RAISING MATTERS OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE

I. Calling Attention

180. Calling attention to matters of urgent public importance

(1) A member may, with the previous permission of the Chairman, call the attention of a Minister to any matter of urgent public importance and the Minister may make a brief statement or ask for time to make a statement at a later hour or date:

Provided that no member shall give more than two such notices for any one sitting.

(2) There shall be no debate on such statement at the time it is made.

(3) Not more than one such matter shall be raised at the same sitting.

(4) In the event of more than one matter being presented for the same day, priority shall be given to the matter which is, in the opinion of the Chairman, more urgent and important.

(5) The proposed matter shall be raised after the questions and the laying of papers, if any, on the Table and before any other item in the list of business is taken up and at no other time during the sitting of the Council.

 

II. Special Mention

180A. Notice

A member who wishes to mention a matter of Public Importance in the Council shall give notice in writing addressed to the Secretary-General in the prescribed form; provided that no member shall give more than two such notices for any one sitting.

180B. Conditions of admissibility

In order that a notice may be admissible, it shall satisfy the following conditions, namely:-
    1. it shall be accompanied by a text of the special mention not exceeding 250 words.
    2. it shall not refer to a matter which is not primarily the concern of the Government of India.
    3. it shall not refer to a matter which has been discussed in the same session or which is substantially identical to the matter already raised by a member under this rule during the session;
    4. it shall not raise more than one issue and the issue shall not pertain to trivial matters;
    5. it shall not contain arguments, inferences, ironical expressions, imputations, epithets or defamatory statements;
    6. it shall not relate to any matter which is under adjudication by a court of law having jurisdiction in any part of India;
    7. it shall be restricted to a matter of recent occurrence;
    8. it shall not refer to proceedings of a parliamentary/consultative committee;
    9. it shall not refer to the conduct or character of persons except in their public capacity;
    10. it shall not refer discourteously to a friendly foreign country.

180C. Time for tabling Notices and their Validity

(1) Notices received upto 5.00 p.m. on a day shall be placed before the Chairman, for his consideration, for the day on which there is next sitting of the House.

(2) Notices on subjects that have not been selected for a particular day shall be carried forward for consideration of the Chairman for the next sitting of the House.

(3) Notices not selected during the week for which they have been given, shall lapse at the end of the week and no intimation thereof shall be given to the member giving the notice.

(4) Members concerned may revive their notice(s) for the following week if they so desire by giving a fresh notice.

180D. Restriction on number of Special Mention

(1) Unless the Chairman otherwise directs, no member shall make more than one Special Mention during a week.

(2) Total number of Special Mentions to be admitted for a day shall not ordinarily exceed seven

180E. Members to Associate

Any member who proposes to associate himself with a particular Special Mention may do so with the permission of the Chairman stating "I associate myself with the Special Mention made by ------------------- " and such a member shall not make a speech thereon.