What are the main differences between the passage of a Constitution Amendment Bill and other Legislative Bills?
The main differences between the passage of a Constitution Amendment Bill and other Legislative Bills are:
A Legislative Bill can be passed by a simple majority in both the Houses, while for the purpose of Amendment, provisions of the Constitution are divided into three parts:
- Amendment by simple majority of both the Houses.
- Amendment by two-third majority of both the Houses.
- Amendment by two-third majority of both the Houses plus ratification of not less than one half of the states.
–Only Parliament and not a State Legislature is competent to amend the Constitution.
–In case of dead-lock, the President can summon a joint sitting of both Houses to pass a Legislative Bill, except a money bill. But for a Constitutional Amendment Bill, such a joint sitting cannot be summoned.
-In case of Legislative Bill, the President can withhold his assent or return it to Parliament to reconsider it, but it is not possible in case of a Constitutional Amendment Bill.
Other procedures regarding both of them are same. The rules regarding procedure to be followed in both Houses are decided by Parliament by law. Any bill, except a money bill, can be passed in any House of Parliament. After passing by each House, it is sent to the President for his assent thereto. A bill becomes a law after the President’s assent.
It can be concluded that a Constitutional Amendment Bill, being an important matter, both Houses are given same powers while in case of other Legislative Bills, Lok Sabha has more powers, due to its numerical majority.