Sessions, Quorum, Questions, Motions and the Anti-Defection Law (ICSE Class 10 Civics)
Updated 17 October 2026 · Fact-checked
Parliament works through sessions (at most six months between two sittings). A House needs a quorum of one-tenth of its members. Question Hour has starred (oral), unstarred (written) and short notice questions; Zero Hour is unscheduled. A no-confidence motion, if passed in the Lok Sabha, forces the whole ministry to resign. The Anti-Defection Law (Tenth Schedule, 1985) disqualifies members who defect.
Adjournment ends a sitting (presiding officer), prorogation ends a session (President), dissolution ends the Lok Sabha; sessions are at most six months apart.
Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.
Understand Parliamentary Procedures and the Anti-Defection Law
The syllabus says a brief idea of parliamentary procedures is enough. Give meaning, one distinguishing point and, where asked, the effect.
1. Session, adjournment, prorogation, dissolution.
- A *session* is the period in which a House meets daily for business. The President summons each House. The gap between the last sitting of one session and the first of the next may not exceed six months, so there are at least two sessions a year (Budget, Monsoon and Winter in practice).
- *Adjournment* ends one day's sitting or pauses it; the presiding officer does it.
- *Prorogation* ends the session; the President does it.
- *Dissolution* ends the life of the Lok Sabha; the Rajya Sabha cannot be dissolved.
2. Quorum. The least number of members who must be present for business. It is one-tenth of the total membership of the House, counting the presiding officer. If it is lacking, the presiding officer adjourns the House or suspends the sitting.
3. Question Hour and kinds of questions. The first hour of a sitting, when members question ministers about their departments. It keeps the executive answerable.
- *Starred:* marked with a star; answered orally; supplementary questions allowed.
- *Unstarred:* answer given in writing and laid on the table; no supplementary questions.
- *Short notice:* on an urgent public matter, asked at shorter notice than the rules require; answered orally; minister may say whether he can reply at short notice.
4. Zero Hour. The interval after Question Hour in which members raise urgent matters without advance notice. It is not mentioned in the rules; it is an Indian practice.
5. Adjournment motion and no-confidence motion.
- *Adjournment motion:* sets aside normal business to discuss a definite matter of urgent public importance. It needs the Speaker's consent and support of at least 50 members. It censures the government but does not remove it.
- *No-confidence motion:* moved only in the Lok Sabha to declare that the House has no confidence in the Council of Ministers. At least 50 members must support its admission. If passed, the entire Council of Ministers, with the Prime Minister, must resign.
6. Anti-Defection Law. Added by the 52nd Amendment (1985) as the Tenth Schedule to stop legislators switching parties for gain and toppling governments. A member is disqualified if he:
- voluntarily gives up the membership of his party;
- votes or abstains against the party whip without permission, unless the party condones it within 15 days;
- as an independent member, joins a party after being elected;
- as a nominated member, joins a party after six months of taking his seat.
*Exception:* a merger of the party with another is protected if two-thirds of its legislators agree. The presiding officer decides on disqualification (Speaker or Chairman), subject to judicial review.
Parliamentary Procedures and the Anti-Defection Law: key facts
- Quorum
- One-tenth of total membership
- Counted with presiding officer
- Lack of quorum: adjourn or suspend
- Same rule for both Houses.
- Questions
Starred oral, supplementaries Unstarred written, no supplementaries Short notice urgent, shorter notice - Three kinds.
- Motions
- Adjournment: urgent matter, censure
- No-confidence: Lok Sabha only, ministry resigns
- Support of 50 members
- Two motions.
- Anti-Defection
- Tenth Schedule
- 52nd Amendment 1985
- Merger needs two-thirds
- Decided by presiding officer
- Four anchors.
How to answer Parliamentary Procedures and the Anti-Defection Law questions
These are 2-3 mark items and often a 4-mark distinction. Give a definition plus one clear feature.
- 1Start with the meaning in one line.
- 2Add the number or authority (one-tenth, 50 members, presiding officer).
- 3State the effect (adjourn, censure, resign, disqualify).
- 4For distinctions, use two columns or two matching points.
Parliamentary Procedures and the Anti-Defection Law in real life
The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.
Quorum
Suppose a club has 200 members and its rules need one-tenth present before a vote can be taken.
How many must attend, and what if only 15 are present?
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- One-tenth of 200 is 20.
- 15 is less than 20.
- The meeting cannot do business.
Answer: 20 members must be present; with 15 the chairman must adjourn or suspend the meeting.
Memory hook: Ten per cent to proceed.
Switching sides
Imagine a captain picked a team under a promise to follow the team plan, but a player changes to the rival team the moment the match starts.
Which rule of Parliament does this resemble and what is the usual consequence?
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- The player gave up loyalty to the team.
- The Anti-Defection Law treats such a switch as grounds for disqualification.
- A merger by two-thirds is the protected route.
Answer: It resembles defection; the member is disqualified unless the change is a merger backed by two-thirds of the legislature party.
Memory hook: Two-thirds is the only safe door.
Tricks to remember Parliamentary Procedures and the Anti-Defection Law
Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.
SUN-Z
Starred oral, Unstarred written, Notice short; Zero Hour no notice.
Use it when: Questions in Parliament.
Fifty and one-tenth
Fifty members for a motion; one-tenth for quorum.
Use it when: Two numbers.
Give up, defy, join
Give up the party, defy the whip, join a party as independent or nominee.
Use it when: Grounds for defection.
Parliamentary Procedures and the Anti-Defection Law: solved examples
Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.
Example 1: Quorum · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level
What is quorum? What happens if it is lacking? [2]
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Minimum members who must be present: one-tenth of total (1 mark).
- Presiding officer adjourns or suspends the sitting (1 mark).
Answer: Quorum is the minimum number of members, one-tenth of the total membership including the presiding officer, who must be present for the House to transact business. If it is lacking, the presiding officer adjourns the House or suspends the sitting until there is a quorum.
Example 2: Zero Hour · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level
What is Zero Hour? How does it differ from Question Hour? [3]
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Time after Question Hour for urgent issues (1 mark).
- No prior notice (1 mark).
- Question Hour has questions to ministers on notice (1 mark).
Answer: Zero Hour follows Question Hour and lets members raise urgent matters without prior notice. In Question Hour members ask ministers questions that have been submitted in advance and are answered orally or in writing.
Example 3: Types of questions · 5 marks · Short answerHarder board level
One member wishes to question a minister orally on the floor and follow up with further questions; another wants a written reply for the record; a third raises a sudden matter of urgent public concern at short notice. Name each type of question and state one feature of each. [5]
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Starred: oral answer, supplementaries (2 marks).
- Unstarred: written answer, none (2 marks).
- Short notice: urgent public matter, shorter notice (1 mark).
Answer: A starred question is marked with an asterisk and answered orally on the floor of the House, and members may ask supplementary questions. An unstarred question receives a written reply laid on the table and no supplementary questions are permitted. A short notice question concerns a matter of urgent public importance and is asked at shorter notice than the rules otherwise require.
Example 4: Defection · 6 marks · Long answerHarder board level
State the circumstances in which a member can be disqualified under the Anti-Defection Law. What is the exception? [6]
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Four grounds (4 marks).
- Exception: two-thirds merger (1 mark).
- Who decides (1 mark).
Answer: A member is disqualified if he voluntarily gives up membership of his party; votes or abstains contrary to the party whip without permission and without the party condoning within 15 days; as an independent joins a party after his election; or as a nominated member joins a party after six months. A merger of the party with another is not disqualification if two-thirds of its legislators agree. The Speaker or Chairman decides, and the decision can be judicially reviewed.
Example 5: Case: a ministry loses · 6 marks · Case-basedHOTS / competency
Case. In the Lok Sabha a motion supported by the required members is debated; the House passes it by majority. (i) Name the motion. [1] (ii) How many members must support it for admission? [1] (iii) What must the Council of Ministers do? [2] (iv) Why is the motion confined to the Lok Sabha? [2]
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- (i) No-confidence motion (1 mark).
- (ii) At least 50 (1 mark).
- (iii) The whole ministry resigns (2 marks).
- (iv) The ministry is responsible to the Lok Sabha (2 marks).
Answer: (i) A no-confidence motion. (ii) At least 50 members. (iii) The entire Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister must resign. (iv) Because the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible only to the Lok Sabha, which is directly elected; the Rajya Sabha cannot dismiss it.
Where students lose marks in Parliamentary Procedures and the Anti-Defection Law
The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.
Mistake: Mixing quorum fractions
Writing one-fourth or half.
Wrong working
Quorum is one-half of the House.
Right working
One-tenth of the total membership.
Do this: Think ten per cent.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Confusing adjournment with prorogation
Giving the President the power to adjourn.
Wrong working
The President adjourns each sitting.
Right working
The presiding officer adjourns; the President prorogues.
Do this: Pair officer-adjourn, President-prorogue.
Usually costs: 1-2 marks.
Mistake: No-confidence in the Rajya Sabha
Moving the motion in either House.
Wrong working
A no-confidence motion may be moved in the Rajya Sabha.
Right working
Only in the Lok Sabha.
Do this: Say Lok Sabha every time.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Writing the wrong exception
Citing a one-third split.
Wrong working
A one-third split is allowed.
Right working
A merger needs two-thirds; the one-third split rule was removed by the 91st Amendment, 2003.
Do this: Write two-thirds.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Exam tips
- Define each term in one line before adding the feature.
- In distinctions, write matching points for both sides, such as oral and written.
- Always name the presiding officer who decides on defection.
Practice questions on Parliamentary Procedures and the Anti-Defection Law
Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.
Q1 · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level
What is the difference between adjournment and prorogation? [2]
Hint
Who does it and what ends?
Answer
Adjournment is ordered by the presiding officer and ends a sitting for a few hours or days; prorogation is ordered by the President and ends the session.
Q2 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
What political problem led to the Tenth Schedule in 1985, and how does the law try to solve it? [3]
Hint
Instability and the Tenth Schedule.
Answer
Frequent party-switching for personal gain was making governments unstable and corrupting politics. The 52nd Amendment (1985) added the Tenth Schedule to disqualify defectors.
Q3 · 4 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Compare an adjournment motion with a no-confidence motion. [4]
Hint
Purpose and effect.
Answer
An adjournment motion sets aside normal business to discuss a specific urgent matter and is a form of censure, but it does not remove the government. A no-confidence motion declares that the House has no confidence in the Council of Ministers, can be moved only in the Lok Sabha, and if passed the entire ministry must resign. Both need the support of at least 50 members to be admitted.
Q4 · 4 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Explain how the Question Hour keeps the executive accountable. [4]
Hint
Use starred and unstarred questions.
Answer
Ministers must answer questions about the work of their ministries. Starred questions are answered orally with supplementary questions, so the minister can be pressed publicly; unstarred answers are written and become a record. This exposes mistakes and inefficiency and keeps ministers answerable to Parliament.
Q5 · 4 marks · Case-basedHOTS / competency
A party member votes against his party whip and the party does not condone it. Another group of two-thirds of the legislators merge with a different party. Who is disqualified? Explain using the Anti-Defection Law. [4]
Hint
Compare the two.
Answer
The member who voted against the whip without permission and without condonation within 15 days is disqualified. The two-thirds merger is protected as an exception, so the merging members are not disqualified. The presiding officer decides the question.
Test your recall
Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.
1.Who prorogues a session?Show answer
The President.
2.How many members must support a no-confidence motion?Show answer
At least 50.
3.Which questions are answered in writing?Show answer
Unstarred questions.
4.Which Schedule contains the Anti-Defection Law?Show answer
The Tenth Schedule.
5.What fraction of members forms the quorum?Show answer
One-tenth.
6.Is Zero Hour in the rules of procedure?Show answer
No, it is an Indian parliamentary practice.
Parliamentary Procedures and the Anti-Defection Law: frequently asked questions
Can supplementary questions be asked to unstarred questions?
No; only starred and short notice questions allow them.
What happens if the Lok Sabha passes a no-confidence motion?
The whole Council of Ministers resigns.
Who decides disqualification for defection?
The Speaker in the Lok Sabha and the Chairman in the Rajya Sabha.
How long can Parliament remain without meeting?
Not more than six months between two sessions.