President's Special Address to Parliament

President special address to Parliament is mandated by Article 87 of the Constitution, which requires the President to address both Houses assembled together at the commencement of the first session after each general election to the Lok Sabha, and at the commencement of the first session of every year, informing Parliament of "the causes of its summons." Unlike the general, discretionary power to address Parliament under Article 86, this address is a fixed, obligatory event tied to specific points in the parliamentary calendar.

What Article 87 Requires

Article 87(1) provides that at the commencement of the first session after each general election, and at the commencement of the first session of each year, the President "shall address both Houses of Parliament assembled together and inform Parliament of the causes of its summons." Article 87(2) further requires that the rules regulating the procedure of each House provide for allotting time for discussion of the matters referred to in this address, and for giving that discussion precedence over other business.

An Address That Was Once More Frequent

Article 87 did not always require only two occasions of special address. As originally enacted, the provision required the President to address both Houses at the commencement of every session, not merely the first session of the year. This was changed by the Constitution (First Amendment) Act, 1951, which substituted the present language confining the mandatory special address to the first session after a general election and the first session of each year. The change followed from a related shift: Parliament is no longer required to be summoned strictly twice a year for this purpose, and the House is now prorogued only once annually, with the President's special address delivered at the opening of that first session of the year rather than at the start of every session.

Purpose: Announcing the Government's Programme

The President's opening address, though delivered by the President, is prepared by the Council of Ministers and is used, in substance, the way the "Speech from the Throne" functions in the British Parliament: to lay out the government's legislative and policy programme for the session or the year, and to give Parliament an occasion to debate the government's political outlook and general administration. Because the President acts on ministerial advice, the address effectively places the Cabinet's own agenda before Parliament in the President's voice, opening the floor for a wide-ranging discussion.

Guaranteed Time for Discussion

Article 87(2) is a structural guarantee, not just a courtesy: each House's own procedural rules must set aside time for members to discuss the matters raised in the President's address, and that discussion must take precedence over other pending business. This is what gives the address practical teeth — it is not simply read out and set aside, but becomes the occasion for a formal debate on the government's policies, which in practice culminates in a Motion of Thanks moved and voted upon in each House.

Article 86 and Article 87 Compared

A State-Level Parallel

The Constitution replicates this structure at the State level: just as the President addresses Parliament under Articles 86 and 87, the Governor of a State has the corresponding right to address and send messages to the State Legislature (Article 175) and to deliver a special address at the opening of the first session after a general election and the first session of each year (Article 176). The logic in both cases is the same — a formal occasion on which the executive's programme is placed before the legislature for debate.

UPSC Relevance

Prelims

• Article 87: President addresses both Houses assembled together at the commencement of the first session after a general election and the first session of each year.
• The address informs Parliament of "the causes of its summons."
• Article 87(2): House rules must allot time for discussion of the address, with precedence over other business.
• The original Article 87 required an address at the commencement of every session; the Constitution (First Amendment) Act, 1951 narrowed this to twice-yearly occasions.
• The Governor's equivalent special address to a State Legislature is under Article 176.

Mains

• Discuss the significance of the President's special address under Article 87 for placing the government's policy programme before Parliament.
• Explain how and why the scope of Article 87 was narrowed by the Constitution (First Amendment) Act, 1951.
• Compare the President's address under Article 87 with the Governor's special address to a State Legislature under Article 176.

FAQ

Q1. What does Article 87 require the President to do? Article 87 requires the President to address both Houses of Parliament assembled together at the commencement of the first session after a general election and at the commencement of the first session of each year, informing Parliament of the causes of its summons.

Q2. How is Article 87 different from Article 86? Article 86 gives the President a general, discretionary right to address either House at any time; Article 87 mandates a special address to both Houses together, but only on two fixed occasions.

Q3. Was Article 87 always limited to just two occasions a year? No. As originally enacted, Article 87 required an address at the commencement of every session. The Constitution (First Amendment) Act, 1951 narrowed this to the first session after a general election and the first session of each year.

Q4. What happens after the President's special address? Each House's rules must allot time for discussion of the matters raised in the address, with that discussion taking precedence over other business, typically leading to a formal debate in each House.

Q5. Is there a similar provision for State Legislatures? Yes. Article 176 requires the Governor of a State to deliver a special address to the State Legislature at the commencement of the first session after a general election and the first session of each year, mirroring Article 87 at the Union level.

Quick Revision

• Article 87: mandatory Presidential address to both Houses together, at two fixed occasions — after a general election, and at the first session of each year.
• Article 87(2): House rules must allot time, with precedence, for discussing the address.
• Constitution (First Amendment) Act, 1951: narrowed the address from every session to twice-yearly occasions.
• Address content is prepared by the Council of Ministers; functions like the "Speech from the Throne."
• Article 176: Governor's parallel special address to a State Legislature.

Sources

• Constitution of India, Article 87 — legislative.gov.in
• The Constitution (First Amendment) Act, 1951 — legislative.gov.in
• Constitution of India, Article 176 — legislative.gov.in

Further Reference

For deeper reading on this topic and the wider polity syllabus, these standard works are recommended:

• M. Laxmikanth, Indian Polity (McGraw Hill) — the standard UPSC handbook.
• D.D. Basu, Introduction to the Constitution of India (LexisNexis) — authoritative constitutional-law treatment.
• The Constitution of India — Bare Act — the official text.

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