Previous Year Question

All three parliamentary devices help Parliament exercise control over the Council of Ministers and the administration.

1. Adjournment Motion

An Adjournment Motion interrupts the normal business of the Lok Sabha to discuss a definite matter of urgent public importance.

• It may be moved with the consent of the Speaker.

• Its purpose is to hold the Government accountable for a recent act of omission or commission having serious consequences.

• Its adoption is regarded as a form of censure of the Government.

• It is specifically a device of the Lok Sabha; the Rajya Sabha does not have an Adjournment Motion.

2. Question Hour

Question Hour enables MPs to seek information from Ministers regarding governmental policies, decisions, expenditure and administrative actions.

• Under Rule 32 of the Lok Sabha Rules, unless the Speaker otherwise directs, the first hour of a sitting is available for asking and answering questions.

• A Starred Question receives an oral answer from the Minister.

• An Unstarred Question receives a written answer that is laid on the Table.

• A Short Notice Question may be asked on an urgent matter of public importance with less than the normal prescribed notice.

3. Supplementary Questions

After the oral answer to a Starred Question, members may ask related supplementary questions. These enable members to:

• remove ambiguity in the Minister’s original answer;

• obtain additional facts;

• expose an administrative deficiency or policy failure; and

• make the Minister provide an immediate explanation.

Article 75(3) makes the Council of Ministers collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. Parliament also controls the Executive through no-confidence motions, censure motions, cut motions, parliamentary committees and discussion on the Budget.