PRESIDENT ADDRESS - POLITY
News: Parliament session day 4
highlights: Amid NEET-UG row, President Murmu assures guilty will be punished
What's in the news?
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President Droupadi Murmu addressed the joint
sitting of Parliament, her first presidential address after the formation of
the third National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.
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President Murmu congratulated all the newly-elected
MPs and lauded the Election Commission for successfully conducting the 2024 Lok
Sabha elections.
President’s Address:
History:
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In the United
Kingdom, the tradition of the monarch addressing the Parliament began in
the 16th century.
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In the United
States, President Gorge Washington addressed Congress for the first time in
1790.
Evolution in India:
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In India, the practice of the President addressing
Parliament was established after the promulgation of the Government of India Act in 1919.
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Between 1947 and 1950, there was no address to the Constituent Assembly
(Legislative).
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After the Constitution came into force, President
Rajendra Prasad addressed members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for the first time on January 31, 1950.
Constitutional
Provisions:
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The Constitution gives the President and the
Governor the power to address a sitting of the legislature.
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Article 87 of the constitution provides two instances when the President
specially addresses both Houses of Parliament.
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The President of India addresses both the Rajya
Sabha and the Lok Sabha at the beginning
of the first Session after each general election when the reconstituted
lower house meets for the first time.
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The President also addresses both the houses at the
beginning of the first session of each
year.
Procedure and Tradition:
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There is no
set format for the President’s or Governor’s speech.
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The Constitution
states that the President shall “inform Parliament of the cause of the
summons”.
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The President’s speech essentially highlights the government’s policy priorities
and plans for the upcoming year.
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The address provides a broad framework of the government’s agenda and direction.
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After the President’s address, the two Houses move
a motion to thank the President for her
speech.
Deviation from the Text
of the Speech:
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The President or Governor cannot refuse to perform
the constitutional duty of delivering an address to the legislature.
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But there can be situations when they deviate from
the text of the speech prepared by the government.
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So far, there have been no instances of a President doing so.
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But there have been occasions when a Governor skipped or changed a portion of
the address to the Assembly.
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Most recently, Tamil Nadu’s Governor R N Ravi made
changes to the prepared speech he read out in the Assembly.
Importance:
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The President’s address is seen as one of the most
solemn occasions in the Parliamentary calendar.
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It is the only
time in the year when the whole Parliament comes together.
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The President’s address serves as a platform for
the government to make policy and legislative announcements.