ADJOURNMENT MOTION
- Short Duration Discussions can also take place in Lok Sabha under Rule 193 of its rules and in Rajya Sabha under Rule 176 of its rules
- Under Rule 176 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Rajya Sabha, “If the Chairman is satisfied… that the matter is urgent and is of sufficient public importance to be raised in the Council at an early date, he may admit the notice and in consultation with the Leader of the Council fix the date on which such matter may be taken up for discussion and allow such time for discussion, not exceeding two and a half hours…”
- If a motion on a matter of general public interest satisfies certain conditions, such as that it “shall not contain arguments, inferences, ironical expressions, imputations or defamatory statements”, “shall be restricted to a matter of recent occurrence”, and so on, then that motion can be admitted
- Also, motions on a matter pending before any statutory authority (one established by law) or any commission or court of enquiry cannot be moved.
- However, in Lok Sabha, the Speaker can allow for such a matter to be raised at his own discretion
- It must be concerned with the “procedure or subject or stage of enquiry” of an issue, and if the Speaker is satisfied that it is not likely to prejudice the consideration of such matter by the relevant authority that takes it up
- The Speaker can then allot a time period for the discussion of any such motion
In the Indian Parliament, several types of motions can be moved by Members of Parliament (MPs) to address various issues, discuss matters of public interest, and take legislative actions. Here are some of the common motions used in the Indian Parliament:
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No-Confidence Motion: A motion moved by MPs to express a lack of confidence in the Council of Ministers (the government). If the motion is passed by a majority vote, the government is obliged to resign.
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Confidence Motion: This motion is moved by the ruling party or coalition to demonstrate their majority support in the Parliament. If passed, it reinforces the government's mandate to continue in office.
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Adjournment Motion: A motion moved to adjourn the business of the House to discuss a definite matter of urgent public importance. It requires the support of at least 50 MPs to be accepted.
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Call Attention Motion: This motion allows MPs to call the attention of a Minister to a specific matter of public importance and seek a response from the government.
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Cut Motion: During the Budget session, MPs can move cut motions to reduce the amount of a demand or a particular cut in government expenditure.
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Motion of Thanks: It is moved after the President's address to Parliament or the Governor's address to the state legislature. MPs express their gratitude for the address and discuss the policies and programs of the government.
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Motion for Grant: It is moved during the Budget session to approve the allocation of funds for various government expenditures.
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Privilege Motion: MPs can move a privilege motion to claim a breach of privilege or contempt of the House by a person or authority.
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Substantive Motion: It raises a specific issue for discussion and decision in the House.
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Token Cut Motion: This motion does not seek to actually reduce the amount of a demand but is used as a means of registering protest or drawing attention to an issue.
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Motion of Censure: A motion moved to express strong disapproval of the government's actions or policies.
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Motion to Amend: This motion seeks to amend a certain aspect of a bill or a resolution.
