Under the Constitution of India, a Proclamation of President's Rule (State Emergency under Article 356) in a State must receive parliamentary approval after every how many months?

Introduction / Context:
In Indian polity, emergencies are a very important topic for competitive examinations. One such emergency is the State Emergency or President's Rule, proclaimed under Article 356 of the Constitution of India when the constitutional machinery of a State breaks down. This question tests your understanding of how long such a Proclamation can continue without fresh approval from Parliament, and how frequently it must be reviewed to prevent misuse of emergency powers.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question is about State Emergency, that is, President's Rule under Article 356 of the Constitution of India.
• A Proclamation of President's Rule must be approved by both Houses of Parliament to remain in force.
• The options given are 6 months, 3 months, 1 year and 2 years, which indicate different possible review intervals.
• We assume the standard constitutional position, ignoring rare transitional arrangements.

Concept / Approach:
Once the President issues a Proclamation under Article 356, it must be approved by resolutions of both Houses of Parliament within a fixed time period. After the first approval, the Constitution allows the Proclamation to be extended. However, such extensions are not indefinite: Parliament must review and reapprove the Proclamation periodically. This period of review is every 6 months. With each 6 month extension, Parliament checks whether the situation in the State still justifies President's Rule, and there is also an overall maximum time limit in most situations, usually three years, subject to special conditions.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that President's Rule is proclaimed under Article 356 when the President is satisfied that the governance of a State cannot be carried on in accordance with the Constitution.Step 2: Note that the Proclamation must be approved by both Houses of Parliament within two months of its issue, failing which it ceases to operate.Step 3: After the initial approval, the Constitution permits Parliament to extend the operation of the Proclamation by passing fresh resolutions.Step 4: Each such extension can be for a period not exceeding 6 months at a time, meaning Parliament must review and reapprove the Proclamation every 6 months.Step 5: Therefore, among the options 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years, the correct interval for repeated parliamentary approval is 6 months.

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard Indian polity textbooks clearly explain that a Proclamation under Article 356 remains in force for six months at a time after parliamentary approval. They also mention that it can be extended every six months up to a maximum period (usually three years) under certain conditions. No provision exists for automatic annual or biennial renewals without this six monthly review. This confirms that the correct periodic approval interval is six months and not any of the longer periods provided in the options.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• 3 months: There is no constitutional requirement for parliamentary review of President's Rule every three months; the key review period is 6 months.
• 1 year: While the total duration can extend beyond a year, each extension requires reapproval every 6 months, not once a year.
• 2 years: This is far beyond the single extension period and ignores the mandatory six monthly review process laid down in the Constitution.

Common Pitfalls:
A common confusion among students is mixing up the initial approval deadline of two months with the subsequent extension period of six months. Another mistake is to remember only the maximum overall duration of President's Rule and forget that each continuation requires a fresh resolution every six months. To avoid these errors, remember two separate figures: two months for the first parliamentary approval, and six months as the length of each extension period, which is what this question is asking about.

Final Answer:
A Proclamation of President's Rule in a State must receive parliamentary approval after every 6 months to continue in force.