President's Rule, also known as 'State Emergency' or 'Constitutional Emergency', is imposed under Article 356 of the Indian Constitution when the constitutional machinery in a state breaks down.
A proclamation of President's Rule must be approved by both Houses of Parliament within two months from the date of its issue.
If the Lok Sabha is dissolved during this two-month period, or if its dissolution takes place without approving the proclamation, then the proclamation survives until 30 days from the first sitting of the Lok Sabha after its reconstitution, provided the Rajya Sabha has approved it in the meantime.
Once approved by both Houses of Parliament, the President's Rule initially lasts for six months. This directly supports the first statement.
The parliamentary approval for the continuation of President's Rule requires a simple majority in both Houses, not a special majority. This makes the third statement incorrect.
President's Rule can be extended for a maximum period of three years, with parliamentary approval required every six months for each extension.
However, an extension of President's Rule beyond one year is only possible under specific conditions laid down in Article 356(5).
These conditions are:
A proclamation of National Emergency (Article 352) must be in operation in the whole of India, or in the whole or any part of the state concerned.
The Election Commission must certify that the continuance of President's Rule is necessary due to difficulties in holding general elections to the Legislative Assembly of the state concerned.
The second statement accurately describes these specific conditions for extending President's Rule beyond one year.
The 44th Amendment Act of 1978 introduced these stringent conditions to prevent the misuse of President's Rule, especially for extending it beyond one year.
The maximum period for which President's Rule can be imposed in a state is three years. After three years, it must terminate, and popular government must be restored.
