The devices of parliamentary proceedings are critical in assisting the Parliament in attaining its goals. These not only aid in the orderly and speedy conduct of business in the House by offering numerous tools for members to raise issues, but they also add stability and predictability to the democratic system. Parliamentary processes are not static but must continually evolve to meet the changing demands.

Devices of Parliamentary Proceedings is one of the most important topics for the UPSC IAS exam. It covers a significant part of the Polity subject in the Mains General Studies Paper-II syllabus and General Studies Paper-1 of the UPSC Prelims Syllabus.

In this article, we will understand the composition and functioning of the Devices of Parliamentary Proceedings. All these dimensions are important for competitive examinations like IAS, IPS, IFS etc. 

Considering this, the Testbook provides the best quality notes for UPSC Exams. Study major topics of Indian Polity from the perspective of UPSC Exams. 

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What are the Devices of Parliamentary Proceedings?

Parliamentary procedure devices play a pivotal role in helping the Parliament achieve its objectives. These tools not only facilitate an organized and efficient flow of discussions, allowing members to address concerns, but they also enhance the consistency and reliability of the democratic process. Some key devices of parliamentary proceedings in India include:

• Question Hour: This is a time period set aside every day in both houses of parliament for legislators to question ministers about various issues directly.
• Adjournment Motion: This allows for an urgent discussion on a matter of public importance. If admitted, it leads to setting aside the normal business of the House for discussing the issue.
• No-Confidence Motion: This allows the Lok Sabha to express a lack of confidence in the Council of Ministers. If passed, it leads to the fall of the government.
• Calling Attention Motion: This device permits raising issues of public importance for getting a reply from the concerned minister without asking for oral discussion.
• Short Duration Discussion: This provides scope for a brief discussion on matters of recent occurrence for which the government is not directly responsible.
• Budget Session: The budget and other financial proposals of the government are discussed threadbare during this session.
• Privilege Motion: This allows matters involving breach of privilege of House/members or contempt of House to be discussed and acted upon.
• Censure Motion: It seeks to censure or express strong disapproval of the government's policy or conduct without necessarily bringing down the government.

Learn the Making of the Indian Constitution in detail here.

List of Various Devices of Parliamentary Proceedings

Summoning

According to the Constitution, the President may call a meeting of each House of Parliament at any time and place he thinks suitable. This is called Summoning. Up to six months must occur between the final sitting of one session and the first sitting of the next. In other words, Parliament should convene at least twice a year. A typical year has three periods, such as:

• The Session on Budget (February to May)
• Monsoon Session (July to September)
• The Winter Term (November to December)

Adjournment

A Parliamentary session consists of many sessions, with two daily sittings: one in the morning from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and one after lunch from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. In the case of the Lok Sabha, a Parliamentary session can be ended by adjournment or adjournment sine die, prorogation, or dissolution. When a session is adjourned, the work in that session is placed on hold for a fixed period of time, which might be hours, days, or weeks. It is considered an unusual gadget since it disrupts the House’s routine business.

Adjournment Sine Die

It requires stopping a Parliamentary session for an indeterminate period of time. Adjournment sine die occurs when the House is adjourned without a date for reconvening. The presiding officer of the House possesses the authority of adjournment as well as sine die, and he or she can convene a sitting of the House before the day or hour to which it has been postponed or at any moment after the House has been adjourned sine die.

Prorogation

When a session’s work is done, the Speaker of Lok Sabha or the Chairman of Rajya Sabha proclaims the House adjourned sine die. Within a few days, the President provides notification of the session’s prorogation. The President has the authority to prorogate the House while it is in session.

Question Hour

Question Hour is the first hour of the parliamentary session, during which members ask questions and ministers generally answer. The House Rules of Procedure include a reference to it. There are three types of questions: starred, unstarred, and questions that must be answered quickly.

• A starred question (denoted by an asterisk) necessitates a spoken response, after which extra questions might be asked.
• On the other hand, an unstarred question demands a written response and hence cannot be followed by a supplementary question.
• A short notice question is posed with less than ten days’ notice and is answered verbally.

Zero Hour

The Zero Hour is an unofficial instrument that members of Parliament can use to raise problems without prior notice because it is not listed in the Rules of Procedure. It begins immediately following question hour and continues until the day’s agenda, i.e. the usual business of the House, is completed.

Point of Order

A member may raise a point of order when the House’s proceedings do not follow the standard norms of procedure.

Lame-duck Session

The lame-duck session is the last session of the old Lok Sabha after a new Lok Sabha is elected. Lame ducks are current Lok Sabha MPs who did not gain re-election to the next Lok Sabha.

Quorum

The number of members who must be present in the House before it may take action is called the quorum. It is one-tenth of the entire membership of each House, including the Presiding Officer.

Half-an-Hour Discussion

It’s for debating a topic of significant public importance that has been the subject of much debate and whose answer has to be clarified as a matter of fact. The Speaker may set aside three days each week for such conversations. It excludes any official motions or votes before the House.

Short Duration Discussion

It’s also known as a two-hour conversation because the time limit for such a discussion is two hours. The MPs can raise it on a matter of urgent public importance. Speakers can allot 2 days a week for it, and no formal motion or voting is required. Members of Parliament can raise such talks on an issue of urgent public significance in a short-length discussion, often known as a two-hour debate.

Special Mention

An issue that is not a point of order or that cannot be presented during question hour, a half-hour debate, a short-duration discussion, or under an adjournment motion, a calling attention notice, or any other House regulation may be placed before the Rajya Sabha under special mention.

Resolutions

Members can introduce resolutions to call the attention of the House or the government to issues of wide public concern. The discussion on a resolution should be strictly germane to and within the scope of the resolution, and a member who has moved a resolution or amendment to a resolution may only withdraw it if the House grants leave.

Motions

There can only be discussion on an issue of wide public significance if a motion is made with the permission of the presiding officer. Can be moved by a minister or a private member of one of three categories:

• Substantive Motion
• Substitute Motion
• Subsidiary Motion

The Types of motion in parliament are listed below.

Closure Motion

It is a motion introduced by a member to end discussion on an issue before the House. If the House agrees the motion, the discussion is immediately halted, and the topic is put to a vote.

No-Confidence Motion

Article 75 states that the Council of Ministers is jointly responsible to the Lok Sabha. The ministry will be ousted from office if the Lok Sabha approves this resolution. To be accepted to the Lok Sabha, it must get the backing of 50 MPs.

Censure Motion

It might be directed towards a single minister, a group of ministers, or the full council.

Privilege Motion

It is concerned with a minister’s violation of parliamentary privileges. It is initiated by a member who believes that a minister has violated the House’s or one or more of its members’ privileges by concealing information from a case or providing incorrect or distorted facts.

Calling Attention Motion

It is brought in Parliament by a member to get a minister’s attention to an issue of urgent public significance and to demand an authoritative declaration from him on that matter.

Motion of Thanks

The motion on which the President’s Address outlines the government plans and programmes for the prior year and the next year is debated in both chambers. The motion must be carried in the House, or the government will be defeated.

No-Day-Yet-Named Motion

The speaker has admitted a motion but has no set date for consideration. After examining the status of the business in the house and consulting with the leader of the house or on the proposal of the business advisory committee, the Speaker allows a day or days, or a portion of a day, for such motions.

Check out Various Commissions in India & their Recommendations here.

Importance of Devices in Parliamentary Proceedings

• India’s parliamentary system has resulted in many sophisticated procedures and devices.
• These assist members in bringing up different problems in the House and the smooth and orderly business conduct.
• Even though it was initially modelled after the British model, parliamentary procedure and practised in India are not a carbon copy of the method available in the British House of Commons.
• Despite numerous parallels between the tvi/o systems, Indian legislative practises have matured on their own, made significant departures in many areas, and have set their route in establishing various processes to meet our needs throughout the years.

Different Types of Budgetary Motions

In India, budgetary motions refer to the various proposals made in the budget presented by the government. These proposals may be in taxation, spending, or other financial policies. Members use 3 motions in connection with the budget.

Policy Cut Motion: In this motion, the demand be reduced to one rupee. It helps to scrutinise and challenge the government's proposed policies and expenditures and hold it accountable for its actions.

Economy Cut Motion: There is a substantial amount of demand. The reduction in amount is clearly stated, and the object is to bring about the economy in the expenditure.

Token Cut Motion: The demand in this motion is to reduce by Rs 100. Unlike a Financial Cut Motion or a Policy Cut Motion, a Token Cut Motion does not seek to reduce the amount of money allocated for a particular policy or expenditure or challenge the policy or expenditure itself. Instead, it is a symbolic motion that expresses the displeasure or disagreement of the opposition with the government's policies or actions.

Study Important Articles of the Constitution of India here.

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