UPPSC 2021 Prelims GS Paper-I · Question 55 of 150

Correct — D, Money Bill. Under Article 109 read with Article 110, a Money Bill can be introduced ONLY in the Lok Sabha (the House of the People), and only on the recommendation of the President — it can never originate in the Rajya Sabha. The Rajya Sabha's role is limited: it may only make recommendations on a Money Bill and must return it within 14 days, which the Lok Sabha may accept or reject. The other three Bills can be introduced in either House, so the Bill that CANNOT be first introduced in the Rajya Sabha is the Money Bill.

• (a)Ordinary Bill — An ordinary Bill can be introduced in EITHER House of Parliament, including the Rajya Sabha, so it is not the answer.
• (b)Constitutional Amendment Bill — A Constitution Amendment Bill (Article 368) can be introduced in either House and needs no prior recommendation of the President — so it may originate in the Rajya Sabha.
• (c)State Re-organisation Bill — A Bill under Article 3 to reorganise States can be introduced in either House; it requires the President's prior recommendation, but nothing bars it from starting in the Rajya Sabha.

A Money Bill is defined in Article 110 — it deals only with matters such as taxation, government borrowing, and payments into or out of the Consolidated Fund. Its special procedure (Article 109) makes it a Lok Sabha–dominated Bill: it can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha on the President's recommendation, and the Speaker's certificate that a Bill is a Money Bill is final. The Rajya Sabha cannot amend or reject a Money Bill; it may only recommend changes and must return the Bill within 14 days. Because a Money Bill can start only in the Lok Sabha, there is also no joint sitting for it.

The trap is to assume that 'important' Bills — like a Constitution Amendment or a State Reorganisation Bill — must begin in the Lok Sabha. In fact those can be introduced in either House; only the Money Bill (and, more broadly, financial Bills under Article 117(1)) is confined to the Lok Sabha. Anchor the rule 'Money Bill = Lok Sabha only, President's recommendation, Speaker certifies' and option (d) follows directly.

• A Money Bill (Article 110) can be introduced ONLY in the Lok Sabha, on the President's recommendation (Article 109/117).
• The Rajya Sabha can only recommend changes and must return a Money Bill within 14 days; it cannot reject or amend it.
• The Speaker of the Lok Sabha certifies whether a Bill is a Money Bill, and that decision is final.
• Ordinary, Constitution Amendment (Art 368) and State Reorganisation (Art 3) Bills may be introduced in either House.

• Assuming Constitution Amendment or State Reorganisation Bills must originate in the Lok Sabha — they can start in either House
• Confusing a Financial Bill with a Money Bill — not every Bill involving money is a Money Bill under Article 110

UPPSC and UPSC repeatedly test which Bills are Lok Sabha–only and the Rajya Sabha's limited role on Money Bills — remember Money Bill = Lok Sabha origination, Speaker certifies, 14-day return.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  A Money Bill can be introduced in the Indian Parliament only in the

  • (a)Rajya Sabha
  • (b)Lok Sabha
  • (c)either House
  • (d)joint sitting of both Houses

  Answer(b) Lok Sabha — under Articles 109–110, a Money Bill originates only in the Lok Sabha, on the President's recommendation.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Which Article of the Constitution defines a 'Money Bill'?

  • (a)Article 108
  • (b)Article 109
  • (c)Article 110
  • (d)Article 112

  Answer(c) Article 110 — it lists the matters (taxation, borrowing, Consolidated Fund, etc.) that make a Bill a Money Bill.