EDITORIALS & ARTICLES
Motion of Thanks
- The Motion of Thanks is a parliamentary procedure in which a formal motion is presented to express gratitude or appreciation for the President’s Address to both Houses of Parliament.
- The President’s Address is a statement of policy of the Government and, as such, is drafted by the Government. It contains a review of various activities and achievements of the Government during the previous year and sets out the policies, projects and programmes which the Government wishes to pursue concerning important national and international issues.
- Article 87 of the Constitution of India states that the President will address both Houses of Parliament at the beginning of the first session after each general election and at the beginning of the first session of each year. The President will also inform Parliament of the reasons for its summons.
- The rules that govern the procedure of either House will make provisions for the allotment of time for discussion of the matters referred to in the address.
- Such an Address is called a ''special address'', and it is also an annual feature.
- The address of the president, akin to the ''speech from the Throne'' in Britain, is discussed in both Houses of Parliament through a motion called the ''Motion of Thanks.''
- If any of the amendments are put forward and accepted then the Motion of Thanks is adopted in the amended form.
- Amendments may refer to matters contained in the Address as well as to matters which, in the opinion of the member, the Address has failed to mention.
- At the end of the discussion, the motion is put to vote.
- The discussion is concluded by the reply of the Prime Minister or any other Minister. Immediately thereafter, the amendments are disposed of and the Motion of Thanks is put to vote and adopted.
- The Motion of Thanks must be passed in the House. Otherwise, it amounts to the defeat of the government. It is one of the ways through which the Lok Sabha can also express a lack of confidence in the government.
- The limitation of motion of thanks is that the members cannot refer to matters that are not under the direct responsibility of the Central Government or mention the name of the President in the debate.
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