Parliamentary Terms

Indian Polity · संसदीय शब्दावली

📋Quick Overview

Parliamentary terms and procedures are frequently asked in competitive exams. These cover how Parliament functions daily — Question Hour, Zero Hour, various motions (No-Confidence, Adjournment, Cut Motions), and key terms like Prorogation, Dissolution, Whip, Guillotine, etc. Understanding these terms helps answer 2-3 guaranteed questions in every exam. Most of these are borrowed from the British Parliamentary system.

📖Question Hour & Zero Hour

Term	Time	Details
Question Hour	First hour of every session (11 AM - 12 PM)	MPs ask questions to ministers. 3 types: Starred (oral + supplementary), Unstarred (written only), Short Notice (urgent, less than 10 days notice)
Zero Hour	12 PM - 1 PM (after Question Hour)	NOT mentioned in rules — it's an Indian innovation! MPs raise urgent matters without prior notice. Starts at 'zero' hour after Question Hour.

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Zero Hour is NOT in the Rules of Procedure — it's a purely Indian invention! This is a common exam trap.

📖Important Motions — Master Table

Motion	What It Does	Key Point
No-Confidence Motion	Tests if govt has majority in Lok Sabha	Only in Lok Sabha. If passed, entire Council of Ministers must resign. Needs 50 members to introduce.
Confidence Motion	Govt itself seeks to prove majority	PM may move it to prove support after doubts raised
Adjournment Motion	Discusses urgent public importance matter	Only in Lok Sabha. Needs 50 members' support. Interrupts normal business.
Calling Attention Motion	MP calls attention of minister to urgent matter	Indian innovation (like Zero Hour), not in British Parliament
Censure Motion	Criticizes govt policy or a specific minister	Only in Lok Sabha. Reasons must be stated. Can be against individual minister.
Privilege Motion	When MP's privileges are breached	Can be in either house — when a minister gives false info, etc.

📖Cut Motions (Budget Related)

Cut Motion	What It Does	Amount Reduced To
Disapproval Cut Motion	Demand is completely rejected	Reduced to Re. 1 (₹1) — means total disapproval of policy
Economy Cut Motion	Demand amount should be reduced	Reduced by a specific amount — says spending is wasteful
Token Cut Motion	To raise a specific grievance	Reduced by ₹100 — symbolic, to highlight a complaint

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Exam trap: Disapproval = ₹1, Token = ₹100. Don't mix them up! 'Token' is symbolic (₹100), 'Disapproval' is total rejection (₹1).

📖Adjournment vs Prorogation vs Dissolution

Term	Meaning	Done By	Effect
Adjournment	Temporary break within a session (hours/days)	Speaker/Chairman	Pending bills/business NOT affected
Prorogation	End of a session	President	Pending bills NOT affected, pending notices/motions lapse
Dissolution	End of Lok Sabha itself (new elections needed)	President	ALL pending bills lapse (except those in Rajya Sabha/Joint Committee)

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Rajya Sabha is NEVER dissolved (permanent body). Only Lok Sabha can be dissolved.

📖Other Important Terms

Term	Meaning
Whip	Party's instruction to its MPs to vote a certain way. 3 types: One-line (attend), Two-line (must attend), Three-line (must attend + vote as directed)
Guillotine	When demands for grants are put to vote WITHOUT discussion due to time shortage	All unfinished demands bundled and voted at once
Lame Duck Session	Last session of Lok Sabha after new elections — outgoing members attend	Term comes from USA
Hung Parliament	No single party gets majority in Lok Sabha	Coalition government or re-election needed
Vote on Account	Advance grant for govt expenses for a few months	Used when full budget cannot be passed before April 1 (especially election year)
Floor Crossing	MP votes against party whip or joins opposition	Can lead to disqualification under anti-defection law (10th Schedule)
Point of Order	MP raises objection that rules are being violated	Speaker decides, debate stops temporarily
Sine Die	Adjournment without fixing next meeting date	Speaker can call sine die adjournment anytime