Act: A Bill passed by both the Houses of Parliament and assented to by the President. Ad hoc Committee: A Committee constituted by the House or by the Chairman or by the presiding officers of both the Houses jointly to consider and report on specific matter and becomes functus officio as soon as the task is completed. Adjournment of the debate: Adjournment on a motion adopted by the House, of the debate on a Motion/Resolution/ Bill on which the House is then engaged to a future day or sine die as specified in the motion. Adjournment of the House: An adjournment terminates the sitting of the House which meets again at the time appointed for the next sitting. An adjournment also signifies brief break of the sitting of the House which re-assembles at the appointed time on the same day. Adjournment sine die: Termination of a sitting of the House without any definite date being fixed for the next sitting. Agenda Paper: This is equivalent to the List of Business issued under rule 31(1) and contains items of business to be taken up by the House in the order in which they stand in it. Appropriation Bill: A Bill passed annually (or at various times of the year) providing for the withdrawal or appropriation from and out of the Consolidated Fund of India of moneys by Lok Sabha and moneys charged on the Consolidated Fund for the services of a financial year or a part thereof. Ballot: A method applied to determine the relative precedence of Private Members’ Bills and Resolutions, notices for Half-an-Hour discussions, Questions, Adjournment Motions, Calling Attention, or any other notice given by more than one Member simultaneously on the same subject for being taken up at the same sitting. Bill: The draft of a legislative proposal which, when passed by both the Houses of Parliament and assented to by the President, becomes an Act. Budget: Annual financial statement of the estimated receipts and expenditure of the Government of India in respect of a financial year. The Budget is presented in Lok Sabha in two parts, namely, the Railway Budget pertaining to Railway Finance and the General Budget which gives an overall picture of the financial position of the Government of India excluding the Railways. [Article 112 and Rule 204] Bulletin: Bulletin means the Bulletin of the House. It is published in two parts, Part I containing a brief record of the proceedings of the House at each of its sittings; and Part II containing information on any matter relating to or connected with the Business of the House or Committees or other matter which in the opinion of the Speaker may be included therein. Calling Attention: A procedure whereby a Member calls the attention of a Minister to a matter of urgent public importance, the Minister makes a brief statement thereon and thereafter the Members seek clarifications. Casting Vote: The vote cast by the Speaker, or person acting as such in the House and by the Chairman or person acting as such in a Committee in the case of an equality of votes on a matter. The Speaker in giving his casting vote may state his reasons for taking the side in whose favour he votes but he is not bound to give such reasons. He almost always votes in such a way as to maintain the status quo or to postpone the settlement of the question. [Article 100(1) and Rule 262] Demand for Grant: The estimate of expenditure in respect of a Ministry/Department not charged upon the Consolidated Fund of India, placed for approval before the House on the recommendations of the President. [Article 113 (2) and (3), Rule 206] Dilatory motions: Motions for the adjournment of the debate on Bills, motions or resolutions etc. or motions to retard or to delay the progress of a business under consideration of the House. Debate on such motions should be restricted to the matter contained in such motions. Expunction: Deletion of words, phrases or expressions from the proceedings or records of the House by an order of the Speaker or from the proceedings or records of a Committee by an order of the Chairman of the Committee or the Speaker as being defamatory or indecent or unparliamentary or undignified. Finance Bill: A Bill ordinarily introduced each year to give effect to the financial proposals of the Government of India for the following financial year and includes a Bill to give effect to supplementary financial proposals for any period. Financial Bills can be divided into two categories: (i) In the first category are Bills which inter alia contain provisions for any of the matters specified in sub- clauses(a) to (f) of clause (1) of article 110 of the Constitution. Such a Bill cannot be introduced except on the recommendation of the President and a Bill making such provisions cannot be introduced in Rajya Sabha, and (ii) In the second category of Financial Bills are those Bills containing inter alia provisions which if enacted and brought into operation would involve expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of India. Such Bills cannot be passed by either House of Parliament unless the President has recommended to that House the consideration of the Bill. [Article 117] [To be continued...] Source: http://parliamentofindia.nic.in/ls/handbook/chapter2.pdf
