In the Parliament of India, what is the minimum number of members that must be present to form the quorum for a sitting of the Lok Sabha?

Introduction / Context:
Quorum is a very important concept in parliamentary procedure because it ensures that decisions of a legislature are taken only when a minimum number of members are actually present and participating. In the context of the Indian Parliament, the Constitution of India as well as the Rules of Procedure of the Lok Sabha clearly define what proportion of members must be present so that a sitting of the Lok Sabha is valid. This question tests basic factual knowledge of those quorum rules and helps aspirants remember the specific fraction that applies to the lower house of Parliament.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question is about the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India.
• We are asked about the minimum number of members that must be present, that is, the quorum.
• No numerical strength of the house is given, so the answer must be in terms of a fraction or proportion of the total membership.
• The options refer to one tenth, one fourth, fifty percent, or a fixed number of members.

Concept / Approach:
Article 100 of the Constitution of India deals with voting in Houses, the presence of quorum, and related matters. Under Article 100, the quorum to constitute a meeting of either House of Parliament is one tenth of the total number of members of that House. If at any time during a meeting there is no quorum, it is the duty of the presiding officer to either adjourn the House or suspend the meeting until there is a quorum again. Therefore, the correct way to answer the question is to recall the exact fraction mentioned in the Constitution, namely one tenth of the total membership of the Lok Sabha.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that the subject of the question is the Lok Sabha, one of the two Houses of the Indian Parliament. Step 2: Recall the relevant constitutional provision, which is Article 100 that lays down the rules regarding quorum in both Houses. Step 3: From Article 100, remember that the quorum for either House is one tenth of the total number of members of that House. Step 4: Compare this remembered fraction with the options given in the question. Step 5: Observe that one option mentions one tenth of the total membership of the Lok Sabha, while others mention one fourth, fifty percent, or a fixed minimum of one hundred members. Step 6: Select the option that exactly matches the constitutional requirement of one tenth.

Verification / Alternative check:
A quick way to verify the answer is to take an approximate strength of the Lok Sabha, for example 545 members, and compute one tenth of that number. One tenth of 545 is 54.5, which effectively means at least 55 members. This matches the commonly cited figure that around fifty to sixty members form the quorum for a sitting. In many parliamentary guide books and standard polity texts, the same rule is stated: quorum equals one tenth of the total membership. This independent recall check reinforces that the constitutional rule is indeed one tenth and not one fourth or half.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
One fourth of the total membership of the Lok Sabha would require a much larger number of members to be present and is not what the Constitution provides for quorum. Fifty percent strength of the Lok Sabha would make it extremely difficult to transact business and is never mentioned as a requirement for holding a valid sitting. The option that mentions at least one hundred members contradicts the constitutional scheme, because the quorum is not defined in terms of a fixed number, but as a fraction one tenth of the total membership. Therefore, all these alternatives are incorrect in terms of constitutional law.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to confuse quorum requirements with majority requirements for passing ordinary bills or constitutional amendments. Quorum is only about the minimum presence to start or continue a sitting, not about the number of members required to support a motion. Another frequent error is to assume that a larger fraction such as one third or one fourth must be present, because that seems intuitively more democratic. However, the framers consciously chose one tenth to balance efficiency with representation. Some students also misremember a fixed number instead of a fraction, which does not match the actual wording of Article 100.

Final Answer:
The minimum number of members required to form the quorum for a sitting of the Lok Sabha is one tenth of the total membership of the Lok Sabha.