Adjournment vs Prorogation
Suspending a sitting within a session versus ending the session itself — who orders each and effect on bills and ordinances.
Start here
Adjournment is the suspension of a sitting within a parliamentary session ordered by the Speaker or Chairman; prorogation is the formal termination of an entire session by the President or Governor on executive advice. Parliament’s calendar has sessions (Budget, Monsoon, Winter) divided into sittings — adjournment pauses a sitting; prorogation closes the session.
UPSC links prorogation to ordinance timing (Parliament “not in session”), difference from dissolution of Lok Sabha (ends house life), and adjournment motion (different — censure device). Know who does what: Speaker adjourns; President prorogues.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Adjournment | Prorogation |
|---|---|---|
| Session | Same session continues | Session closed; new session needs summoning |
| Committees | Keep functioning | May be affected by session end timing |
| Ordinance link | House not sitting — adjournment alone may not enable ordinance if session alive | Prorogation = not in session → ordinance route opens |
| Adjournment sine die | Indefinite pause within session | — |
| Dissolution | Does not dissolve house | Does not dissolve; distinct from LS dissolution |
| Summoning next session | Does not summon — same session resumes after adjournment | Session ends; President must summon for next session (Art. 85) |
At a glance
Effect
Pauses sitting; session continues
Ends the session
Ordered by
Speaker / Chairman
President / Governor (on executive advice)
Pending bills
Generally continue
May lapse (government bills) unless saved
Frequency
Daily / routine
Once per session end
Winter session ends, Budget session begins
On December 20, the President prorogues Parliament — Winter session is over. A government bill not passed lapses unless president notifies retention. In contrast, on a noisy Tuesday the Speaker adjourns till 11 am Wednesday — same session, same pending bill list, MPs come back and resume. Dissolution (LS only) would end the house — neither adjournment nor prorogation does that.
What this means for the exam
Adjournment = pause in sitting | Prorogation = end session | Dissolution = end Lok Sabha life
Understand the difference
Prorogation and bill lapse
When a session is prorogued, pending bills in that session typically lapse unless the President notifies that a particular bill should continue. Private member bills often lapse. This prevents automatic carry-over across sessions without fresh introduction or notification.
Do not confuse with adjournment motion
An adjournment motion is a parliamentary device to discuss urgent public matter with vote implications — unrelated to Speaker’s procedural adjournment of sitting. Exam statements mixing the two are common traps.
Prelims statement check
“Prorogation of Parliament is done by the Speaker of Lok Sabha.”
Incorrect — Who prorogues
President prorogues Parliament (and summoning) on aid and advice; Speaker only adjourns sittings.
“Adjournment terminates the session of Parliament.”
Incorrect — Session vs sitting
Adjournment ends a sitting, not the session. Prorogation ends the session.
Key Takeaway
Adjournment = Speaker, pause sitting | Prorogation = President, end session | Dissolution = end LS