Article 89

Article 89 of the Constitution of India obliges the President, at the opening of every session of Parliament, to address a joint meeting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha and set out the government’s policy programme, fiscal plan and legislative agenda. Enshrined in Part V (The Union) of the Constitution, the provision formalises a constitutional ritual that links the executive’s vision with the legislature’s deliberations, and it is the only article that mandates a regular, public, presidential communication to both Houses. ## Historical Background The framers of the Constitution, meeting in the Constituent Assembly between 1946 and 1949, modeled Article 89 on the British tradition of the monarch’s speech and the United States’ State of the Union address. Drafting Committee Chairman Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s report of 9 December 1949 recommended a “President’s address” to ensure that the newly sovereign nation’s policy direction would be publicly articulated at the outset of each parliamentary term. When the Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950, Article 89 was adopted without amendment, reflecting the Assembly’s consensus on the need for a transparent executive‑legislative dialogue. The inaugural presidential address was delivered by Dr. Rajendra Prasad on 26 January 1952, marking the first joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha after the first general elections. Since then, every President—from Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan in 1957 to Droupadi Murmu in 2023—has fulfilled the constitutional duty, making the speech a continuous feature of India’s parliamentary calendar. ## Mechanism and Procedure Article 89 requires the President to address “both Houses of Parliament assembled together” at the commencement of each session, which is typically scheduled in February, July and November. The speech is drafted by the Prime Minister’s Office in consultation with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Law and Justice, and it reflects the collective policy stance of the Council of Ministers, not the President’s personal views. Once the draft is approved by the Cabinet, it is transmitted to the President for assent and subsequently read aloud by the President in the Central Hall of Parliament. The address is broadcast live on Doordarshan, All India Radio and, since 2015, on the official Parliament website and YouTube channel, reaching an estimated 150 million viewers across television, radio and digital platforms. Following the speech, a motion of thanks is moved by the Leader of the House, debated for up to ten days, allowing Members of Parliament to scrutinise specific points raised in the address. ## Key Provisions of Article 89 The article’s text reads: “The President shall address both Houses of Parliament assembled together at the commencement of the first session after each general election and at the commencement of each session thereafter, and shall, in the address, outline the policy of the Government of India and the legislative programme for that session.” The provision is complemented by Article 87, which empowers the President to summon and prorogue Parliament, and Article 88, which allows the President to dissolve the Lok Sabha. Together, these articles create a constitutional framework that synchronises the executive’s agenda with the legislative timetable. Article 89 does not bind Parliament to adopt any specific legislation; however, the speech traditionally influences the order of business, as the Leader of the House often schedules bills that echo the priorities highlighted by the President. The text also mandates that the address be published in the Gazette of India, ensuring an official, permanent record. ## Evolution and Contemporary Practice While the constitutional language has remained unchanged, the substance of the presidential address has evolved with India’s political and economic landscape. Early speeches in the 1950s focused on nation‑building, land reform and the Five‑Year Plans, whereas the 1990s addresses highlighted liberalisation, the New Economic Policy of 1991 and the burgeoning information‑technology sector. The 2023 address by President Droupadi Murmu, delivered on 7 June 2023, underscored “Digital India”, “Atmanirbhar Bharat” (self‑reliant India), and climate‑change mitigation, reflecting the current government’s strategic priorities. Technological advances have also altered the delivery. Since 2000, the speech has been simultaneously captioned in Hindi and English, and since 2020, a live transcript is available on the Parliament’s e‑Lok Sabha portal, facilitating real‑time analysis by scholars, journalists and civil‑society groups. ## Significance and Impact