The Monsoon Session of the parliament is set to start from July 19 with all the precautions for COVID-19 in place. The Monsoon Session will operate with all safety, and it will have 19 business days, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said. He added that unvaccinated MPs will have to undergo a COVID test. 

The key responsibilities of the parliament, comprising the upper house (Rajya Sabha) and lower house (Lok Sabha), are to keep a check on governing bodies, passing the country’s budget, and addressing other important issues in the country.

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There are several motions, which are used by the parliamentarians during the session. One of those is Privilege Motion.

What is privilege motion?

A privilege motion is moved when a breach of parliamentary privileges is found by an MP or minister. Parliamentary privileges are certain rights and immunities given to MPs, individually or collectively, so that they can effectively discharge their functions. 

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If any of the provided rights and immunities are found to be disregarded by any MP, it is called as ‘breach of privilege’ and the act is punishable under the law of Parliament, as mentioned in Rule 222 in Chapter 20 of the Lok Sabha Rule Book and as Rule 187 in Chapter 16 of the Rajya Sabha Rule Book.

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Any MP, of either house, can move a privilege motion if an act of ‘breach of privilege’ is found against those found guilty. The speaker of Lok Sabha or chairperson of Rajya Sabha, depending on in which house the motion was moved, either decide at their own discretion or refer it to a parliamentary committee.

What happens after a privilege motion is moved against someone?

If the Lok Sabha speaker or the Rajya Sabha chairperson decides not to refer the motion to a parliamentary committee, they decide at their own discretion, admitting the motion. They, then, ask the concerned person to explain themselves, and the final decision of whether the act is a breach of privilege or not is decided by the speaker/chairperson.

But if the speaker/chairperson refers the motion to a parliamentary committee, procedures are different.

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The Lok Sabha Speaker nominates a committee of 15 members, of proportionate strength of several political parties in the lower house. The committee makes a report on the motion and is presented before the Speaker and he/she passes the final order, with or without allowing debate on the report. The report can also be tabled before the house if the speaker allows, and the resolution by the members is passed on the breach of privilege.

Rajya Sabha follows the same procedure, however, the committee consists only of 10 members and the deputy chairperson heads it.