On July 21, the Monsoon Session of Parliament was once again disrupted as opposition members called for the suspension of business in response to a shocking video showing women of Kuki tribe being publicly humiliated in Manipur.
Opposition parties requested a discussion on the violence in Manipur by issuing a notice under Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha which calls for the suspension of a day’s business to discuss an issue. The government, on the other hand, expressed their willingness to discuss the situation in Manipur through a short-duration discussion under Rule 176.
What Are Rules 267 And 176?
Rule 267 and Rule 176 both involve discussions, but the main difference is the length of time allocated. Rule 267 requires a longer discussion compared to Rule 176, which has a shorter discussion period.
In the book, the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States, Rule 267 states, “Any member, may, with the consent of the Chairman, move that any rule may be suspended in its application to a motion related to the business listed before the Council of that day and if the motion is carried, the rule in question shall be suspended for the time being: Provided further that this rule shall not apply where specific provision already exists for suspension of a rule under a particular chapter of the Rules.”
The Rule 176 specifies a discussion that should be brief and last no more than two and a half hours.
“Any member desirous of raising discussion on a matter of urgent public importance may give notice in writing to the Secretary-General specifying clearly and precisely the matter to be raised: Provided that the notice shall be accompanied by an explanatory note stating reasons for raising discussion on the matter in question: Provided further that the notice shall be supported by the signatures of at least two other members,” the rule states.
“If the Chairman is satisfied, after calling for such information from the member who has given notice and from the Minister as he may consider necessary, that the matter is urgent… (then) he may admit the notice and in consultation with the Leader of the Council fix the date on which such matter may be taken up for discussion and allow such time for discussion, not exceeding two and a half hours,” the Rule 177 states.
According to rules 176 and 177, an urgent matter can be discussed for a short duration immediately, a few hours later, on the next day, or at a scheduled date and time.
The Bone Of Contention
The government was pressing for Rule 176, since there would be a statement from the Union Minister and few more MPs would speak on the issue and the House will move to the regular proceedings. Under the rule, the discussion can only go for a maximum duration of 2.5 hours.
However Rule 267 allows for the suspension of all pre-decided government agendas during discussion, the duration of which is currently not established. Under Rule 267, the Prime Minister is not required to remain in the house for the entire duration of the discussion as the discussions can be lengthy.
Things To Remember
- Parliamentary records reveal that in the period from 1990 to 2016, Rule 267 was invoked on 11 occasions for a variety of discussions. The most recent use of the Rule was in 2016 when Chairman Hamid Ansari permitted a debate regarding the “demonetisation of currency”.
- There are other ways for MPs to question the government and receive a response aside from Rule 267. As part of the Question Hour, MPs can ask about any issue and the appropriate minister will provide either oral or written answers.
- During the Zero Hour, 15 MPs are given the opportunity to raise issues of their choice each day. MPs can also raise issues during Special Mention, with up to 7 allowed daily by the Chairman.