14 most important Parliamentary Terms you must know

1. Question Hour:

During the parliamentary session, the day’s business normally begins with the question hour. The Ministers reply to the questions raised by the members of the Parliament.

2. Zero Hour:

The period follows the question hour and it starts at the noon and its duration is one hour (from 12 noon to 1 P.M.). During the zero hour, various issues of public importance are raised without prior notice.

3. Cut Motion:

The motion that seeks reduction in the amount of a demand presented by the government is known as the cut motion. The Speaker has the discretion to admit a cut motion. He may or may not admit it. This device is used by the members of the legislature to draw the attention of the government to a specific grievance or problem.

4. Calling Attention Motion:

With the prior permission of the Speaker, any member of the Parliament may call the attention of a Minister to a matter of urgent public importance. The Minister may make a brief statement about the matter or he may ask for time to make a statement later.

5. No-confidence Motion:

It is a resolution introduced by the Opposition claiming that the House has lost its confidence in the government.

6. Censure Motion:

This motion seeks to censure the government for its ‘lapses’. K the motion is passed in the Popular House, the government resigns.

7. Privilege Motion:

It is a motion moved by a Member of Parliament. He charges the Minister with committing a breach of the privilege of the House by withholding or distorting facts.

8. Point of Order:

A Member of Parliament may raise a point of order if he feels that 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.

9. Adjournment:

‘Adjournment’ is suspension of a session of the House for a day,) few days or indefinitely. The presiding officer (the Speaker or the Chairman) has the discretion to do it.

10. Prorogue:

‘Prorogue’ means the ending of a session of the Parliament. The President of India has the discretion to do it.

11. Dissolve:

To ‘dissolve’ means to end the life of the Parliament. The President has” the discretion to do it.

12. Quorum:

It is the minimum number of members of a legislature that must be present to make the proceedings valid. In case of the Parliament, the quorum of either House shall be one-tenth of the total number of members of the House.

13. Vote on Account:

There is usually a gap between the presentation of the budget and its approval. Sometimes, particularly in an election year, the budget may not be passed before the end of the current financial year and the beginning of the next financial year.

To meet this contingency, the vote on account is taken normally for two months for a sum equivalent to one sixth of the estimated expenditure for the entire year under demand grants. This enables the government to draw this amount from the Consolidated Fund of India to meet the expenses in the intervening period.

14. Whip:

Each party appoints a whip to control and discipline its members elected the legislature (either House of the Parliament or of the State Legislature). He is called party whip and he must be a member of the legislature.

On crucial occasions like voting no confidence motion and important bills, he exercises ‘whip’ to the members of the legislate wing of his party to attend the meeting and vote as directed by party leadership.