LokVox
ENहिंदी
Subscribe
Friday, 16 October
Sensex74,729.27+0.56%
Nifty 5023,146.15+0.65%
₹ / $94.89−0.10
Repo rate5.50%+0.25 on 7 Oct
Markets: 16 Oct close
The people’s newsroom

ExplainerParliament

How a bill becomes law in India

Six stages take a Bill from a minister's desk to the statute book. Here is what happens at each, and where Money Bills, joint sittings and private members fit in.

From the editorial deskPublished

The short answer

A Bill must be passed by both Houses of Parliament and then receive the President's assent. Along the way it is introduced, may be sent to a committee, is debated and voted on clause by clause, and then goes through similar stages in the other House.

Who can bring a Bill to Parliament?

Any MP can introduce a Bill, but most laws start with a minister. The Lok Sabha Secretariat’s guide to Parliament says a Bill “can be introduced either by a Minister or by a Private Member”. Government Bills come from ministries. Bills from MPs who are not ministers are called Private Members’ Bills.

Under Article 107 of the Constitution, a Bill can start in either House. The exception is Money Bills and some other financial Bills, which can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha.

What are the six stages?

A Bill passes through introduction, an optional committee stage, detailed consideration and a final vote in one House, then the same steps in the other House, and finally the President’s assent.

The path of an ordinary Bill

  1. Stage 1Introduction (first reading): the Bill is introduced in either House by a minister or a private member.
  2. Stage 2Committee (optional): the House may send it to a Select Committee or a Joint Committee; the presiding officer may refer it to a standing committee.
  3. Stage 3Second reading: a general discussion, then clause-by-clause consideration of the Bill as introduced or as reported by the committee.
  4. Stage 4Third reading: once every clause has been voted on, the House votes to pass the Bill.
  5. Stage 5Other House: the Bill goes through similar stages in the second House.
  6. Stage 6Assent: the Bill passed by both Houses goes to the President and becomes an Act on assent.

The second reading has two parts, the Lok Sabha Secretariat explains: a general debate, and then “clause-by-clause consideration of the Bill as introduced, or as reported by Select/Joint Committee”.

A Bill becomes law only when both Houses have agreed to it in the same form (Article 107). A constitutional amendment needs more: two-thirds of members present and voting. In April 2026 the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill got 298 votes for and 230 against in the Lok Sabha. That was a majority, but short of the 352 votes needed, so it failed (LiveLaw, 17 April 2026).

How often do Bills go to a committee?

Less often than they used to. Committee scrutiny is optional, and the share of Bills referred has fallen sharply since the 15th Lok Sabha, according to PRS Legislative Research.

Share of Bills referred to parliamentary committeesBy Lok Sabha (%). 18th Lok Sabha up to the Monsoon Session 2026. PRS gives 28% for the 16th on a later page.
Share of Bills referred to parliamentary committees. By Lok Sabha (%). 18th Lok Sabha up to the Monsoon Session 2026. PRS gives 28% for the 16th on a later page.
ItemValue
14th (2004-09)60%
15th (2009-14)71%
16th (2014-19)25%
17th (2019-24)16%
18th (2024-)21%

In the Monsoon Session of 2026, nine of the 11 Bills the Lok Sabha passed went through with no MP other than the minister speaking (PRS).

What happens when the two Houses disagree?

The President can call a joint sitting of both Houses. Article 108 allows this if one House rejects a Bill passed by the other, if the Houses finally disagree on amendments, or if more than six months pass without the second House passing it. Days when that House is prorogued or adjourned for more than four days in a row do not count towards the six months.

At a joint sitting, the Bill passes by a majority of the total members of both Houses present and voting. Joint sittings do not apply to Money Bills.

Why are Money Bills different?

The Rajya Sabha cannot block or amend a Money Bill; it can only recommend changes, and must do so within 14 days. Article 110 defines a Money Bill as one dealing only with taxes, government borrowing, the Consolidated or Contingency Fund, appropriation of money, and related matters. The Speaker decides whether a Bill is a Money Bill, and that decision “shall be final”.

Under Article 109, a Money Bill can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha. The Lok Sabha may accept or reject the Rajya Sabha’s recommendations. If the Rajya Sabha does not return the Bill within 14 days, it is deemed passed by both Houses in the form the Lok Sabha passed it.

What can the President do?

The President can give assent, withhold it, or send a Bill back once for reconsideration. Article 111 allows the President to return any Bill other than a Money Bill with a message suggesting changes. If Parliament passes it again, with or without those changes, the President “shall not withhold assent”.

Do Private Members’ Bills ever become law?

Rarely. Only 14 Private Members’ Bills have been passed by both Houses and received assent, and none since 1970, according to PRS. In the 17th Lok Sabha (2019-24), MPs introduced 729 such Bills and the House discussed two.

The Lok Sabha took up no private members’ business in the Budget Session or the Monsoon Session of 2026, PRS records. In the Budget Session, 50 Private Members’ Bills were introduced in the Rajya Sabha.

What happens to a Bill when the Lok Sabha is dissolved?

It depends on where the Bill is. Under Article 107, a Bill pending in the Lok Sabha, or passed by the Lok Sabha and pending in the Rajya Sabha, lapses when the Lok Sabha is dissolved. A Bill pending in the Rajya Sabha that the Lok Sabha has not passed survives. Prorogation, the formal end of a session, does not kill a pending Bill.

To follow every Bill now before Parliament, see our Bills in Parliament tracker.

The documents