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How does a parliamentary deadlock over a bill get resolved in India?

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President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Medicare Bill at a table beside former President Harry S. Truman, with Lady Bird Johnson and others standing behind them. — Legislation Former U.S. president Harry S. Truman (right) looking on as U.S. Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Medicare bill at the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri, July 30, 1965.

In the Indian parliamentary system, a legislative deadlock occurs when one house of Parliament rejects a bill passed by the other, or when the two houses pass conflicting versions of the same bill.12

To resolve such a deadlock, the president of India may, upon the recommendation of the prime minister, summon a joint sitting of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. During this joint session, the bill is decided by a majority vote of the total number of members of both houses present and voting. Because the Lok Sabha has a significantly larger number of seats than the Rajya Sabha, it generally holds a numerical advantage in these joint sessions, which often allows it to prevail in the event of a disagreement.321

It is important to note that this mechanism does not apply to money bills, as the Rajya Sabha cannot reject or amend them; they are the sole prerogative of the Lok Sabha. Once a bill is successfully passed by both houses or through a joint sitting, it is presented to the president for final assent.342