Adjournment Motion: Meaning, Procedure and Restrictions

Adjournment Motion

Adjournment Motion is said to be an extraordinary practice as it interrupts the normal meetings in the Lok Sabha. Adjournment Motion can only be moved in the Lok Sabha and never in the Rajya Sabha. The purpose of the adjournment motion, which must receive the support of 50 members to be accepted, is to call the House’s attention to a specific issue of urgent public significance.

In order to challenge the government over the three contentious farm laws, the Shiromani Akali Dal decided to introduce an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha in the year 2021.

Adjournment Motion Notes

Adjournment Motion – Meaning

The adjournment motion’s goal is to draw the House’s attention to a particular matter of urgent public importance; it needs the support of 50 members to be approved. It might be considered one of the crucial tools used in legislative processes.

• Constitution of India
• Types of Motions in the Indian Parliament

The topic of the adjournment motion must be connected, either directly or indirectly, to the actions or failure to act of the Union Government. It must specifically identify where the Indian government has fallen short in carrying out its obligations in line with the law and constitutional requirements.

Under the adjournment motion, a matter that is within the purview of a State Government is not admissible, but a matter that relates to constitutional changes in a State or atrocities committed against the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other weaker groups of society and which brings the Union Government into the picture may be given merit-based consideration for admission.

Adjournment Motion – Procedure of Notice

The Procedure of Notice for an Adjournment Motion has been explained below:

• All copies of the notice should be submitted to the Parliamentary Notice Office.
• A member can only submit one notice.
• A notice is deemed to be given by the first signatory if it holds multiple signatures.
• A ballot is held that confirms the priority of the notices submitted for the same matter.
• Only notices which are given in writing are accepted.
• The concerning matter needs to be supported by 50 members.
• The Lok Sabha Speaker may read out or hear out the notice and ask for a brief statement regarding the issue concerned before giving their decision of affirmation or rejection for such a meeting.

Discussion Time for Adjournment Motion

The adjournment motion is typically discussed at 16.00 hours, and the discussion time allocated is not less than 2.5 hours, unless the debate is finished early.

The Lok Sabha Speaker cannot adjourn the House for the day while the motion is being debated since the Speaker has the authority to decide whether to adjourn or not. Even if a request is made to do so, the Speaker is not permitted to move the voting to the next session. Before the House adjourns, the adjournment motion must be decided.

Restrictions of Adjournment Motion

Adjournment Motion is considered one of the crucial tools used in legislative processes. A minimum of 2 hours and 30 minutes should be allotted for the discussion of the adjournment motion. However, the following limitations apply to the ability to move a motion for an adjournment of the House’s business.

• Bring up a topic that is specific, factual, urgent, and of general interest.
• Does not dispute parliamentary privilege in any way.
• Does not pose any inquiries that could be asked in response to a specific motion.
• Reviving a topic that has already been handled in the same session of the Parliament is not permissible.
• Does not deal with more than one issue.
• Is limited to a certain recent occurrence.
• Not dealing with any issues that are being decided by the court.

Facts About Adjournment Motion

Below, there are some key points about the notion of an Adjournment Motion:

• It is regarded as a censure against the government; hence, it cannot be used in the Rajya Sabha.
• Once the motion is passed in Lok Sabha, it can affect the regular ongoing meetings and can be transformed into a full-length debate. However, the meetings after an Adjournment Motion cannot exceed more than two hours and thirty minutes.
• The major objective of an Adjournment Motion is to bring forth a serious issue that is of public concern and with severe repercussions. It must be mentioned that such an issue cannot wait for resolution with proper notice.
• The matter proposed should be directly or indirectly related to the default on the part of the Union Government.
• It must mention the failure of the Indian Government in performing its duties according to the Indian Constitution.
• The Chair can refuse the Adjournment Motion without stressing the reasons for the refusal.

Adjournment Motion UPSC

An Adjournment Motion is a one-of-its-kind motion that empowers the members of Lok Sabha to prioritize issues that need quick decision-making. It breaks the hierarchy of the Parliament in moving a matter to debate and gives a constitutional right to the members to point out faults of the Central Government relating to the issue.

The Adjournment Motion is important for the UPSC Exam, under the GS Paper 2 of the UPSC Syllabus. Candidates should be well aware of the motions in Parliament.

Adjournment Motion UPSC Question

Question: In the Parliament of India, the purpose of an Adjournment Motion is:

1. to allow a discussion on a definite matter of urgent public importance
2. to cover two or more topics quickly
3. to allow a reduction of a specific amount in demand for a grant
4. to thank the president for his presence.

Answer: Option A

UPSC Notes
Agricultural Produce Market Committee	Powers of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha
Aravalli Range	Arbitration Council of India
Functions of Parliament	Electric Vehicles
No Confidence Motion	Zero Hour in Parliament