Motions in the House
General Discussions: Discussions on matters of general public importance require a motion approved by the presiding officer. The House decides on issues by adopting or rejecting motions introduced by ministers or private members.
Types of Motions: Motions for discussion fall into three principal categories:
- Substantive Motion: An independent proposal dealing with significant matters such as impeachment of the President or removal of the Chief Election Commissioner.
- Substitute Motion: A motion replacing an original motion and proposing an alternative. If accepted, it supersedes the original motion.
- Subsidiary Motion: This category of motion includes:
➤ Ancillary Motion: Regular procedural motions for business.
➤ Superseding Motion: A motion aiming to replace an ongoing debate or issue with a different one.
➤ Amendment: A motion modifying or replacing a portion of an original motion.
Closure Motion
Purpose: Moved to cut short a debate, this motion, if approved, leads to an immediate vote on the matter.
Types of Closure:
- Simple Closure: A motion to put the matter to vote as it has been sufficiently discussed.
- Closure by Compartments: Grouping clauses or parts of a bill for collective debate and voting.
- Kangaroo Closure: Discussing and voting only on important clauses while skipping less crucial ones.
- Guillotine Closure: Voting on remaining undiscussed parts of a bill or resolution due to time constraints.
Privilege Motion
- Purpose: This motion addresses breaches of parliamentary privilege by a minister. A member may move this motion if they believe a minister has misrepresented or withheld facts, breaching privileges of the House or its members. The motion aims to censure the minister in question.
Calling Attention Motion
- Function: A motion allowing a member to call a minister's attention to an urgent public issue and seek an authoritative response.
- Origin: Introduced in 1954, this motion is an Indian innovation in parliamentary procedures and is mentioned in the Rules of Procedure, unlike Zero Hour.
