Differences between the Passage of a Constitution Amendment Bill and other Legislative Bills!

The legislative procedure is initiated in the form of a Bill. A Bill is a proposed legislation and becomes a law when it is assented to by the President. The Bills are classified as ordinary, Financial, Money and the Constitutional Amendment Bills.

All the Bills other than Financial Bills, Money Bills and the Constitutional Amendment Bills are Ordinary Bills.

The Constitution Amendment Bills changes the provisions of the Constitution without violating the basic structure of the Indian Constitution. Part XX of the Constitution deals with the Amendment of the Constitution. Article 368 specifies the power of Parliament to amend the Constitution.

Except a Bill for the reorganisaton of the territory of a state and Ordinary Bill may be introduced in any House of the Parliament. Likewise an Amendment Bill may be introduced in any House of the Parliament. Similarly, both the Bills may be passed in both the Houses by simple majority. However, in case of a deadlock with regard to the passage of the Ordinary Bill a joint sitting of the two Houses may be summoned. An Amendment Bill can never be passed by a joint sitting of the Houses; it must be passed by both Houses separately.

The passage of the Ordinary Bill passes through three stages. In the first stage, the Bill is introduced in the House but no discussion takes place. In the second stage, after consideration the Bill is discussed clause by clause. In the third stage after a generally discussion of the Bill, it is finally passed. After its passage in one House, it is sent to the other House for its consideration.

The passage of the Amendment Bill may take in any of the following methods

i. The amendment contemplated under Articles 5-11 (citizenship), 169 (Abolition or creation of Legislative Councils in States), 239-A (creation of local legislatures or Council of Ministers or both four certain Union Territories, as these excluded from the preview of the procedure under Article 368 to be done by single majority).

ii. Some articles are mentioned in Article 368, which require special majority to be amendment.

iii. Articles like 54, 55, 73,162,124-147, 214-231, 241, 245-255, 368 itself required to be amended by special majority and ratification by States.