Allotment of a day, notice and draw of lot for Resolutions
- A resolution can be moved by a member or Minister on a matter of general public interest.
- While there is no fixed day allotted for moving a resolution by a Minister, a private member can move a resolution only on an allotted day.
- Ordinarily, two and a half hours of a sitting on alternate Fridays are allotted for the discussion of private members’ resolutions.
- If there is no sitting of the House on a Friday, then two and a half hours are allotted on any other day in the same week for the purpose.
- A member who wishes to move a resolution on a day allotted for private members’ resolutions has to give a notice to that effect two days before the date of draw of lot.
- The draw is held about three weeks prior to this date in the Secretary-General’s Room. A separate draw is held for each allotted day.
- The dates and time for holding the draw are intimated to members through a paragraph in Bulletin Part-II before the commencement of the Session. The names of members from whom such notices are received are drawn by lot.
- Members who secure the first five places in the draw are informed of the result of the draw individually in writing and they are eligible to give one resolution each within ten days of the date of draw of lot.
- Those resolutions, if admitted by the Chairman, are put down in the list of business in the order determined by the draw of lot.
Conditions of admissibility of a Resolution
The admissibility of a resolution is subject to certain conditions:
(i) it should be clearly and precisely expressed;
(ii) it should raise substantially, one definite issue;
(iii) it should not contain any argument, inferences, ironical expressions, imputations or defamatory statements;
(iv) it should not refer to the conduct or character of persons except in their official or public capacity; and
(v) it should not relate to a matter which is under adjudication by a court of law having jurisdiction in any part of India. Admitted resolutions are first published in the Bulletin Part-II for the advance information of members and Ministers.
(i) it should be clearly and precisely expressed;
(ii) it should raise substantially, one definite issue;
(iii) it should not contain any argument, inferences, ironical expressions, imputations or defamatory statements;
(iv) it should not refer to the conduct or character of persons except in their official or public capacity; and
(v) it should not relate to a matter which is under adjudication by a court of law having jurisdiction in any part of India. Admitted resolutions are first published in the Bulletin Part-II for the advance information of members and Ministers.
Moving of Resolution
- The member in whose name a resolution stands in the list of business, when called on, moves the resolution and makes a speech thereon, by a formal motion in the terms appearing in the list of business.
- Thereafter, amendments, if any, are moved to the resolution. Other members and the Minister concerned may then speak on the resolution.
- The mover of the resolution has the right of reply.
- If the member, when called on, is absent, any other member authorized by him in writing may, with the permission of the Chairman, move the resolution standing in his name.
Time limit for discussion on a Resolution
- The Business Advisory Committee is empowered to allot time for the consideration of a resolution.
- The maximum time limit for discussion on a private member’s resolution is two hours.
- The mover of the resolution, when moving the same and the Minister concerned, when speaking for the first time, may speak for thirty minutes or for such longer time as the Chairman may permit.
- Other members may take fifteen minutes each.
Withdrawal of Resolution
- A member in whose name a resolution stands on the list of business may, when called on, withdraw the resolution in which case he shall confine himself to a mere statement to that effect.
- A member who has moved a resolution or amendment to a resolution can withdraw the same only with the leave of the House.
- If a resolution which has been admitted is not taken up for discussion in the House during the session, it shall be deemed to have been withdrawn.
Lapsing of Resolution
- In case of Government resolutions, if the discussion on a resolution is not concluded on the allotted day, it is carried on to the next allotted day in the same session.
- If there is no other day allotted for the private members’ resolutions in the same session, then the part discussed or inconclusively discussed resolution lapses at the end of the session and it is not carried forward to the next session, unless the House decides otherwise which is rarely done.
Repetition of Resolution
- When a resolution has been moved, no resolution or amendment raising substantially the same question can be moved within one year from the date of the moving of the earlier resolution.
- When a resolution has been withdrawn with the leave of the House, no resolution raising substantially the same question shall be moved during the same session.
Government Resolution
- There are no separate rules regulating the procedure for Government resolutions.
- Government resolutions are distinguishable from private members’ resolutions in two respects, namely, the origin and the ballot.
- Government resolutions are not subject to ballot like private members’ resolutions.
- Though no period of notice has been prescribed for Government resolutions, in actual practice, notices of such resolutions are given much in advance of the date on which the resolutions are included in the list of business.
- These resolutions, after admission, are also published in Bulletin Part-II. The time for discussion of Government resolutions is also recommended by the Business Advisory Committee.
Approved Resolution
A copy of every resolution which has been passed by the House is forwarded to the Minister concerned.
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