Closure motion

Polity & Governance glossary

Topic: Parliamentary Procedure, Committees and Privileges · NCERT: Beyond NCERT

Meaning

A closure motion is a motion (a formal proposal put to the House) to end a debate so that the matter can be put to vote. A member moves it, and the House decides whether to accept it. It exists because debate cannot go on forever, and the House must finish its business. Closure takes four forms:

  • simple closure: the debate stops and the matter is voted on;
  • closure by compartments: clauses are grouped, and each group is debated and voted as a whole;
  • kangaroo closure: only the key clauses are taken up, and the rest are treated as passed;
  • guillotine: all remaining matters are put to vote without discussion when the allotted time runs out.

Example

During the budget, on the last day set aside for voting on demands for grants (the requests for money for each ministry), all remaining demands are put to vote without discussion. This guillotine is a form of closure. In the 17th Lok Sabha, about 80% of budgets were voted this way.

Don't confuse with

  • Adjournment: the presiding officer pauses the sitting itself. A closure motion ends one debate and brings it to a vote.

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