Calling Attention Motion: Meaning, Purpose and Related Devices
A calling attention motion lets an MP call a minister's attention to an urgent public matter and seek an authoritative statement, without censuring the government.
At a glance
A device to call a minister's attention to an urgent public matter and seek an authoritative statement.
Indian innovation in existence since 1952; involves no censure of the government.
Provides an informational check on the executive without forcing a confrontational, censure-laden debate.
Timeline
A calling attention motion is a procedural device that allows a member of Parliament to call the attention of a minister to a matter of urgent public importance and to seek an authoritative statement from that minister on the issue. Unlike some other tools of parliamentary control, it does not carry any element of censure against the government — its purpose is informational and clarificatory rather than accusatory.
Origin
The calling attention motion is an Indian innovation in parliamentary procedure, meaning it does not derive from the Westminster model but was developed within India's own parliamentary practice. It has been in existence since 1952, making it one of the early procedural devices introduced after the first general elections, alongside other India-specific mechanisms designed to strengthen legislative oversight of the executive.
Purpose and Character
The defining features of the calling attention motion are:
- It is introduced by a member to draw a minister's attention to a matter of urgent public importance.
- Its main purpose is to obtain an authoritative statement from the minister concerned on that matter.
- It does not involve censure of the government — the member is seeking clarification and accountability through information, not condemning the government's conduct.
Calling Attention Motion vs Adjournment Motion
Both devices allow members to raise urgent public matters, but they differ sharply in character and consequence:
| Feature | Calling Attention Motion | Adjournment Motion |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Seek an authoritative ministerial statement | Discuss a matter with an element of censure |
| Censure element | No | Yes |
| Availability | Both Houses | Lok Sabha only |
| Member support needed | No fixed threshold specified | 50 members |
| Character | Informational | Accountability-forcing, critical of government |
Related Devices for Raising Urgent Matters
Parliament has developed several devices besides the calling attention motion for members to raise matters of urgent public importance, each with its own character:
- Short duration discussion, also called the two-hour discussion because the time allotted for it should not exceed two hours, allows members to raise a matter of urgent public importance without a formal motion before the House and without any voting. The Speaker can allot up to two days a week for such discussions, and this device has been in existence since 1953.
- Special Mention in the Rajya Sabha allows a member to raise a matter that cannot be addressed through a point of order, question hour, half-an-hour discussion, short duration discussion, adjournment motion, or calling attention notice — effectively a residual device for matters not covered elsewhere. Its equivalent procedure in the Lok Sabha is known as a Notice (Mention) under Rule 377.
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: A commonly tested point is that the calling attention motion does not involve censure of the government, unlike the adjournment motion — a frequent distractor pairing in objective questions. Also remember it is an Indian innovation in existence since 1952, and that the short duration (two-hour) discussion dates to 1953 with no formal motion or voting.
Mains: Useful in GS2 answers on parliamentary devices for executive accountability, illustrating the spectrum from purely informational tools (calling attention, short duration discussion) to accountability-forcing tools with a censure element (adjournment motion, no-confidence motion).
FAQ
Q1. What is a calling attention motion? It is a device by which a member calls a minister's attention to a matter of urgent public importance and seeks an authoritative statement from the minister.
Q2. Does a calling attention motion involve censure of the government? No, it does not involve any censure of the government, unlike the adjournment motion.
Q3. Since when has the calling attention motion been in use? It has been in existence since 1952, as an Indian innovation in parliamentary procedure.
Q4. What is a short duration discussion? Also called a two-hour discussion, it lets members raise a matter of urgent public importance without a formal motion or voting; it has existed since 1953.
Q5. What device can a Rajya Sabha member use for a matter not covered by any other procedure? The Special Mention, whose equivalent in the Lok Sabha is a Notice (Mention) under Rule 377.
Quick Revision
- Calling attention motion: Indian innovation, in use since 1952.
- Purpose: seek an authoritative ministerial statement on an urgent matter.
- No censure element — key distinction from the adjournment motion.
- Short duration (two-hour) discussion: since 1953, no formal motion, no voting.
- Special Mention (Rajya Sabha) = Notice under Rule 377 (Lok Sabha) for residual matters.
Sources
Further Reference
For deeper reading on this topic and the wider polity syllabus, these standard works are recommended:
- M. Laxmikanth, Indian Polity (McGraw Hill) — the standard UPSC handbook.
- D.D. Basu, Introduction to the Constitution of India (LexisNexis) — authoritative constitutional-law treatment.
- The Constitution of India — Bare Act — the official text.
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