Indian Polity GK Questions with Answers – Page 39

A policy cut motion asks that the amount of the demand be reduced to one rupee, which amounts to a complete rejection of the policy underlying the demand, and the member who moves it may propose an alternative policy.

The calling attention motion is an Indian innovation in parliamentary procedure and has been in use since 1954. A member calls the attention of a minister to a matter of urgent public importance and the minister makes a statement on it, after which members may seek clarifications.

A censure motion has to set out the specific charge against the minister or ministers it names, whereas a no-confidence motion need state no ground whatever.

The first no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha after independence was moved in August 1963 by Acharya J. B. Kripalani against the government headed by Jawaharlal Nehru, in the atmosphere that followed the war of 1962, and the motion was defeated.

A no-confidence motion against the Council of Ministers is moved in the Lok Sabha under Rule 198 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha.

The rules provide that once the Speaker admits an adjournment motion, the House must give it not less than two hours and thirty minutes of discussion, so that a matter grave enough to set aside the listed business is actually examined.

The adjournment motion is admitted in the Lok Sabha alone, because it carries an element of censure against the government and only the Lok Sabha can censure the Council of Ministers under the collective responsibility laid down in Article 75.

The rules permit a maximum of twenty starred questions to be listed for oral answer in the Lok Sabha on any one day, and the ballot decides which members' questions get a place.

A starred question is distinguished by an asterisk, is answered on the floor of the House by the minister, and because the answer is oral, members may follow it with supplementary questions.

Zero Hour is an Indian innovation in parliamentary procedure and has been in use since 1962.

Question Hour is the first hour of every sitting of each House, normally from 11 a.m. to 12 noon, and it is set out in the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business.

The special majority of Article 368 has two parts that must be satisfied together: a majority of the total membership of the House, and a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting.

Article 109 read with Article 117(1) allows a Money Bill to be introduced only in the Lok Sabha, and Article 110(1) permits its introduction only on the recommendation of the President; it is always a Government Bill moved by a minister.

The Rajya Sabha is a permanent House that is never dissolved, so a Bill that originated there and has not yet been passed by the Lok Sabha survives the dissolution of the Lok Sabha and remains alive in the Rajya Sabha.

A Money Bill is introduced in the Lok Sabha only on the recommendation of the President, so the government has already obtained the President's approval of the proposal; Article 111 therefore allows the President only to assent to it or to withhold assent, not to return it.

Once both Houses pass a Bill it is presented to the President, who may declare assent, declare that assent is withheld, which is the absolute veto, or return an ordinary Bill once with a message for reconsideration, which is the suspensive veto; if the Houses pass it again the President…

The two Houses disagreed over its amendments, a joint sitting was summoned in 1961, and the Bill became the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961.

Article 368 requires each House to pass such a Bill separately by a special majority, and the Constitution provides no joint sitting for it; a Money Bill is also outside the scope of Article 108.

A joint sitting is summoned by the President but presided over by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha; if the Speaker is absent the Deputy Speaker presides, and in the absence of both the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha takes the chair.

Article 108 allows the President to summon a joint sitting of the two Houses when the other House has rejected the Bill, when the Houses have finally disagreed on the amendments to be made, or when more than six months have passed without the other House passing it.