Parliamentary Committees, Motions, Question Hour, Zero Hour and Legislative Procedure Notes for UPSC: PAC, Estimates, DRSC, JPC, Budget Stages and Types of Bills

Parliament does its work through committees, motions, questions and a fixed legislative procedure. The floor of the House is the place for debate, but the real scrutiny of laws, budgets and government actions happens in the committees. For UPSC, this chapter gives a regular stream of Prelims questions: "Which committee has 22 members?", "Which motion can be moved only in the Lok Sabha?", "What is the difference between the Zero Hour and the Question Hour?" The Mains also asks how effective the Parliament is and how its functioning can be improved. These notes explain the parliamentary committees, the motions and the devices, the types of bills and the budget procedure with tables, numbers and memory tricks.

Why This Chapter Is Important

The topic is full of numbers, names and exceptions that UPSC loves to test, and it also links to the current affairs, such as the sessions, the adjournments and the debates on the referral of bills to committees. Read it together with our notes on the Parliament of India and the Union Executive for the context, and revise the key articles from our list of Constitutional Bodies.

Sessions and Sittings of Parliament

• The President summons the Parliament (Article 85), and the gap between two sessions cannot be more than six months. There are generally three sessions in a year: the Budget Session (February to May), the Monsoon Session (July to September) and the Winter Session (November to December).
• Adjournment ends a sitting for a specified time (hours, days or weeks) and is decided by the presiding officer. Adjournment sine die ends a sitting without the date of the next meeting. Prorogation ends a session and is done by the President. Dissolution ends the life of the Lok Sabha and is done by the President.
• The quorum is one-tenth of the total number of members of the House (Article 100).

Parliamentary Committees: The Two Types

Committees are of two types: Standing Committees (permanent, constituted every year or periodically) and Ad hoc Committees (temporary, formed for a particular purpose, such as a Joint Parliamentary Committee on a scam or a bill).

The Public Accounts Committee is the oldest of the financial committees, which was first set up in 1921 under the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms. The PAC checks if the money voted by Parliament has been spent properly, and so the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) is called its friend and guide.

Question Hour, Zero Hour and Other Devices

Important Motions

Types of Bills and the Legislative Procedure

• Ordinary Bill: Can be introduced in either House, requires a simple majority and the assent of the President. A deadlock is resolved by a joint sitting under Article 108.
• Money Bill (Article 110): Introduced only in the Lok Sabha on the recommendation of the President. The Rajya Sabha can only recommend amendments within 14 days. The Speaker decides if a bill is a Money Bill.
• Financial Bill: Contains the financial provisions but is not a Money Bill. It has two types, with different procedures, but the Rajya Sabha has the full powers in the case of the Financial Bill (Category II).
• Constitution Amendment Bill: Passed with a special majority, with the ratification by the states if needed.
• Private Member's Bill: Introduced by a member who is not a minister, and is rarely passed.

A bill goes through three readings in each House: the first reading (introduction), the second reading (clause-by-clause discussion, often in a committee) and the third reading (final voting). The only three joint sittings held so far were for the Dowry Prohibition Bill (1961), the Banking Service Commission Repeal Bill (1978) and the Prevention of Terrorism Bill (2002).

The Budget Procedure

The budget is presented in the Lok Sabha by the Finance Minister as the Annual Financial Statement (Article 112). It passes through six stages: presentation, general discussion, the departmental committees' scrutiny, voting on the demands for grants (only in the Lok Sabha), the passing of the Appropriation Bill, and the passing of the Finance Bill. A vote on account allows the government to spend for a period in advance, when the full budget cannot be passed in time. A vote of credit and an exceptional grant are used in special situations. No tax can be levied or money spent without the approval of Parliament.

Parliamentary Privileges and the Presiding Officers

The members enjoy privileges under Article 105, such as the freedom of speech in the House, the freedom from the arrest in civil cases during the session, and the immunity from the court for what they say in the House. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha presides over the sittings, decides on disqualification under the anti-defection law and certifies the Money Bills. The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is the Vice-President, and the Deputy Chairman is elected by the members. The Speaker does not vote except in the case of a tie (casting vote).

The Mains Angle: How Effective Is Parliament?

The Mains asks about the declining sittings, the disruptions and the low referral of bills to committees. A balanced answer notes the positives (the committee system, the scrutiny of the finances, the question hour) and the negatives (disruptions, hurried passage of the bills, low attendance and weak debate). Suggestions include the mandatory referral of the major bills to committees, a minimum number of sitting days, the use of technology, better research support for the members and a code of conduct for the disruptions.

Previous-Year Style Practice

• Which committee has the members only from the Lok Sabha? Answer: The Estimates Committee.
• Which motion can be moved only in the Lok Sabha? Answer: The no-confidence motion, the adjournment motion and the cut motions.
• Who decides whether a bill is a Money Bill? Answer: The Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
• What is the quorum of the Lok Sabha? Answer: One-tenth of the total strength.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How many members does the Public Accounts Committee have?

22 members, 15 from the Lok Sabha and 7 from the Rajya Sabha.

Which committee is called the continuous economy committee?

The Estimates Committee.

What is the Zero Hour?

An informal device, used since 1962, to raise urgent matters immediately after the Question Hour.

Which motions can be moved only in the Lok Sabha?

The no-confidence motion, the censure motion, the adjournment motion and the cut motions.

How many members are needed to support an adjournment motion?

At least 50 members.

What is the quorum in Parliament?

One-tenth of the total membership of the House.

Who decides whether a bill is a Money Bill?

The Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

What are Departmentally Related Standing Committees?

The committees, set up in 1993, which scrutinise the demands for grants and the bills of the ministries.

What is a vote on account?

An advance grant allowing the government to spend for a period until the full budget is passed.

How many joint sittings have been held so far?

Three: in 1961, 1978 and 2002.

What is the difference between prorogation and dissolution?

Prorogation ends a session, and dissolution ends the life of the Lok Sabha.

How is the topic asked in the Prelims?

As questions on the strength of the committees, the types of motions and the procedure of the bills.