What is the significance of the changes made by the Constitution (First Amendment) Act, 1951, in relation to Articles 85 and 87 regarding the frequency of the President's special address?
The changes made by the Constitution (First Amendment) Act, 1951 in relation to Articles 85 and 87 are significant as they increased the frequency of the President's special address. Prior to this amendment, there was no specific requirement for the President to address Parliament at the commencement of each year or after every general election. However, the First Amendment added a new sub-clause (1) in Article 85 which required the President to prorogue either House or both Houses after dissolution and a new clause (1) in Article 87 which mandated that at the commencement of the first session after each general election to the House of the People, and at the commencement of the first session of each year, the President shall address both Houses of Parliament assembled together. These changes aimed to enhance the ceremonial and communicative role of the President in Indian politics.