Parliamentary Terms — Set 3

Correct Answer: A. Policy Cut Motion

• **Policy Cut Motion** = a motion to reduce a demand for grants to Re. 1, symbolically rejecting the entire policy underlying that demand. • **Re. 1 symbolism** — reducing the demand to Re. 1 (not zero) signals total disapproval of the policy; the House is saying 'we reject this policy but acknowledge the ministry's existence with a token rupee'. • 💡 Option B (Program Cut Motion) is wrong — 'Program Cut Motion' is not a recognized parliamentary category; it is a distracter. Option C (Token Cut Motion) is wrong — Token Cut Motion reduces the demand by Rs. 100 to raise a specific grievance; it does not signal total policy rejection. Option D (Economy Cut Motion) is wrong — Economy Cut Motion proposes reducing by a specified amount to suggest government should economize; it does not reduce to Re. 1.

Correct Answer: D. Economy Cut Motion

• **Economy Cut Motion** = a motion to reduce a demand for grants by a specified amount, expressing the view that the money required can be economized. • **'Specified amount'** — unlike the Policy Cut (Re. 1 symbolic rejection), the Economy Cut names a specific figure (e.g., reduce by Rs. 50 crore), suggesting the expenditure is unnecessarily high. • 💡 Option A (Budget Cut Motion) is wrong — 'Budget Cut Motion' is not a parliamentary term; it is a non-existent category used as a distracter. Option B (Token Cut Motion) is wrong — Token Cut Motion reduces the demand by Rs. 100 to voice a specific grievance, not to suggest broad economies in spending. Option C (Policy Cut Motion) is wrong — Policy Cut Motion reduces to Re. 1 to completely reject the policy; it is not about economizing a specified amount.

Correct Answer: B. Token Cut Motion

• **Token Cut Motion** = a motion to reduce a demand for grants by Rs. 100 as a symbolic gesture to draw the government's attention to a specific grievance falling within its responsibility. • **Rs. 100 symbolism** — the token amount of Rs. 100 signals that the member does not oppose the policy or spending level but wants to highlight a particular specific complaint or matter. • 💡 Option A (Specific Cut Motion) is wrong — 'Specific Cut Motion' is not a standard parliamentary category; it is a distracter designed to confuse with 'specific grievance'. Option C (Policy Cut Motion) is wrong — Policy Cut Motion reduces the demand to Re. 1 to reject the entire policy, not to voice a specific complaint. Option D (Economy Cut Motion) is wrong — Economy Cut Motion targets the total expenditure amount as excessive; it does not raise a specific grievance.

Correct Answer: D. Vote of Credit

• **Vote of Credit** = a parliamentary authorization granted to the executive to draw funds from the Consolidated Fund for meeting an unexpected demand whose details cannot be specified in advance (e.g., national emergency, war). • **'Blank cheque' nature** — unlike a regular grant where purpose and amount are debated, a Vote of Credit specifies only the amount, leaving usage undefined; this makes it effectively a blank cheque for the executive. • 💡 Option A (Supplementary Grant) is wrong — Supplementary Grant is for additional spending when the original grant is insufficient for a known purpose; details are specified. Option B (Excess Grant) is wrong — Excess Grant is voted after the financial year ends to regularize spending that exceeded the original grant. Option C (Vote on Account) is wrong — Vote on Account allows the government to draw funds for a few months (usually 2) pending passage of the Appropriation Bill; the purpose is known, not indefinite.

Correct Answer: D. Vote on Account

• **Vote on Account** = a special parliamentary grant that authorizes the government to withdraw money from the Consolidated Fund of India for a limited period (usually 2 months) before the Appropriation Bill is passed. • **Why it exists** — the full budget discussion and Appropriation Bill passage takes time; Vote on Account ensures government administration is not interrupted during the interim period from April 1. • 💡 Option A (Excess Grant) is wrong — Excess Grant is given after the financial year ends to cover overspending; it is backward-looking, not a forward authorization. Option B (Vote of Credit) is wrong — Vote of Credit is for unexpected demands whose details cannot be stated; Vote on Account is for known routine administration with a defined short-term period. Option C (Token Grant) is wrong — Token Grant is a nominal grant of a small amount to enable expenditure on a new service; it is not the same as withdrawing funds pending full budget passage.

Correct Answer: C. Excess Grant

• **Excess Grant** = a parliamentary grant voted after the close of the financial year to regularize expenditure that has exceeded the amount originally granted for a service. • **PAC approval first** — before being voted on by Parliament, an Excess Grant must be; it cannot be directly moved without PAC clearance. • 💡 Option A (Supplementary Grant) is wrong — Supplementary Grant is made during the financial year when the original grant proves insufficient; it covers a known shortfall in advance, unlike Excess Grant which is post-fact. Option B (Exceptional Grant) is wrong — 'Exceptional Grant' is not a standard parliamentary category; it is a non-existent term used as a distracter. Option D (Additional Grant) is wrong — 'Additional Grant' is also not a recognized parliamentary financial term in the Indian context.

Correct Answer: A. Starred Question

• **Starred Question** = a parliamentary question distinguished by an asterisk (*) that requires an oral answer from the concerned minister on the floor of the House. • **Supplementary questions** — after the minister gives the oral answer, the member who asked the question (and other members) can ask supplementary questions for clarification; this is unique to Starred Questions. • 💡 Option B (Private Member Question) is wrong — a Private Member Question is asked by a non-minister MP; it is a category based on who asks, not how it is answered; it can be either Starred or Unstarred. Option C (Unstarred Question) is wrong — Unstarred Questions receive written answers placed on the table; no supplementary questions are permitted. Option D (Short Notice Question) is wrong — Short Notice Questions are asked with less than 10 days' notice for urgent matters; they get oral answers but are a separate category from Starred Questions.

Correct Answer: D. 10 days

• **Short Notice Question** = a parliamentary question on a matter of urgent public importance that can be asked with a notice period shorter than 10 days; it receives an oral answer. • **Speaker's discretion** — the Speaker decides whether the matter is sufficiently urgent to admit the question with short notice; the minister may ask for time to reply if the notice is too short. • 💡 Option A (7 days) is wrong — 7 days is not the threshold; the correct notice period for Short Notice Questions is less than 10 days. Option B (21 days) is wrong — 21 days is a significantly longer period unrelated to Short Notice Question procedure. Option C (14 days) is wrong — 14 days exceeds the 10-day threshold; Short Notice Questions are by definition those with less than 10 days' notice.

Correct Answer: C. Unstarred Question

• **Unstarred Question** = a parliamentary question that receives a written answer, placed on the table of the House; it does not require an oral reply from the minister on the floor. • **No supplementary questions** — since there is no oral answer, no supplementary questions can follow; the written reply is the final response; Unstarred Question lists are printed in white. • 💡 Option A (Starred Question) is wrong — Starred Questions demand oral answers and allow supplementary questions; they are printed on green lists. Option B (Short Notice Question) is wrong — Short Notice Questions receive oral answers for urgent matters and can have supplementaries; they are not written-answer questions. Option D (Zero Hour Question) is wrong — 'Zero Hour Question' is not a formal category; Zero Hour is a time period for raising matters without notice, not a formal question type.

Correct Answer: D. Special Mention

• **Special Mention** = a procedural device in the Rajya Sabha that allows members to bring matters of public importance to the attention of the House when no other rule covers the matter; it is the Rajya Sabha equivalent of Lok Sabha's Rule 377. • **Rule 377 (Lok Sabha)** — Under Rule 377, Lok Sabha members can raise matters of public importance not covered by other procedures; both Special Mention and Rule 377 are used to flag issues briefly without debate. • 💡 Option A (Point of Order) is wrong — Point of Order is about procedural violations/rule interpretation; it is available in both Houses and is entirely different from Special Mention's purpose of raising public issues. Option B (Short Duration Discussion) is wrong — Short Duration Discussion allows a 2-hour debate on a specific matter; it requires notice and is available in both Houses. Option C (Calling Attention) is wrong — Calling Attention is directed specifically at a minister for a ministerial statement on an urgent matter; it is not a general device for raising public issues like Special Mention.