Rules For Lok Sabha

The Constituent Assembly (Legislative) Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in force immediately before the commencement of the Constitution of India were modified and adopted by the Speaker of Lok Sabha in exercise of the powers conferred on him by article 118(2) of the Constitution and published under the title "Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the House of the People" in the Gazette of India Extraordinary dated the 17th April, 1952.

Those Rules were amended by the Speaker from time to time on the recommendations of the Rules Committee of the House until September, 1954.

In September, 1954, Rules Committee decided that their recommendations should be approved by the House before amendments were given effect to. Consequently, the procedure for amendment of the rules as given in rule 306 of the Fourth Edition (rule 331 of the Present edition) came into force with effect from the 15th October, 1954.

In December, 1956, Rules Committee recommended that the rules contained in the Fourth Edition of the Rules as amended from time to time might be approved by the House under article 118(1) of the Constitution. The House agreed. Accordingly, the Fifth Edition of the Rules incorporating the amendments made till 28th March, 1957, was laid on the Table of Lok Sabha on that day.

During the Third Lok Sabha, the amendments recommended by the Rules Committee and agreed to by the House were incorporated in the 'March, 1967 Reprint' of the Fifth Edition.

During the Fourth Lok Sabha, the amendments recommended by the Rules Committee and agreed to by the House were incorporated in the 'March, 1971 Reprint' of the Fifth Edition.

During the Fifth Lok Sabha, certain amendments were recommended by the Rules Committee and agreed to by the House. Those amendments were incorporated in the Sixth Edition which was brought up-to-date.

During the Sixth and Seventh Lok Sabha, no amendments were made to the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha.

During the Eighth Lok Sabha, all the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha were reviewed in depth. These Rules, which were first adopted in 1952, were never subjected to a systematic review in a comprehensive manner thereafter. As a result in many matters the actual practice as it had developed over the years was found to be at variance with the relevant rules as they stood in the Rule Book. In several other cases, matters were being governed merely by precedents and practices. A comprehensive review of the Rules was, therefore, undertaken with the approval of the Rules Committee with a view to incorporating therein the procedural changes that had come about. As a consequence of the review, a large number of amendments/ modifications were necessitated in the rules. These amendments were considered by the Rules Committee and their second, third and fourth Reports (1989) containing their recommendations in this regard were laid on the Table of the House on 2 and 3 May, 1989 and 25 July, 1989 respectively. They were later on agreed to by the House. The amendments so made came into force with effect from 9 May and 1 August, 1989 and were incorporated in the Seventh Edition of the Rules brought out in December, 1989.

During the Ninth Lok Sabha, no amendments were made in the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha.

During the Tenth Lok Sabha, a full-fledged system of Departmentally Related Standing Committees of Parliament was created by setting up 17 Standing Committees covering under their jurisdiction all the Ministries/Departments of the Union Government replacing the existing three Subject Committees. The rules relating to these Committees and other amendments, as recommended by the Rules Committee and agreed to by the House, were incorporated in the Eighth Edition of the Rules.

During the Eleventh Lok Sabha, a new Committee on the Empowerment of Women was created. The rules relating to this Committee and other amendments as recommended by the Rules Committee and agreed to by the House, were incorporated in the Ninth Edition of the Rules.

During the Twelfth Lok Sabha, no amendments were made in the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha.

During the Thirteenth Lok Sabha, a new rule 374A, which was recommended by the Rules Committee and agreed to by the House was incorporated in the Tenth Edition of the Rules.

A few minor changes made in the Fifth Schedule to the Rules during the years 2002 and 2004 have been incorporated in this Edition.

The Members of Lok Sabha (Disqualification on Ground of Defection) Rules, 1985, made by the Speaker, Lok Sabha, in terms of paragraph 8 of the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution which came into force with effect from 18th March, 1986, have been incorporated as Appendix IV.