Article 109

Special Procedure in Respect of Money Bills

Official heading: “Special procedure in respect of Money Bills”

Check this article against the official editionAwaiting human legal review

Source edition: The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)
Source locator: Part V, Article 109, printed pages 49–50
Last human source-link check: Not yet checked
Last human legal review: Not yet reviewed

Open official PDF at this article Report a text or source error

AI-assisted source comparisons are noted with the citations below; the check date remains pending until a human confirms the link. The report link opens your email app; you choose whether to send it.

1. In One Sentence

Article 109 establishes the exclusive legislative supremacy of the Lok Sabha over Money Bills, prohibiting their introduction in the Rajya Sabha and restricting the Rajya Sabha to non-binding recommendations within fourteen days.

2. What It Means in Everyday Language

Article 109 enshrines the core democratic principle of financial accountability: taxation and public expenditure must be controlled exclusively by the directly elected representatives of the people in the Lok Sabha.

Clause (1) strictly prohibits the introduction of a Money Bill in the Rajya Sabha (Council of States). A Money Bill can originate only in the Lok Sabha.

After passing the Lok Sabha, the Money Bill is transmitted to the Rajya Sabha for its recommendations. The Rajya Sabha has only fourteen days from receipt to consider the bill and return it with recommendations.

The Lok Sabha may either accept or reject any or all recommendations. If the Lok Sabha accepts any recommendation, the bill is deemed passed with amendments; if it rejects them, it is deemed passed in its original Lok Sabha form.

Crucially, under Clause (5), if the Rajya Sabha fails to return the Money Bill within the fourteen-day deadline, the Bill is automatically deemed passed by both Houses in the form passed by the Lok Sabha.

3. Practical Illustrative Example

Everyday Scenario:

The Union Government introduces the Finance Bill (taxation proposals) in the Lok Sabha. The Rajya Sabha proposes amendments to reduce tax rates, but takes twenty days to return it.

Core takeaway: Under Article 109(5), because the fourteen-day window expired, the bill is deemed passed by Parliament without the Rajya Sabha's amendments and goes directly to the President.

Illustrative Notice: The bill must strictly qualify as a Money Bill under Article 110, certified as such by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

4. Important Limits, Qualifications & Exceptions

Article 109 establishes total Lok Sabha primacy over taxation and public expenditure.

Exclusive origination: Money Bills can never be introduced in the Rajya Sabha.
Fourteen-day time limit: Rajya Sabha cannot stall or block financial legislation.
Non-binding recommendations: Lok Sabha has complete discretion to reject Upper House proposals.
No joint sitting: Disagreements on Money Bills cannot lead to an Article 108 joint session.

5. Operative Constitutional Text

(1) A Money Bill shall not be introduced in the Council of States. (2) After a Money Bill has been passed by the House of the People it shall be transmitted to the Council of States for its recommendations and the Council of States shall within a period of fourteen days from the date of its receipt of the Bill return the Bill to the House of the People with its recommendations and the House of the People may thereupon either accept or reject all or any of the recommendations of the Council of States. (3) If the House of the People accepts any of the recommendations of the Council of States, the Money Bill shall be deemed to have been passed by both Houses with the amendments recom mended by the Council of States and accepted by the House of the People. (4) If the House of the People does not accept any of the recommendations of the Council of States, the Money Bill shall be deemed to have been passed by both Houses in the form in which it was passed by the House of the People without any of the amendments recommended by the Council of States. (5) If a Money Bill passed by the House of the People and transmitted to the Council of States for its recommendations is not returned to the House of the People within the said period of fourteen days, it shall be deemed to have been passed by both Houses at the expiration of the said period in the form in which it was passed by the House of the People.

Transcription for reference; compare with the linked official editionNot yet verified by a human legal reviewer

6. Sources & Historical Assembly Deliberations

Assembly quotations are withheld until wording, dates, and attribution have been checked against the primary record.

Sources & Citation Metadata

•
Constitutional TextThe Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)Cited PDF page
Government of India (Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice) • Part V, Article 109, printed pages 49–50 • Human source-link check pending
Primary PDF accessed and transcribed with AI assistance on 14 October 2026. Formatting and amendment annotation markers are omitted; operative wording is retained. This is not human legal review. Later amendments and commencement notifications have not been comprehensively checked.

Human legal review is pending; compare the text with the cited editionNon-partisan educational resource