HISTORY, PRECEDENT & CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION OF PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS


History

1. United Kingdom( UK): 16thcentury mark the begining of Monarch addressing the parliament.

2. United States: Gorge Washington was the first President to Address the congress in 1790.

3. India:   

• Government of India Act of 1919 provided for the President's address.

• GOI Act, 1919, gave the Governor- General the right of addressing the legislative assembly and council of state.

• This law didn't had provision for Joint address.

• Ist ever address was made by Dr. Rajendra Prasad on January 31, 1950.

Constitutional Provisional

• It gave power to President of India to address either house or joint sitting of both house.

• Article 87 of the constitution: Provides for 2 special occassion on which the President addresses a joint sitting:

1. Address the first sitting of parliament each year.

2. To address the opening session of new legislature after a general election.

• In original constitution, President needed to address each session of the parliament.

• But first amendment to the constitution, 1951 changed this provision and necessitates the President's address once a year.

President's speech:

• There is no set format. The purpose of speech is to inform parliament about the cause of summons.

• Constitutional debate on President's speech: Prof.K. T Shah, proposed the President's address needs to be more specific as on the lines of US constitution.

• President's address is sometimes used by the government to introduce new policies & legislature.

Motion of Thanks
A motion of thanks is passed by both the houses independently of each other on the days that follows the Presidential address.

• The address is discussed in the house and the Prime Minister of India answers the question.
• Post that, Motion of Thanks is put to vote in front of the houses.
• Rejection of the motion amounts to rejection of policies of the government, Thus it may lead to the fall of the government.

Significance:
This is the only incidence in the year in which the whole parliament come togeather i.e. The President, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

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