ParliamentPresident's address 2013 and the status of past promisesJhalak- February 28, 2013The Budget session 2013 commenced with the President, Pranab Mukherjee, addressing Parliament on February 21, 2013.  The address is a statement of the policy of the government.  Yesterday a Motion of Thanks was moved in the Lok Sabha and a detailed discussion took place on the President’s address.  (The significance of the President’s speech has been discussed in an article published in theIndian Express.) Below are some legislative and policy items from the agenda of the central government outlined in the speech.Amend the Prevention of Corruption Act to punish the guilty and protect the honest public servants more effectively.The Direct Benefits Transfer system has been launched to enable government sponsored benefits such as scholarships, pensions and maternity benefits to be deposited in the beneficiaries Aadhaar linked accounts. This will be expanded to cover wages and subsidies on food and LPG. This system will not substitute public services and will be complementary to the Public Distribution System.In a bid to promote Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, 20% of all government procurement is required to be from Micro and Small Enterprises.The coverage under the Mid-day Meal Programme to be expanded to pre-primary schools.Godown storage capacity of 181 lakh tons will be created between 2013 and 2015 across the country with additional storage space of 5.4 lakh tons in the North East.A Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project for Low Income States, estimated at nearly Rs 5000 crore, is being developed to assist States that are lagging behind in the coverage of piped water supply.Two and a half lakh gram panchayats will be connected with broadband facility under the National Optical Fibre Network project by December 2014.A shift in central funding to states for higher education through a new programme called the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan is being considered.The government proposes to establish two new major ports at Sagar Island, West Bengal and the other in Andhra Pradesh, with a total additional capacity of around 100 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA).  ‘In-principle’ approval has been given for setting up an airport at Aranmula (Kerala) apart from airports at Navi Mumbai, Mopa (Goa) and Kannur (Kerela).In 2012-13, 2600 km of roads are expected to be constructed and contracts for 3000 km of new roads are expected to be awarded. A new approach to road construction, the EPC mode, has been put in place. A length of 2900 km of highways will be put under the Operate, Maintain and Transfer system, which will improve road maintenance.Legislative and policyagenda outlined in President’s addresses between 2009-2012 and their  statusLegislation/PolicyStatusLegislations mentioned in the President’s Address between 2009-12To be introducedGoods and Services TaxConstitutional Amendment Bill introducedThe National Food Security BillIntroducedAmend the Land Acquisition Act and enact the Rehabilitation and Resettlement BillIntroducedSexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention Prohibition and Redressal) BillPassedThe Whistleblower BillPendingThe Judicial Standards and Accountability BillPendingThe Lokpal and Lokayuktas BillPendingA model Public Services Law (to cover officials providing important social services and commits them to their duties)Two bills introduced: the Electronic Services Delivery Bill and the Citizen’s Charter BillThe Right to Free and Compulsory Education BillPassedThe National Council for Higher Education BillIntroducedForeign Educational Institutions BillIntroducedProtection of Children from Sexual Offences BillPassedThe Women’s Reservation BillPendingThe Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) BillIntroducedThe Public Procurement BillIntroducedThe General Anti-Avoidance RulesScheduled for 2016[1]Amend of RTI Act (to provide for disclosure by government in all non-strategic areas)To be introducedPolicy items mentioned in the President’s Addresses between 2009-2012National Mission for Female Literacy – all women to be literate by 2013-14National Literacy Mission recast in September 2009 to focus on female literacy; as per 2011 census the female literacy rate in India is 65.46%[2]Disposal of remaining claims in 2010 under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers ActAs on February 28, 2010, 27.16 lakh claims had been filed, 7.59 lakh titles had been distributed and 36,000 titles were ready for distribution;[3]as on July 31, 2012, the number of claims filed for the recognition of forest rights and titles distributed are 32.28 lakh and 12.68 lakh respectively[4]Introduction of Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Minor Forest Produce (MFP) being consideredBased on the recommendations of the Committee constituted by Ministry of Panchayati Raj to look into aspects of MSP, Value addition and marketing of MFP in Fifth Schedule Areas, a Central Sector Scheme of MSP for MFP has been contemplated[5]Voting rights for Indian citizens living abroadBill passed; NRIs can vote at the place of residence mentioned in their passport12thPlan target growth 9% with 4% growth for the agricultural sectorGDP grew by 5.4% and the agriculture sector by 1.8% in the first half of the current fiscal year (2012-13)Establish national investment and manufacturing zones to promote growth in manufacturingUnder the National Manufacturing Policy, 12 National Investment and Manufacturing Zones are notified, 8 of them along the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor and 4 others at Nagpur, Tumkur, Chittor and MedakStrengthening public accountability of flagship programmes by the creation of an Independent Evaluation Office.Government has approved setting up of an Independent Evaluation Office and the Governing Board will be chaired by Deputy Chairman, Planning CommissionUnique Identity Card scheme to be implemented by 2011-12Bill to give statutory status pending in Parliament; enrollment until February 2013 is approximately 28 crore[6]Establishment of National Counter-Terrorism CentreProposed launch of NCTC in March 2011 on hold as consultation with states is on; meeting held by the union government with the Chief Ministers of all the States in May 2012Conversion of analog cable TV system to digital by December 2014Government has implemented the first phase of digitization in Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai; by March 31, 2013, 38 cities with a population of more than one million will be coveredA roadmap for judicial reform to be outlined by the end of 2009 and implemented in a time-bound mannerVision statement formulated in 2009 outlining road map for improving justice delivery and legal reforms and steps to reduce pendency in Courts; setting up of a National Mission for the Delivery of Justice and Legal Reforms to improve court administration and reduce pendency was approved in June 2011*Introducedmeans introduced in one House;Pendingmeans passed by one House and pending in the other House;Passedmeans passed by both Houses of Parliament.[1]“Major Recommendations of Expert Committee on GAAR Accepted”, Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Finance, January 14, 2013.[2]Lok Sabha, Starred Question No. 175, December 5, 2012, Ministry of Human Resource Development.[3]Lok Sabha, Unstarred Question No. 2672, March 12, 2010, Ministry of Tribal Affairs.[4]Lok Sabha, Starred Question No. 108, August 17, 2012, Ministry of Tribal Affairs.[5]“PM approves Constitution of National Council for Senior Citizens”, Press Information Bureau, February 1, 2012, Prime Minister’s Office.[6]https://portal.uidai.gov.in/uidwebportal/dashboard.doParliamentFirst no-confidence motion of the 17th Lok Sabha discussed todayNiranjana Menon- August 8, 2023Discussion on the first no-confidence motion of the 17thLok Sabha began today.  No-confidence motions and confidence motions are trust votes, used to test or demonstrate the support of Lok Sabha for the government in power.  Article 75(3) of the Constitution states that the government is collectively responsible to Lok Sabha.  This means that the government must always enjoy the support of a majority of the members of Lok Sabha.  Trust votes are used to examine this support.  The government resigns if a majority of members support a no-confidence motion, or reject a confidence motion.So far, 28 no-confidence motions (including the one being discussed today) and 11 confidence motions have beendiscussed.  Over the years, the number of such motions has reduced.  The mid-1960s and mid-1970s saw more no-confidence motions, whereas the 1990s saw more confidence motions.Figure1: Trust votes in ParliamentNote: *Term shorter than 5 years; **6-year term.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.The no-confidence motion being discussed today wasmovedon July 26, 2023.  A motion of no-confidence is moved with the support of at least 50 members.   The Speaker has the discretion to allot time for discussion of the motion.  TheRules of Procedurestate that the motion must be discussed within 10 days of being introduced.  This year, the no-confidence motion wasdiscussed13 calendar days after introduction.  Since the introduction of the no-confidence motion on July 26, 12 Bills have been introduced and 18 Bills have been passed by Lok Sabha.  In the past, on four occasions, the discussion on no-confidence motions began seven days after their introduction.  On these occasions, Bills and other important issues were debated before the discussion on the no-confidence motion began.Figure2: Members rise in support of the motion of no-confidence in Lok SabhaSource: Sansad TV, Lok Sabha, July 26, 2023; PRS.Figure3: Number of days from introduction to discussion on no-confidence motionsNote: Number of days implies calendar days.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.On average, no-confidence motions (excluding the one being discussed today) have been discussed for 13 hours over three days.  Discussions have lasted longer than 20 hours on four instances, most recently in 2003.  Today’s no-confidence motion was allotted 12 hours discussion time by theBusiness Advisory Committee.Following the discussion, the motion is put to vote.  26 out of 27 no-confidence motions (excluding the one being discussed today) have been voted upon and rejected.  This means that no government has ever had to resign following a vote of no-confidence.   On one occasion, in 1979, the discussion on a no-confidence motion against the Morarji Desai government remained inconclusive.  He resigned before the motion was put to vote.  50% of all no-confidence motions (14 out of 28) were discussed between 1965 and 1975.  Of these, 12 were against governments headed by Indira Gandhi.Figure4: Duration of discussion on no-confidence motionsNote: This graph excludes the no confidence motion moved on July 26, 2023.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.In comparison, confidence motions have a more varied history.  The first motion, brought in 1979 to demonstrate confidence in Charan Singh’s government, was not discussed at all.  The Prime Minister resigned before the discussion could take place.  Since then, 11 confidence motions have been discussed in Lok Sabha, with nine occurring in the 1990s.  During this period, several coalition governments were formed, and Prime Ministers sought to prove their majority throughconfidence motions.   These motions have been discussed, on average, for 12 hours over two days.Figure5: Duration of discussion of confidence motionsSource: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.Of the 11 confidence motions discussed in Lok Sabha, seven were accepted.  On three instances, governments had to resign as they could not prove that they had the support of the majority.  On one instance in 1996, the motion was not put to vote.  Following an eleven-hour discussion on this confidence motion, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced his intention to resign on the floor of the House.  He resigned 16 days into his term.Vajpayee became Prime Minister again in 1999, and faced another confidence motion.   This time, it was put to vote.   The motion was defeated by a margin of one vote.  This has been the closest result on a trust vote in the history of Lok Sabha.  The next closest result was when a motion of no-confidence against P V Narasimha Rao’s government was defeated by 14 votes in 1993.  In most cases, results have been in favour of the government by a large margin.«12345678910»
ParliamentPresident's address 2013 and the status of past promisesJhalak- February 28, 2013