Why in the news?

• Recently, President of India Ramnath Kovind addressed the Parliament to start the parliament session.
• Let us under the history of the President’s address.

History 

• The practice of the President addressing Parliament can be traced back to the Government of India Act of 1919. 
• The above law gave the Governor-General the right of addressing the Legislative Assembly and the Council of State. 
• The law did not have a provision for a joint address but the Governor-General did address the Assembly and the Council together on multiple occasions. 
• After the Constitution came into force, President Rajendra Prasad addressed members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for the first time on January 31, 1950.

Constitutional Provisions

• Article 87 provides two special occasions on which the President addresses a joint sitting. 
  • The first is to address the opening session of a new legislature after a general election. 
  • The second is to address the first sitting of Parliament each year. A session of a new or continuing legislature cannot begin without fulfilling this requirement.
• The address of the President follows a general structure in which it highlights the government’s accomplishments from the previous year and sets the broad governance agenda for the coming year.