Thursday, November 15, 2007

Lok Sabha Keep itself in different Indian languages

Three versions of the Lok Sabha Debates are prepared, viz., a Hindi Version, an English Version and an Original Version. Out of these, Hindi and English versions, are printed and distributed among the members and others. The Original Version is kept in the Parliament Library, suitably bound, for purposes of record and reference only.

The Original Version contains proceedings in English and Hindi as they actually take place in the House. It also contains English/Hindi translation of speeches made in regional languages.
The Hindi Version comprises all Questions asked and Answers thereto given in Hindi and the speeches made in Hindi besides the verbatim translation into Hindi of all Questions asked and Answers thereto given in English and the speeches made in English or in a regional language. Supplementaries asked on Questions or speeches delivered in Urdu appear in Devnagiri script in the printed Hindi Version of debates

The English Version contains Lok Sabha proceedings in English and English translation of the proceedings which take place in Hindi or in any regional language

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Lok Sabha members of parliament birthday on 13.11.2007

Wish You Very Happy Birthday

Dasmunsi,Shri Priya Ranjan
Raiganj(West Bengal )
Indian National Congress

Nambadan,Shri Lonappan
Mukundapuram(Kerala )
Communist Party of India (Marxist)

Sugavanam,Shri E.G.
Krisnagiri(Tamil Nadu )
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Some Facts About Lok Sabha Debates

Three versions of the Lok Sabha Debates are prepared, viz., a Hindi Version, an English Version and an Original Version. Out of these, Hindi and English versions, are printed and distributed among the members and others. The Original Version is kept in the Parliament Library, suitably bound, for purposes of record and reference only.

The Original Version contains proceedings in English and Hindi as they actually take place in the House. It also contains English/Hindi translation of speeches made in regional languages.
The Hindi Version comprises all Questions asked and Answers thereto given in Hindi and the speeches made in Hindi besides the verbatim translation into Hindi of all Questions asked and Answers thereto given in English and the speeches made in English or in a regional language. Supplementaries asked on Questions or speeches delivered in Urdu appear in Devnagiri script in the printed Hindi Version of debates

The English Version contains Lok Sabha proceedings in English and English translation of the proceedings which take place in Hindi or in any regional language

Friday, November 9, 2007

India's Budget Presentation In Lok Sabha

Article 87(1) of the Constitution provides:- "At the commencement of the first session after each general election to the House of the People and at the commencement of the first session of each year the President shall address both Houses of Parliament assembled together and inform Parliament of the causes of its summons."

In the case of the first session after each general election to Lok Sabha, the President addresses both Houses of Parliament assembled together after the Members have made and subscribed the oath or affirmation and the Speaker has been elected. It takes generally two days to complete these preliminaries. No other business is transacted till the President has addressed both Houses of Parliament assembled together and informed Parliament of the causes of its summons.
In the case of the first session of each year, the President addresses both Houses of Parliament at the time and human life. They have to perform manifold functions from maintaining law and order, protecting their territories to implementation of plans for economic and social betterment. Besides, they provide a variety of social services like education, health, employment and housing to the people.
Needless to say, Government require adequate resources to discharge these functions effectively. Where is this money to come from and who is to sanction the funds? The necessary funds are mobilised from the country's resources by way of taxes both direct and indirect, loans both long-term and short-term, to meet the Governmental expenditure. In India, the principal sources of revenue are customs and excise duties and Income-tax on individuals and companies.
Need for Budget

It is not as if the Government can tax, borrow and spend money the way it likes. Since there is a limit to the resources, the need for proper budgeting arises to allocate scarce resources to various Governmental activities. Every item of expenditure has to be well thought out and total outlay worked out for a specific period. Prudent spending is essential for the stability of a Government and proper earnings are a pre-requisite to wise spending. Hence, planned expenditure and accurate foresight of earnings are sine-qua-non of sound Governmental finance.

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Know the Question Hour in Lok Sabha

Generally, the first hour of a sitting of Lok Sabha is devoted to Questions and that hour is called the Question Hour. It has a special significance in the proceedings of Parliament.

Asking of questions is an inherent and unfettered parliamentary right of members. It is during the Question Hour that the members can ask questions on every aspect of administration and Governmental activity. Government policies in national as well as international spheres come into sharp focus as the members try to elicit pertinent information during the Question Hour.

The Government is, as it were, put on its trial during the Question Hour and every Minister whose turn it is to answer questions has to stand up and answer for his or his administration's acts of omission and commission. Through the Question Hour the Government is able to quickly feel the pulse of the nation and adapt its policies and actions accordingly. It is through questions in Parliament that the Government remains in touch with the people in as much as members are enabled thereby to ventilate the grievances of the public in matters concerning the administration. Questions enable Ministries to gauge the popular reaction to their policy and administration. Questions bring to the notice of the Ministers many an abuse which otherwise would have gone unnoticed. Sometimes questions may lead to the appointment of a commission, a court of enquiry or even legislation when matters raised are grave enough to agitate the public mind and are of wide public importance.

The Question Hour is an interesting part of the Parliamentary proceedings. Although a question mainly seeks information and tries to elicit facts on a particular subject, there are many a time lively and quicksilver repartees between the Members asking the questions and the Ministers answering them. These repartees are sometimes coupled with flashes of wit and humour. That is why the public galleries and the press galleries are packed to capacity during the Question Hour.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

A Bill Journey To An Act In Indian Parliament(Lok Sabha and rajya sabha)


A Bill is the draft of a legislative proposal. It has to pass through various stages before it becomes an Act of Parliament.

First Reading
The legislative process starts with the introduction of a Bill in either House of Parliament-Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha. A Bill can be introduced either by a Minister or by a private member. In the former case it is known as a Government Bill and in the latter case it is known as a Private Member's Bill.
It is necessary for a member-in-charge of the Bill to ask for leave to introduce the Bill. If leave is granted by the House, the Bill is introduced. This stage is known as the First Reading of the Bill. If the motion for leave to introduce a Bill is opposed, the Speaker may, in his discretion, allow brief explanatory statement to be made by the member who opposes the motion and the member-in-charge who moved the motion. Where a motion for leave to introduce a Bill is opposed on the ground that the Bill initiates legislation outside the legislative competence of the House, the Speaker may permit a full discussion thereon. Thereafter, the question is put to the vote of the House. However, the motion for leave to introduce a Finance Bill or an Appropriation Bill is forthwith put to the vote of the House.
Publication in Gazette
After a Bill has been introduced, it is published in the Official Gazette. Even before introduction, a Bill might, with the permission of the Speaker, be published in the Gazette.
In such cases, leave to introduce the Bill in the House is not asked for and the Bill is straightaway introduced.
Reference of Bill to Standing Committee
After a Bill has been introduced, Presiding Officer of the concerned House can refer the Bill to the concerned Standing Committee for examination and make report thereon.
If a Bill is referred to Standing Committee, the Committee shall consider the general principles and clauses of the Bill referred to them and make report thereon. The Committee can also take expert opinion or the public opinion who are interested in the measure. After the Bill has thus been considered, the Committee submits its report to the House. The report of the Committee, being of persuasive value shall be treated as considered advice given by the Committees.
Second Reading
The Second Reading consists of consideration of the Bill which is in two stages.
First Stage: The first stage consists of general discussion on the Bill as a whole when the principle underlying the Bill is discussed. At this stage it is open to the House to refer the Bill to a Select Committee of the House or a Joint Committee of the two Houses or to circulate it for the purpose of eliciting opinion thereon or to straightaway take it into consideration.
If a Bill is referred to a Select/Joint Committee, the Committee considers the Bill clause-by-clause just as the House does. Amendments can be moved to the various clauses by members of the Committee. The Committee can also take evidence of associations, public bodies or experts who are interested in the measure. After the Bill has thus been considered, the Committee submits its report to the House which considers the Bill again as reported by the Committee. If a Bill is circulated for the purpose of eliciting public opinion thereon, such opinions are obtained through the Governments of the States and Union Territories. Opinions so received are laid on the Table of the House and the next motion in regard to the Bill must be for its reference to a Select/Joint Committee. It is not ordinarily permissible at this stage to move the motion for consideration of the Bill.
Second Stage: The second stage of the Second Reading consists of clause-by-clause consideration of the Bill as introduced or as reported by Select/Joint Committee.
Discussion takes place on each clause of the Bill and amendments to clauses can be moved at this stage. Amendments to a clause have been moved but not withdrawn are put to the vote of the House before the relevant clause is disposed of by the House. The amendments become part of the Bill if they are accepted by a majority of members present and voting. After the clauses, the Schedules if any, clause 1, the Enacting Formula and the Long Title of the Bill have been adopted by the House, the Second Reading is deemed to be over.
Third Reading
Thereafter, the member-in-charge can move that the Bill be passed. This stage is known as the Third Reading of the Bill. At this stage the debate is confined to arguments either in support or rejection of the Bill without referring to the details thereof further than that are absolutely necessary. Only formal, verbal or consequential amendments are allowed to be moved at this stage. In passing an ordinary Bill, a simple majority of members present and voting is necessary. But in the case of a Bill to amend the Constitution, a majority of the total membership of the House and a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting is required in each House of Parliament.
Bill in the other House
After the Bill is passed by one House, it is sent to the other House for concurrence with a message to that effect, and there also it goes through the stages described above except the introduction stage.
Money Bills
Bills which exclusively contain provisions for imposition and abolition of taxes, for appropriation of moneys out of the Consolidated Fund, etc., are certified as Money Bills. Money Bills can be introduced only in Lok Sabha. Rajya Sabha cannot make amendments in a Money Bill passed by Lok Sabha and transmitted to it. It can, however, recommend amendments in a Money Bill, but must return all Money Bills to Lok Sabha within fourteen days from the date of their receipt. It is open to Lok Sabha to accept or reject any or all of the recommendations of Rajya Sabha with regard to a Money Bill. If Lok Sabha accepts any of the recommendations of Rajya Sabha, the Money Bill is deemed to have been passed by both Houses with amendments recommended by Rajya Sabha and accepted by Lok Sabha and if Lok Sabha does not accept any of the recommendations of Rajya Sabha, Money Bill is deemed to have been passed by both Houses in the form in which it was passed by Lok Sabha without any of the amendments recommended by Rajya Sabha. If a Money Bill passed by Lok Sabha and transmitted to Rajya Sabha for its recommendations is not returned to Lok Sabha within the said period of fourteen days, it is deemed to have been passed by both Houses at the expiration of the said period in the form in which it was passed by Lok Sabha.

Saturday, November 3, 2007

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.