What are various types of motions?
Q. Which of the following are true regarding motions in Parliament?
1) Subsidiary Motion by itself has no meaning.
2) In Kangaroo closure just important clauses are debated and voted.
3) Removal of President comes under Substantive Motion.- Published on 03 Mar 17a. 1, 2
b. 1, 3
c. 2, 3
d. All of the above
ANSWER: All of the above
- No discussion on a matter of general public importance can take place except on a motion made with the consent of the presiding officer.
- The House expresses its decisions or opinions on various issues through the adoption or rejection of motions moved by either ministers or private members.
The motions moved by the members fall into 3 principal categories -
1. Substantive Motion - It is a self-contained independent proposal dealing with a very important matter like impeachment of the President or removal of Chief Election Commissioner.
2. Substitute Motion - It is a motion that is moved in substitution of an original motion and proposes an alternative to it. If adopted by the House, it supersedes the original motion.
3. Subsidiary Motion - It is a motion that, by itself, has no meaning. Also it cannot state the - decision of the House without reference to the original motion or proceedings of the House.
It is divided into 3 sub-categories -
(i) Ancillary Motion - It is used as the regular way of proceeding with various kinds of business.
(ii) Superseding Motion - It is moved in the course of debate on another issue and seeks to supersede that issue.
(iii) Amendment - It seeks to modify or substitute only a part of the original motion.
- Closure Motion - It is a motion moved by a member to cut short the debate on a matter before the House.
- If the motion is approved by the House, debate is stopped forthwith and the matter is put to vote.
There are four kinds of closure motions -
1. Simple Closure - It is one when a member moves that the ‘matter having been sufficiently discussed be now put to vote’.
2. Closure by Compartments - In this case, the clauses of a bill or a lengthy resolution are grouped into parts before the commencement of the debate. The debate covers the part as a whole and the entire part is put to vote.
3. Kangaroo Closure - In this only important clauses are taken up for debate and voting and the intervening clauses are skipped over and taken as passed.
4. Guillotine Closure - In it the non-discussed clauses of a bill or a resolution are also put to vote along with the discussed ones due to end of time (as the time allotted for the discussion is over).
