliament; no prior presidential recommendation is required.
- ✓ 2. Since the 24th Amendment (1971), Article 368(2) says the passed Bill 'shall be presented to the President who shall give his assent'. The President cannot send it back for reconsideration.
- ✓ 3. Each House must pass the Bill separately by a majority of its total membership and two-thirds of members present and voting; there is no provision for a joint sitting.
Remember · Article 368: introduce in either House, no President's prior recommendation; special majority in each House separately; no joint sitting; President must assent.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 Indian Constitution at Work, Ch 9 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- Constitution of India (as on 2024), Article 368(2) — Legislative Department ↗ “An amendment of this Constitution may be initiated only by the introduction of a Bill for the purpose in either House of Parliament, and when the Bill is passed in each House by a majority of the total membership of that House … it shall be presented to the President who shall give his assent to the Bill and thereupon the Constitution shall stand amended in accordance with the terms of the Bill”
- NCERT Class 11 · Indian Constitution at Work, Chapter 9 “Both Houses of the Parliament must pass the amendment bill separately in this same manner (there is no provision for a joint session).”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2022, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·