Parliamentary Terms - opengeology.in

Question Hour
- The day’s business normally begins with the Question Hour during which questions asked by the members are answered by the Ministers. The different types of questions are –
- Starred question – It is one of which an oral answer is required to be given by the Minister on the floor of the House. Supplementary decides if a question should be answered orally or otherwise. One member can ask only one starred question in a day.
- Unstarred question – It is one for which the Minister lays on the table a written answer. A 10-day notice has to be given to ask such questions and no supplementary questions can be asked with regards to such questions.
- Short Notice question – It is the one for which can be asked by members on matters of public importance of an urgent nature. It is the Speaker to decide whether the matter is of urgent nature or not. The member has also to State reasons for asking the question while serving notice.
Zero Hour
- This period follows the Question Hour and it generally begins at noon. Usually the time used by the members to raise various issues for discussion.
Cut Motion
- A motion that seeks reduction in the amount of a demand presented by the Government is known as a cut motion. ‘Cut Motion’ can be introduced after the presentation of the Railway and General Budget. It is a device through which members [generally opposition] can draw the attention of the Government to a specific grievance or problem. There are three type of cut motions.
- Disapproval of policy cut – This is used to express disapproval of the policy underlying a particular demand, says that ‘the amount of the demand be reduced by Re. 1’.
- Economy cut – It is asked for a reduction of the amount of the demand by a specific amount. The aim is to affect economy in the expenditure.
- Token cut – It is a device to ventilate specific grievances within the sphere of the Government’s responsibility. The grievence has to be specified. Usually the motion in the form,’ the amount of the demand be reduced by the Rs. 100′.
Adjournment Motion
- It is the motion to adjourn the proceedings of the House so as to take up for discussion some matter of urgent public importance. Any member can move the motion and, if more than fifty members supports the demand, the Speaker grants permission for the motion. The notice for such as a motion has to be given before the commencement of the sitting on the day.
Calling Attention Motion
- A member may, with proper permission of the Speaker, call the attention of a Minister to any matter of urgent public interest or ask for time to make a Statement.
Privilege Motion
- It is a motion moved by a member if he feels that a Minister has committed a breach of privilege of the House or of any one or more of its members by withholding facts of a case or giving a distorted version of acts.
Point Of Order
- A member may raise a point of order if the proceedings of the House do not follow the normal rules. The presiding officer decides whether the point of order raised by the member should be allowed.
Vote on Account
- As there is usually a gap between the presentation of the Budget and its approval, the vote on account enables the Government of draw some amount from the Consolidated Fund of India to meet the expenses in the intervening period.
Guillotine
- On the last of the allotted days at the appointed time the Speaker puts every question necessary to dispose of all the outstanding matters in connection with demands for grants. This is known as guillotine. The guillotine concludes the discussion on demands for grants.
Quorum
- It is the minimum number of members whose presence is essential to transact the business of the House. Article 100 provides that the quorum of either House shall be one-tenth of the total member of the House.
No-Confidence Motion
- According to the constitution, the Counsil of Ministers stays in office only so long as it enjoys the confidance of the Lok Sabha. Once the confidence is withdrawn the Government is bound to resign. The rules of parliamentary procedure accordingly provide for moving a motion to ascertain this confidence. The motion is generally known as the no-confidence motion.
Censure Motion
- A censure motion differs from a no-confidence motion in that the latter does not specify any ground on which it is based, while the former has to mention the charges against the Government for which it is being moved. A censure motion can be moved against the Council of Ministers or against an individual Minister for failing to act or for some policy. Reasons for the censure must be precisely enumerated. The speaker decides wheather or not the motion is in order, and no leave of the House is required for moving it.
Lame-duck Session
- Session held when a new parliament has been elected but the old parliament meets for the last time before it is dessolved. The lame-ducks are the members of the parliament who have not got re-elected.
Shadow Cabinet
- A Parliament practice prevalent in the UK where senior members of the Opposition cover the areas of responsibility of the actual cabinet. They will form the cabinet if their party is elected to the government.

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