Motion of thanks

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

Meaning

The Motion of Thanks is a formal motion moved in each House of Parliament to thank the President for the special address given to both Houses together under Article 87 [2]. In the Lok Sabha, defeat of this motion would mean defeat of the government. This makes it an indirect test of whether the government still has the confidence of the House.

Explanation

What the special address is

• Article 87: the President addresses both Houses sitting together at the start of two kinds of sessions [2]:
• the first session after each general election to the Lok Sabha;

• the first session of every year, which is usually the Budget session.

• In this address the President tells Parliament why it has been called (Art. 87(1)).

• The Address sets out the government's policies and plans. So when members debate the Address, they are really debating the government's record.
• Article 87(2): the rules of each House must set aside time to discuss the matters in the Address.

How the motion works, step by step

1. Moving: one member moves the Motion of Thanks and another member seconds it (supports it formally) [2].
2. Debate: members discuss the Address. They may move amendments, which are proposals to change the wording of the motion.
3. Reply: the Prime Minister replies to the debate.
4. Voting: the House decides the amendments first. It then puts the motion itself to vote [4]. - Type of motion: it is a substantive motion, meaning a complete proposal that does not depend on any other motion [3].

Amendments

• Fixed form: "…but regret that the Address does not mention / fails to mention…" [4].
• Scope: an amendment may be about what the Address says or about what it leaves out [4].
• General rules for amendments [3]:
• they must be relevant to the main motion;
• an amendment that only has the effect of a "No" vote is not allowed;
• notice must be given at least one day before, unless the Chairman waives this.

What defeat or amendment means

• In the Lok Sabha:
• If the motion is defeated, or passed with an amendment the government opposes, the government has lost the confidence of the House.

• Under collective responsibility (all ministers stand or fall together, Art. 75(3)), the Council of Ministers must then resign.

• In the Rajya Sabha:

• Defeat or amendment only shows that the government does not have a majority there.
• It does not bring the government down, because ministers answer only to the Lok Sabha (Art. 75(3)) [2][4].

In the Constitution and practice

• Constitutional basis: Article 87 sets out the special address. Article 87(2) asks the rules of each House to provide time for the debate. The Motion of Thanks is the procedure each House uses for that debate [2].
• Who takes part: both Houses debate the motion separately. Any member may move amendments. The Prime Minister answers the debate [4].
• Rajya Sabha practice: the Rajya Sabha has adopted the motion in amended form on five occasions [2]:
• 30 January 1980: the first time;
• 29 December 1989: with six amendments;
• 12 March 2001;
• 3 March 2015;

• 9 March 2016.

• Effect of these amendments:

• None of them brought a government down.

• They only showed that the ruling side lacked a majority in the Rajya Sabha [2][4].

• Lok Sabha practice: governments usually have a majority in the Lok Sabha, so the motion's main use there is the debate. It gives the Opposition a set occasion to question the government's whole policy record.

Don't confuse with

• No-confidence motion (Rule 198): this motion directly says the House has lost confidence in the Council of Ministers. It needs 50 members to support it and can be moved only in the Lok Sabha [1]. The Motion of Thanks is moved in both Houses, and it becomes a confidence test only indirectly.
• Confidence motion: the government moves it to prove it has a majority [1]. The Motion of Thanks is tied to the President's Address and comes up at fixed times under Art. 87.
• Art. 87 special address vs Art. 86 address: Art. 86 lets the President address either House, or both together, at any time. Art. 87 makes the address compulsory at the first session after a general election and the first session of each year. The Motion of Thanks follows the Art. 87 address.
• Amended Motion of Thanks in the Rajya Sabha vs defeat in the Lok Sabha: an amended or defeated motion in the Rajya Sabha does not bring the government down [2][4]. A defeat in the Lok Sabha means the government must resign.

Prelims Hooks

• Article 87 covers the President's special address to both Houses at the first session after each general election and the first session of each year. The Motion of Thanks follows this address [2].
• The Motion of Thanks is a substantive motion [3].
• Amendments take the form "…but regret that the Address does not mention…". They are decided before the motion is put to vote [4].
• The Rajya Sabha adopted the motion in amended form 5 times: 1980 (the first), 1989 (with six amendments), 2001, 2015 and 2016 [2].
• Trap: "An amended Motion of Thanks in the Rajya Sabha forces the government to resign." This is false. Under Art. 75(3), the government is responsible only to the Lok Sabha [2][4].
• Trap: "The Motion of Thanks is moved only in the Lok Sabha." This is false. It is moved in each House. Only the Lok Sabha outcome decides the government's survival.

Mains Points

• A tool for accountability, not just a formality:
• The government writes the Address, so the debate on it lets Parliament question the government's whole policy record each year.

• The "regret" amendments let the Opposition record what the government has left out [4].

• Bicameral tension:

• The five amended motions in the Rajya Sabha (1980–2016) show that a government without a majority there can face public embarrassment [2].
• Because Art. 75(3) makes ministers answer only to the Lok Sabha, these defeats are symbolic. They do not remove the government.

• This shows the Rajya Sabha's role as a revising and checking House, not a House that decides who governs.

• Lok Sabha confidence test in practice:

• With stable majorities, defeat in the Lok Sabha is unlikely, so the motion's real value is the debate and the Prime Minister's reply.
• Reform idea: set aside fixed debate time and give fuller replies to the amendments. This would make the yearly review more meaningful.

Related concepts

• Substantive motion
• Closure motion
• Closure by compartments
• Kangaroo closure
• Adjournment motion
• Suspension of business motion
• Censure motion
• No-confidence motion
• Confidence motion
• Resolution

Read more

• Motions and resolutions: from debate to confidence