Civics: The union legislature and The union parliament, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Functioning, Parliamentary Procedures

Parliamentary Procedures

Sessions: 

• The president summons each house of parliament
• As per the constitution, the interval between two sessions shoudl not be more than 6 months
• Normally there are 3 sessions in a year. The budget session (Feb-May), Monsoon session (Jul-Aug) and Winter session (Nov-Dec).

Quorum:

• It means the minimum number of members required to be present for transacting the business of the house.
• The quorum of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha is one-tenth of the total membership of each house.

Question Hour

• The first hour on every working day of the house is reserved for questions unless otherwise decided by the speaker. This hour which starts at 11:00AM is the question hour.
• All members of the house have a right to ask questions to the government on matters of public interest which is called interpellation.
• The questions have to be submitted to the speaker, addressed to the speaker and should be submitted with a 10 days notice in advance. 

Types of Questions in Question Hour 

Starred Questions: 

• Questions for which a member wishes to have oral answers on the floor of the house
• Such questions are indicated by an asterisk mark
• Supplementary questions may be asked after replies to such questions are given by the ministers.

Unstarred Questions

• Questions for which members will get only written answers
• Supplementary questions cannot be asked

Short Notice Questions

• Questions for which members will get only written answers
• Supplementary questions cannot be asked. 

Short Notice Questions

• Questions of urgent importance which can be asked with a notice shorter than 10 days
• The minister concerned has to be asked whether he can reply to such a short notice questions as it is for him to decide whether to accept or not accept the question

Zero Hour

• The period begins at 12 O Clock and continues till lunch break which begins at 1 O Clock
• Members raise all types of questions without any permission or prior notice

Motions

A motion is a formal proposal made by a member stating that the house should take up some particular matter which is of public importance. Through these motions, the members try to draw attention of the government on particular matter. 

Adjournment Motion

• It means a proposal to lay aside all other business and to take up a definite matter of urgent importance. 
• It interrupts the normal business of the house
• It is normally allowed in situations like railway accidents, resulting in death of several people, some natural calamity or a communal tension

No Confidence Motion

• It is a proposal expressing lack of confidence in the ministry
• It is passed with the support of 50 members and taken up for discussion, within 10 days from the day on which the leave is granted. 
• If the motion is passed, the government has to resign.

Confidence Motion

• It is the reverse of the no confidence motion

Adjournment and Propagation of the house

• Adjournment of the house means suspension of the sitting of the house by the speaker.
• Propagation means termination of the session of the parliament
• The power of adjournment of the house rests with the speaker of the chairman as the case may be power of propagation of a session belongs to the president

The house is Adjourned

• After the business for the day is over
• When the death of a sitting / ex-member of the house occurs
• For want of Quorum
• As and when the speaker finds it necessary

Speaker of the Lok Sabha

• The speaker is the presiding officer of the lok sabha. He / She conducts the business of the house. 

Election

• The speaker is elected from its own members soon after the newly elected house meets for the first time.
• Speaker does not vacate the office, when the house is dissolved. He / She remains in office till a new speaker is elected by the new Lok Sabha in its first meeting
• Elected for a term of 5 years
• The speaker may resign on health or on other grounds by submitting a letter of resignation to the deputy speaker. He / She can also be removed by the lok sabha if the majority of the members pass a resolution. 

Deputy Speaker

• Performs the duties of the speaker when the speaker is absent or while the speaker office of the speaker is vacant. 
• Deputy speaker is elected or removed from office in the same way as the speaker.