The Speaker of the House may allot time for the discussion of the matt

The Speaker of the House may allot time for the discussion of the matters referred to in the President’s address under which one of the following Articles of the Constitution of India ?

Article 82(1)
Article 84(1)
Article 86(1)
Article 88(1)
This question was previously asked in
UPSC SO-Steno – 2018
The correct answer is C.
The President’s Address to Parliament is a constitutional requirement under Article 86 and Article 87. Article 86(1) gives the President the right to address either House of Parliament or both Houses assembled together. Article 87(1) mandates a special address by the President at the commencement of the first session after each general election and the first session of each year. The discussion on the matters referred to in the President’s Address is a significant parliamentary business. While the Speaker’s power to allot time for this discussion is governed by the Rules of Procedure of the House (e.g., Rule 16 in Lok Sabha, framed under Article 118), these rules operationalize the constitutional provisions relating to the President’s Address. Among the given options, Article 86(1) is the constitutional provision directly related to the President’s right to address Parliament, which forms the basis for the subsequent discussion for which the Speaker allots time. The other articles are irrelevant to this context.
The discussion on the President’s Address takes place on a Motion of Thanks moved by a member and seconded by another. Amendments can be moved to the Motion of Thanks. The Prime Minister usually replies to the debate on the Motion of Thanks. The discussion is a crucial opportunity for members to debate government policies and programmes outlined in the Address.