financial expenditureImpact of Lockdown on Government RevenueSuyash Tiwari- April 19, 2020To mitigate the spread of coronavirus in India, the central government imposed a nation-wide lockdown on March 25, 2020.  The lockdown necessitated the suspension of all economic activities, except the ones classified as ‘essential’ from time to time, and the ones that can be carried out from home.  As a result, all economic activities which require persons to travel or work outside home, such as manufacturing of non-essential goods and construction, have stopped since then.  While this has resulted in a loss of income for many individuals and businesses, the ongoing 40-day lockdown is also going to severely impact the revenue of the central and state governments, primarily the tax revenue that they would have generated from all such economic activities.This note discusses the possible effect of the lockdown on the revenue of the central and state governments in 2020-21.  At this stage, the effect of the pandemic and the lockdown are difficult to estimate.  We do not know whether there will be partial restrictions when the current lockdown ends on 3rdMay or the possibility of further action during the year.  Therefore, this note can be used as a first estimate to compute the impact under various scenarios.  For example, a reader who believes that the effect on GDP growth would be different than the IMF’s estimate used below can extrapolate the numbers to fit his assumptions.The central government and most of the state governments passed their budget for the financial year 2020-21 during February-March 2020, before the lockdown.  The central government estimated a 10% growth in the country’s nominal GDP in 2020-21, and more than half of the states estimate their nominal GSDP growth rate in the range of 8%-13%.  Due to the unforeseen impact of the lockdown on the economy, the 2020-21 GDP growth rates are expected to be lower than these estimates.  As a result, the tax revenue that the central and state governments will be able to generate are expected to be much lower than the budgeted estimates, during the period of lockdown.Centre’s revenueTable 1 shows the revenue expected by the central government from various sources in 2020-21.  73% of the revenue (Rs 16.36 lakh crore) is expected to come through taxes.   Because of the impact of lockdown, the actual tax revenue realised at the end of the year could be much lower, depending on how much the nominal GDP growth in 2020-21 gets affected.  To estimate the impact on tax revenue, we assume that the tax-GDP ratio (i.e. an estimate of the tax generated out of each unit of economic activity) in 2020-21 will remain the same as the budget estimate.   This may be a conservative estimate of loss of revenue due to lockdown as many permitted activities such as agriculture, government services and essential services have zero or lower-than-average taxes.Based on this assumption, a 1%-point fall in the nominal GDP growth rate could decrease centre’s net tax revenue by about Rs 15,000 crore in 2020-21, i.e. 0.7% of its total revenue.  The IMF has projected GDP growth for 2020-21 at 1.9%; given the inflation target of 4%, nominal GDP growth could be about 6%.  In that scenario where the nominal GDP growth falls by 4% point from 10% to 6% in 2020-21, net tax revenue loss could be about Rs 60,000 crore (2.7% of total revenue).  As mentioned above, the tax-GDP ratio would likely be lower than the budget estimate because of the type of activities permitted during the lockdown.   This would increase the adverse impact on tax revenue.There is a further assumption being made above regarding tax-GDP.  While GST tends to move with overall GDP, direct taxes would depend on income growth of individuals and profit growth of companies.  In a lower GDP growth environment, the effect on these two items may be higher than the deceleration of nominal GDP, bringing down the tax-GDP ratio.  Further, customs duties depend on the value of imports, which may have a lower growth.   This would, to some extent, be mitigated by the increase in the rate of excise duty on petroleum products.These computations have been made considering the 2019-20 revised estimate as the base and the 2020-21 budget estimate as being realistic when it was made.  However, these numbers may also be lower.  For instance, if we extrapolate the net tax revenue growth rate of April 2019 to February 2020 (as released by the Controller General of Accounts) to March 2020, the shortfall is of the order of Rs 1,62,000 crore or 11% of the revised estimate.  Thus, the shortfall in tax collections in 2020-21 may be significantly higher.Table1:  Central government's revenue in 2020-21 (Rs crore)SourceRevenueShare in Total RevenueNet Tax Revenue16,35,90973%Non-Tax Revenue3,85,01717%Dividends and Profits1,55,3956.9%Capital Receipts2,24,96710%Disinvestment2,10,0009.4%Total Revenue22,45,893-Note:   Capital receipts and total revenue do not include borrowings.Sources:  Union Budget Documents; PRS.Other than taxes, the centre’s receipts consist of non-tax revenue and capital receipts.  A significant part of non-tax revenue is from dividends and profits of public sector enterprises (PSEs) and the RBI (Rs 1.55 lakh crore).  If profitability gets impacted, then there could be an adverse impact in these figures.  The major chunk of capital receipts is budgeted from disinvestment of PSEs (Rs 2.1 lakh crore).  Equity markets have declined sharply over the last month.  If equity markets remain volatile, the disinvestment process and consequently the disinvestment receipts could get affected.  Note that disinvestment receipts were targeted at Rs 2,10,000 crore, significantly higher than theRs 50,299 crore raised in 2019-20.Devolution to StatesLike the centre, states also rely on taxes for most of their revenue.  As per their 2020-21 budget, on an average, nearly 70% of their revenue is estimated to come from taxes (45% from their own taxes and 25% from their share of centre’s taxes).  Lower collections in centre’s taxes because of the lockdown will also impact states’ share in them (also known as devolution).  Table 2 shows the share of states in centre’s tax revenue and how they could get impacted by a lower economic growth rate due to the lockdown.Table2:  Impact of lower economic growth during the lockdown on devolution in 2020-21 (Rs crore)State/ UTShare in divisible pool (%)DevolutionImpact of 1% point drop in national nominal GDP growth rate on DevolutionRevenue impact as a percentage of state’s revenue receiptsAndhra Pradesh4.1132,238*293NAArunachal Pradesh1.7613,8021250.61%Assam3.1326,7762430.26%Bihar10.0691,1818290.45%Chhattisgarh3.4226,8032440.29%Delhi----Goa0.393,027280.21%Gujarat3.426,6462420.15%Haryana1.088,485770.09%Himachal Pradesh0.86,266570.15%Jammu and Kashmir-15,2001380.16%Jharkhand3.3125,9802360.31%Karnataka3.6528,5912600.14%Kerala1.9420,9351900.17%Madhya Pradesh7.8961,841*562NAMaharashtra6.1448,1094370.13%Manipur0.725,630510.28%Meghalaya0.775,999*55NAMizoram0.513,968360.37%Nagaland0.574,493410.28%Odisha4.6336,3003300.27%Punjab1.7914,0211270.14%Rajasthan5.9846,8864260.25%Sikkim0.393,043280.35%Tamil Nadu4.1932,8492990.14%Telangana2.1316,7271520.11%Tripura0.715,560510.30%Uttar Pradesh17.931,52,8631,3890.33%Uttarakhand1.18,657790.19%West Bengal7.5265,8355980.33%Total1008,38,7107,6240.22%Note:  *Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Meghalaya passed a vote on account, so their devolution data has been computed as the total devolution to states provided in the union budget multiplied by their share.  The devolution data for all other states has been taken from the state budget documents, which may not match with the union budget data in case of a few states.  Revenue receipts data not available for Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Meghalaya.   The total for revenue receipt share has been computed excluding these three states.Sources:  Union and State Budget Documents; 15thFinance Commission Report for 2020-21; PRS.State GSTOut of the 45% revenue coming from state’s own taxes, 35% revenue is estimated to come from three taxes – state GST (19%), sales tax/ VAT (10%), and state excise (6%).  State GST is levied on the consumption of most goods and services within the state.  While state GST is the largest component of states’ own tax revenue, states do not have the autonomy to change tax rates on their own as the rates are decided by the GST Council.  Thus, due to lower GST revenue during the lockdown period, if a state wishes to increase GST rates for the remaining part of the year, it cannot do this on its own.Table 3 shows the possible impact of a 1%-point decrease in the growth rates of nominal GSDP (GDP of the state) and its impact on state GST revenue in the year 2020-21.  These estimates are based on the assumption that the tax-GSDP ratio during the lockdown remains same as estimated for the 2020-21 budget.  However, as discussed earlier, the tax-GDP ratio for taxes such as GST is likely to decline.  The analysis estimates the minimum impact on states’ GST revenue and does not captures its full extent.Table 3:  Impact of lower GSDP growth during the lockdown on state GST revenue in 2020-21 (Rs crore)State/ UTState GST revenueImpact of 1% point drop in nominal GSDP growth rate on State GST revenueRevenue impact as a percentage of state’s revenue receiptsAndhra PradeshNANANAArunachal Pradesh32430.01%Assam13,9351280.14%Bihar20,8001870.10%Chhattisgarh10,701970.12%Delhi23,8002150.39%Goa2,772260.19%Gujarat33,0502920.18%Haryana22,3501980.22%Himachal Pradesh3,855350.09%Jammu and Kashmir6,065550.06%Jharkhand9,450850.11%Karnataka47,3194450.25%Kerala32,3882890.25%Madhya PradeshNANANAMaharashtra1,07,1469570.28%Manipur91480.05%MeghalayaNANANAMizoram50440.04%Nagaland54150.04%Odisha15,4691390.11%Punjab15,8591410.16%Rajasthan28,2502550.15%Sikkim65050.07%Tamil Nadu46,1964100.19%Telangana27,6002420.17%Tripura1,311120.07%Uttar Pradesh55,6735250.12%Uttarakhand5,386490.12%West Bengal33,1532980.17%Total5,65,4615,1040.17%Note:  Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Meghalaya passed a vote on account, so data not available.  2020-21 GSDP data for Delhi was not available, so the GSDP growth rate in 2020-21 has been assumed to be the same as the growth rate in 2019-20 (10.5%).Sources:  State Budget Documents; PRS.Sales tax/ VAT and State ExciseThese two taxes have been major sources of revenue for states, estimated to contribute 16% of states’ revenue in 2020-21.  With implementation of GST, states can now levy sales tax only on petroleum products (petrol, diesel, crude oil, natural gas, and aviation turbine fuel) and alcohol for human consumption.  However, the lockdown has severely impacted the consumption, and thus sale, of all of these goods as most of the transportation is prohibited and businesses selling alcohol are also shut.  As a result, the revenue coming from these taxes is likely to see a much larger impact as compared to the other taxes.In addition, alcohol is also subject to state excise.   Table 4 shows the average monthly impact of the lockdown on revenue from state excise.  That is, this estimates the loss of revenue for each month of lockdown, with the assumption that there is no production of alcohol for human consumption during such periods.Table4:  Average monthly impact of the lockdown on state excise revenue in 2020-21 (Rs crore)State/ UTState excise revenueAverage monthly impact on state excise revenueMonthly revenue impact as a percentage of state’s revenue receiptsAndhra PradeshNANANAArunachal Pradesh157130.06%Assam1,7501460.16%Bihar000.00%Chhattisgarh5,2004330.52%Delhi6,3005250.95%Goa548460.34%Gujarat144120.01%Haryana7,5006250.69%Himachal Pradesh1,7881490.39%Jammu and Kashmir1,4501210.14%Jharkhand2,3011920.25%Karnataka22,7001,8921.05%Kerala2,8012330.20%Madhya PradeshNANANAMaharashtra19,2251,6020.46%Manipur1510.01%MeghalayaNANANAMizoram100.00%Nagaland600.00%Odisha5,2504380.35%Punjab6,2505210.59%Rajasthan12,5001,0420.60%Sikkim248210.26%Tamil Nadu8,1346780.31%Telangana16,0001,3330.93%Tripura266220.13%Uttar Pradesh37,5003,1250.74%Uttarakhand3,4002830.67%West Bengal12,7321,0610.59%Total1,74,16414,5140.48%Note:  Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Meghalaya passed a vote on account, so data not available.Sources:  State Budget Documents; PRS.Sales tax/VAT is collected from sale of alcohol and petroleum products.  We do not have any data on the reduction of sale of these items -- news reports indicating sale of alcohol in some states while petroleum products would be used by providers of essential services.  For estimating the impact on sales tax/ VAT revenue, we have assumed the following three scenarios: (i) 40% shortfall in tax collections, (ii) 60% shortfall in tax collections, and (iii) 80% shortfall in tax collections in any month of lockdown.   Table 5 shows the average monthly impact of the lockdown on sales tax/ VAT revenue under the three scenarios.Table5:  Impact of lockdown on sales tax/ VAT revenue in 2020-21 (Rs crore)State/ UTLoss of sales tax/ VAT revenue per lockdown monthAs a percentage of state’s revenue receipts40% shortfall60% shortfall80% shortfall40% shortfall60% shortfall80% shortfallAndhra PradeshNANANANANANAArunachal Pradesh914180.04%0.07%0.09%Assam1782673560.19%0.29%0.39%Bihar1942923890.11%0.16%0.21%Chhattisgarh1382072760.16%0.25%0.33%Delhi2073104130.37%0.56%0.75%Goa4162830.31%0.47%0.62%Gujarat7741,1621,5490.48%0.72%0.95%Haryana3575357130.40%0.59%0.79%Himachal Pradesh56841120.15%0.22%0.29%Jammu and Kashmir50751000.06%0.09%0.11%Jharkhand1952933910.26%0.39%0.52%Karnataka5938891,1860.33%0.49%0.66%Kerala7751,1631,5510.68%1.01%1.35%Madhya PradeshNANANANANANAMaharashtra1,3332,0002,6670.38%0.58%0.77%Manipur914180.05%0.08%0.10%MeghalayaNANANANANANAMizoram3450.03%0.04%0.06%Nagaland913180.06%0.09%0.12%Odisha2924385830.23%0.35%0.47%Punjab1862793720.21%0.32%0.42%Rajasthan7001,0501,4000.40%0.61%0.81%Sikkim711150.09%0.14%0.18%Tamil Nadu1,8682,8023,7360.85%1.28%1.70%Telangana8801,3201,7600.61%0.92%1.23%Tripura1522300.09%0.13%0.17%Uttar Pradesh9431,4141,8860.22%0.33%0.45%Uttarakhand66981310.15%0.23%0.31%West Bengal2513775030.14%0.21%0.28%Total10,13015,19520,2600.34%0.51%0.67%Note:   Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Meghalaya passed a vote on account, so data not available.Sources:  State Budget Documents; PRS.How much can GST compensation help?The shortfall in state GST revenue could get offset by the GST compensation provided to states by the central government.   The GST (Compensation to States) Act, 2017, requires the central government to provide compensation to states for loss of revenue arising due to GST implementation until 2022.  For this purpose, the Act guarantees a 14% annual growth rate in state GST revenue, which is much higher than the growth likely in the year 2020-21.  As a result, the central government would be required to provide states a compensation equivalent to the shortfall in growth in their state GST revenue, in comparison to the 14% growth.However, it is likely that there may not be sufficient funds to provide compensation to states in 2020-21.  Compensation to states is given out of the GST Compensation Fund, which consists of collections of a cess levied specifically to generate funds for this purpose.  The cess is levied on coal, tobacco and its products, pan masala, automobiles, and aerated drinks.  The cess collections may see a shortfall as the sale of many of these goods is likely to be affected this year.  Note thatdomestic automobile sales declined 18%in 2019-20 over the previous year whilecoal production stayed constant.In the 2020-21 budget, the central government estimated to provide Rs 1,35,368 crore as compensation to states, which is close to the total compensation estimated by states in their budgets.  However, due to the lockdown, the cess collections financing these grants are estimated to decrease, whereas the compensation requirement of states is estimated to increase due to lower GST collections.   While there is a risk that any incremental requirement may not be met, states’ revenue can see a much larger impact if cess collections are not even sufficient to meet their existing amounts as per the 2020-21 budgets (Table 6).  States, on an average, depend on GST compensation grants for 4.4% of their revenue in 2020-21.  However, states such as Gujarat, Punjab, and Delhi expect almost 14-15% of their revenue in 2020-21 to come in the form of GST compensation grants.Table6:   GST compensation grants estimated by states in 2020-21 (Rs crore)State/ UTGST CompensationGST compensation as a percentage of state’s revenue receiptsAndhra PradeshNANAArunachal Pradesh00.0%Assam1,0001.1%Bihar3,5001.9%Chhattisgarh2,9383.5%Delhi7,80014.1%Goa1,35810.2%Gujarat22,51013.9%Haryana7,0007.8%Himachal Pradesh3,3388.7%Jammu and Kashmir3,1773.6%Jharkhand1,5682.1%Karnataka16,1169.0%Kerala00.0%Madhya PradeshNANAMaharashtra10,0002.9%Manipur00.0%MeghalayaNANAMizoram00.0%Nagaland00.0%Odisha6,2005.0%Punjab12,97514.7%Rajasthan4,8002.8%Sikkim00.0%Tamil Nadu10,3004.7%Telangana00.0%Tripura2081.2%Uttar Pradesh7,6081.8%Uttarakhand3,5718.4%West Bengal4,9282.7%Total1,30,8944.4%Note:   Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Meghalaya passed a vote on account, so data not available.Sources:  State Budget Documents; PRS.A similar scenario played out last year when due to the economic slowdown, the cess collections were not sufficient to meet states’ compensation requirements.  As a result,states have received the GST compensation only till November 2019.  Note that the GST (Compensation to States) Act, 2017 provides that the GST Council can recommend other funding mechanisms for the Compensation Fund.  For instance, this can be done when there is a shortfall of money in the Fund for providing compensation to states.Impact on State FinancesIn light of such severe stress on the revenue side, states will have to either cut their budgeted expenditure or increase their borrowings to meet the budget targets.  Note that because of the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown, states are also making unforeseen expenditure in the health sector and for providing relief from the lockdown.  As a result, many states have already started working on the former by drawing up plans to defer or cut their planned expenditure, or divert funds for planned expenditure towards these immediate requirements.  With relatively less flexibility on the side of revenue expenditure, capital expenditure could see a larger cut in many states.  For instance, revenue expenditure includes expenditure committed towards payment of interest, salaries, and pension.On average, this committed expenditure uses up 50% of states’ revenue.  However,some states have already gone ahead and deferred or cut the expenditure towards payment of salaries.  Also, with private consumption and investment expected to remain sluggish, reduction of government expenditure could lead to a further decline in GDP.The other option for states is to increase their borrowings.  However, states’ borrowings are limited by their FRBM laws at 3% of their GSDP (with a further 0.5% of GSDP if they fulfil some conditions).  States also need the consent of the central government to borrow money.  While most states had already budgeted their fiscal deficit for 2020-21 near the upper limit, it seems some states do have some fiscal space to borrow more (Table 7).   However, with GSDP expected to take a hit because of the lockdown, fiscal deficit as a percentage of GSDP for all states could be higher than budgeted targets, even if they do not make any additional borrowings.Table7:  Fiscal deficit estimates for 2020-21 as a percentage of GSDPState/ UT2019-20 (Revised)2020-21 (Budgeted)Andhra PradeshNANAArunachal Pradesh3.1%2.4%Assam5.7%2.3%Bihar9.5%3.0%Chhattisgarh6.4%3.2%Delhi-0.1%0.5%Goa4.7%5.0%Gujarat1.6%1.8%Haryana2.8%2.7%Himachal Pradesh6.4%4.0%Jammu and KashmirNA5.0%Jharkhand2.3%2.1%Karnataka2.3%2.6%Kerala3.0%3.0%Madhya PradeshNANAMaharashtra2.7%1.7%Manipur8.9%4.1%MeghalayaNANAMizoram8.3%1.7%Nagaland9.0%4.8%Odisha3.4%3.0%Punjab3.0%2.9%Rajasthan3.2%3.0%Sikkim4.3%3.0%Tamil Nadu3.0%2.8%Telangana2.3%3.0%Tripura6.2%3.5%Uttar Pradesh3.0%3.0%Uttarakhand2.5%2.6%West Bengal2.6%2.2%Centre3.8%3.5%Note:   Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Meghalaya passed a vote on account, so data not available.Sources:  Union and State Budget Documents; PRS.ParliamentFirst no-confidence motion of the 17th Lok Sabha discussed todayNiranjana Menon- August 8, 2023Discussion on the first no-confidence motion of the 17thLok Sabha began today.  No-confidence motions and confidence motions are trust votes, used to test or demonstrate the support of Lok Sabha for the government in power.  Article 75(3) of the Constitution states that the government is collectively responsible to Lok Sabha.  This means that the government must always enjoy the support of a majority of the members of Lok Sabha.  Trust votes are used to examine this support.  The government resigns if a majority of members support a no-confidence motion, or reject a confidence motion.So far, 28 no-confidence motions (including the one being discussed today) and 11 confidence motions have beendiscussed.  Over the years, the number of such motions has reduced.  The mid-1960s and mid-1970s saw more no-confidence motions, whereas the 1990s saw more confidence motions.Figure1: Trust votes in ParliamentNote: *Term shorter than 5 years; **6-year term.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.The no-confidence motion being discussed today wasmovedon July 26, 2023.  A motion of no-confidence is moved with the support of at least 50 members.   The Speaker has the discretion to allot time for discussion of the motion.  TheRules of Procedurestate that the motion must be discussed within 10 days of being introduced.  This year, the no-confidence motion wasdiscussed13 calendar days after introduction.  Since the introduction of the no-confidence motion on July 26, 12 Bills have been introduced and 18 Bills have been passed by Lok Sabha.  In the past, on four occasions, the discussion on no-confidence motions began seven days after their introduction.  On these occasions, Bills and other important issues were debated before the discussion on the no-confidence motion began.Figure2: Members rise in support of the motion of no-confidence in Lok SabhaSource: Sansad TV, Lok Sabha, July 26, 2023; PRS.Figure3: Number of days from introduction to discussion on no-confidence motionsNote: Number of days implies calendar days.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.On average, no-confidence motions (excluding the one being discussed today) have been discussed for 13 hours over three days.  Discussions have lasted longer than 20 hours on four instances, most recently in 2003.  Today’s no-confidence motion was allotted 12 hours discussion time by theBusiness Advisory Committee.Following the discussion, the motion is put to vote.  26 out of 27 no-confidence motions (excluding the one being discussed today) have been voted upon and rejected.  This means that no government has ever had to resign following a vote of no-confidence.   On one occasion, in 1979, the discussion on a no-confidence motion against the Morarji Desai government remained inconclusive.  He resigned before the motion was put to vote.  50% of all no-confidence motions (14 out of 28) were discussed between 1965 and 1975.  Of these, 12 were against governments headed by Indira Gandhi.Figure4: Duration of discussion on no-confidence motionsNote: This graph excludes the no confidence motion moved on July 26, 2023.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.In comparison, confidence motions have a more varied history.  The first motion, brought in 1979 to demonstrate confidence in Charan Singh’s government, was not discussed at all.  The Prime Minister resigned before the discussion could take place.  Since then, 11 confidence motions have been discussed in Lok Sabha, with nine occurring in the 1990s.  During this period, several coalition governments were formed, and Prime Ministers sought to prove their majority throughconfidence motions.   These motions have been discussed, on average, for 12 hours over two days.Figure5: Duration of discussion of confidence motionsSource: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.Of the 11 confidence motions discussed in Lok Sabha, seven were accepted.  On three instances, governments had to resign as they could not prove that they had the support of the majority.  On one instance in 1996, the motion was not put to vote.  Following an eleven-hour discussion on this confidence motion, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced his intention to resign on the floor of the House.  He resigned 16 days into his term.Vajpayee became Prime Minister again in 1999, and faced another confidence motion.   This time, it was put to vote.   The motion was defeated by a margin of one vote.  This has been the closest result on a trust vote in the history of Lok Sabha.  The next closest result was when a motion of no-confidence against P V Narasimha Rao’s government was defeated by 14 votes in 1993.  In most cases, results have been in favour of the government by a large margin.«12345678910»


States and State LegislaturesGovernment of Bihar’s response to COVID-19 (till Apr 19, 2020)Saket Surya- April 19, 2020On March 22, Bihar registered itsfirst two cases of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19),one of whom died the same day.  Since then, the number of cases has increased steadily. As of April 19, Bihar has86 confirmed casesof COVID-19, of which 47 are active cases and 37 have recovered.  33 new cases have been registered since last week. One more death has been registered since March 22.Given the highly contagious nature of the disease, on March 22, the Government of Bihar announceda state-wide lockdowntill March 31.  This was followed bya nation-wide lockdownenforced by the central government between March 25 and April 14, nowextended up to May 3.  During the lockdown, severe restrictions have been placed on the movement of individuals. Establishments have remained closed, except those providing essential goods and services.  Restrictions are likely to berelaxed in less-affected districts post-April 20.In this blog, we look at key measures taken by the state government in response to COVID-19 so far.Early-stage: screening of travellers, awareness on precautionary measuresThe initial responses from the state government were aimed towards: (i) raising awareness about precautionary measures to be taken against the disease, and (ii) screening of international travellers.  In this context, on February 25, theBihar State Health Societyissued advisories for: (i)measures to be taken in schools and colleges, and (ii) reporting ofairline passengers and touristswith symptomatic cases to the district health administration.  On March 11, 104 Call Centre was designated as theCOVID-19 control room, to address public queries related to the disease.Prior to lockdown: limiting mass gatherings, mobilisation of the public health systemLimiting mass gatheringsBetween March 13 and March 18, the state government issued orders to shut down various premises until March 31. These includeAnganwadi centres, educational institutions, and commercial establishments such ascinema halls, parks, andshopping malls. The government staff was directed to come to office on alternate days.Gathering of more than 50 persons at one place was prohibitedincluding any mass family gathering (except marriages).  The transport department was asked torestrict both public and private transport.Healthcare measuresOn March 13, the government issued directions to: (i)ensure availability of 100 extra ventilatorsin the government hospitals, (ii)arrange for testing of COVID-19in AIIMS, Patna and PMCH, Patna hospitals, and (iii)cancel leaves of all employeesof the Health Department, and (iv)strengthen screening of travellersentering through the Bihar-Nepal border.On March 17, the Health Department issuedThe Bihar Epidemic Diseases, COVID-19 Regulation 2020underThe Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.  The Act provides for better prevention of the spread of dangerous epidemic diseases.  These regulations specify the protocol to be followed in both private and government hospitals for screening and treatment of COVID-19 patients. It also empowers the district administration to take containment measures including sealing of specific areas and conducting surveillance for COVID-19 cases. It makes spreading of rumour or unauthenticated information with mala fide intent a punishable offence.Welfare measuresOn March 16, the Chief Minister announced thattreatment costs for COVID-19 for residents of Bihar will be sponsoredfrom the Chief Minister Medical Assistance Fund.  Moreover, the state government will provide assistance of four lakh rupees to the family of a person dying due to COVID-19.The governmentissued directionsto provide direct cash transfer in place of the food provided under the Mid-Day Meal scheme in schools, and at Anganwadi centres.Essential goods and servicesOn March 21, the Food and Consumer Protection Departmentdirected the district administration to ensure implementationof the Bihar Essential Article (Display of Prices and Stocks) Order, 1977.  The Order requires sellers of specified items to display stock and price for the public’s reference.  The specified items include food items, edible oilseeds, and petroleum products.  The Department also directed the district administration to send proposals for adding any new items to the list of specified items.During lockdown: strengthening medical response, welfare measuresUpon announcement of the lockdown on March 22,state-level and district-level coordination committeeswere set up.  During the lockdown, the state government’s measures have been aimed towards: (i) strengthening the medical response in the state, (ii) providing relief to various sections of society from issues being faced during the lockdown, and (iii) addressing difficulties with the supply of essential goods and services.Healthcare measuresOn March 25, the Health Department constituted theBihar COVID-19 Emergency Response Teamwhich is responsible for the control and coordination of all health-related response.Protocols for containment and treatment:Directions have been issued to implement several guidelines related to containment and treatment measures.  These include: (i)set upandoperationalizationof isolation centres and quarantine centres, (ii)containment planto address local transmission and community transmission through cluster containment strategy, (iii)surveillance programfor Influenza-like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI), (iv)handling of wastegenerated during treatment/diagnosis/quarantine, and (v)sanitation of residence and nearby areasof a COVID-19 positive person.Door-to-door screening campaign: On April 14, the Chief Ministerissued directions to start door-to-door screening campaignfor suspected cases in affected districts including Siwan, Begusarai, and Nalanda.  Such screening campaign will also be run in districts in border-areas, and an area within 3 km radius of the residence of COVID-19 positive patients.Increasing manpower:The governmentinvitedmedical professionals including doctors, nurses, and paramedics to volunteer.  It alsodirectedthe district administration to engage retired doctors, nurses, and paramedics from defence services for volunteer work.  Leaves of all employees of the Health Department werecancelleduntil April 30.  The Health Departmentdeputed AYUSH practitionersto assist at isolation and quarantine centres.Dedicated infrastructure for COVID-19:On April 5, certain government hospitals weredesignatedas exclusive hospitals for treatment of COVID-19 patients.  The Health Department alsodirectedcertain big private hospitals in Patna to stop OPD services.Other health-related measures:On March 23, the state government announcedpayment of one-month basic salary as an incentiveto all doctors and health workers.  On April 13, the Health Departmentissued an order prohibiting spittingin public places by tobacco, cigarette, and Pan users.  Further, the state government announced that it willprocure test kitsfrom the private sector.Welfare measuresRelief package:On March 23, the state government announced arelief packagefor people affected due to lockdown.  Key features of the relief package are:ration of one-month to all ration cardholders for free,one-time cash transfer of Rs 1,000 per family to ration cardholders,payment of pensions for three months in advance to all pensioners including pension for old age persons, widows, and physically challenged, andrelease of pending scholarships to all students.Help for migrants:On March 26,Rs 100 crore was allocatedfrom the Chief Minister Relief Fund to provide aid to the migrants from Bihar stuck in other parts of the country due to the lockdown.  On April 2, the state government announced thata one-time cash transfer of Rs 1,000will be provided to the migrants.  On April 13, anadditional Rs 50 crorewas allocated from the Relief Fund for this purpose.  State-wise nodal officers have beenappointedfor coordination of relief efforts for migrants.  The state government is running10 food centres in Delhito help migrants from Bihar.Relief camps:On March 28, the state government decided to startrelief camps along the border(including Nepal border) offering food, shelter, and medical help to persons coming in the state.Community kitchens and relief campshave been started in government school campuses to provide food and shelter.Electricity tariff:On April 8, theState Cabinet approved the proposalsfor: (i) reducing electricity tariff for domestic and agricultural consumers by 10 paise per unit and (ii) waiving the monthly meter fee.Measures for businesses and agricultural activitiesThe state government provided certain relaxations to businesses in matters related to taxation.  These include:extension in the deadline for payment of GSTfrom March 31 to June 30, no interest or penalty charges to be levied for late payment in certain cases,three-month extension in the deadlinefor one-time settlement scheme for pre-GST tax disputes, andcancellation oforders regarding attachment of bank accountsof certain tax defaulters.On April 16, the Chief Ministerissued directionsto start procurement of wheat through the Primary Agriculture Credit Society (PACS).Essential goods and servicesVarious departments issued guidelines to the district administration to facilitate operational continuity of essential goods and services including (i)food items, (ii)seeds, fertilisers, and other agriculture-related items, (iii)livestock fodder, and (iv)petroleum products.On March 27, the Food and Consumer Protection Departmentbrought certain new items under the purviewof The Bihar Essential Article (Display of Prices and Stocks) Order, 1977.  These include: (i) wheat and wheat products, (ii) masks and hand sanitisers, and (iii) potato and onion.Other MeasuresEducation:On April 8, the cabinetapproved the proposal to promote studentsof Class I to XI (except class X) without annual examination.Legislature:Salaries of MLAs and MLCs have been reducedby 15% for one year.  The amount will be donated to the state’s Corona relief fund.Labour and employment:On April 16, the Chief Ministerissued directions to resume public worksunder the Saat Nischay Programme, Jal Jeevan Hariyali Yojana, and MNREGA.For more information on the spread of COVID-19 and the central and state government response to the pandemic, please seehere.ParliamentFirst no-confidence motion of the 17th Lok Sabha discussed todayNiranjana Menon- August 8, 2023Discussion on the first no-confidence motion of the 17thLok Sabha began today.  No-confidence motions and confidence motions are trust votes, used to test or demonstrate the support of Lok Sabha for the government in power.  Article 75(3) of the Constitution states that the government is collectively responsible to Lok Sabha.  This means that the government must always enjoy the support of a majority of the members of Lok Sabha.  Trust votes are used to examine this support.  The government resigns if a majority of members support a no-confidence motion, or reject a confidence motion.So far, 28 no-confidence motions (including the one being discussed today) and 11 confidence motions have beendiscussed.  Over the years, the number of such motions has reduced.  The mid-1960s and mid-1970s saw more no-confidence motions, whereas the 1990s saw more confidence motions.Figure1: Trust votes in ParliamentNote: *Term shorter than 5 years; **6-year term.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.The no-confidence motion being discussed today wasmovedon July 26, 2023.  A motion of no-confidence is moved with the support of at least 50 members.   The Speaker has the discretion to allot time for discussion of the motion.  TheRules of Procedurestate that the motion must be discussed within 10 days of being introduced.  This year, the no-confidence motion wasdiscussed13 calendar days after introduction.  Since the introduction of the no-confidence motion on July 26, 12 Bills have been introduced and 18 Bills have been passed by Lok Sabha.  In the past, on four occasions, the discussion on no-confidence motions began seven days after their introduction.  On these occasions, Bills and other important issues were debated before the discussion on the no-confidence motion began.Figure2: Members rise in support of the motion of no-confidence in Lok SabhaSource: Sansad TV, Lok Sabha, July 26, 2023; PRS.Figure3: Number of days from introduction to discussion on no-confidence motionsNote: Number of days implies calendar days.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.On average, no-confidence motions (excluding the one being discussed today) have been discussed for 13 hours over three days.  Discussions have lasted longer than 20 hours on four instances, most recently in 2003.  Today’s no-confidence motion was allotted 12 hours discussion time by theBusiness Advisory Committee.Following the discussion, the motion is put to vote.  26 out of 27 no-confidence motions (excluding the one being discussed today) have been voted upon and rejected.  This means that no government has ever had to resign following a vote of no-confidence.   On one occasion, in 1979, the discussion on a no-confidence motion against the Morarji Desai government remained inconclusive.  He resigned before the motion was put to vote.  50% of all no-confidence motions (14 out of 28) were discussed between 1965 and 1975.  Of these, 12 were against governments headed by Indira Gandhi.Figure4: Duration of discussion on no-confidence motionsNote: This graph excludes the no confidence motion moved on July 26, 2023.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.In comparison, confidence motions have a more varied history.  The first motion, brought in 1979 to demonstrate confidence in Charan Singh’s government, was not discussed at all.  The Prime Minister resigned before the discussion could take place.  Since then, 11 confidence motions have been discussed in Lok Sabha, with nine occurring in the 1990s.  During this period, several coalition governments were formed, and Prime Ministers sought to prove their majority throughconfidence motions.   These motions have been discussed, on average, for 12 hours over two days.Figure5: Duration of discussion of confidence motionsSource: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.Of the 11 confidence motions discussed in Lok Sabha, seven were accepted.  On three instances, governments had to resign as they could not prove that they had the support of the majority.  On one instance in 1996, the motion was not put to vote.  Following an eleven-hour discussion on this confidence motion, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced his intention to resign on the floor of the House.  He resigned 16 days into his term.Vajpayee became Prime Minister again in 1999, and faced another confidence motion.   This time, it was put to vote.   The motion was defeated by a margin of one vote.  This has been the closest result on a trust vote in the history of Lok Sabha.  The next closest result was when a motion of no-confidence against P V Narasimha Rao’s government was defeated by 14 votes in 1993.  In most cases, results have been in favour of the government by a large margin.«12345678910»


States and State LegislaturesGovernment of West Bengal’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic (till April 18, 2020)Roshni Sinha- April 19, 2020With the spread of COVID-19, along with the central government, state governments have also announced several policy decisions to contain and prevent the spread of the virus.  In this blog post, we summarise some of the key measures taken by the government of West Bengal in this regard as of April 18, 2020.As of April 18, 2020, therehave been287 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in West Bengal. Of these, 55 have been discharged and 10 have died.  To manage patients, there are 66 COVID hospitals, eight testing laboratories, and 582 institutional quarantine centres in the state.Early response: Leading up to lockdownBetween January and February, the state government's efforts were aimed at raising awareness among citizens on COVID-19.  These include advisories on observing precautionary measures, and informing citizens on travel restrictions, home isolation, and screening protocols for foreign returnees.On March 2, the state government responded to the growing number of suspected cases byissuingguidelines for preparedness by government medical colleges and hospitals.   These covered admission, isolation and management of suspected COVID-19 cases.  These instructions wereextendedto private medical colleges and hospitals on March 7.  A week later, the governmentissuedprotocols for monitoring travellers at various state checkposts by joint teams of state police and paramedical staff, and for reference of symptomatic patients to isolation facilities in the district.  All cases had to be reported on a daily basis to district surveillance teams.  The government also announced theclosureof all educational institutions in the state (government and private) till March 31.On March 16, the governmentnotifiedthe West Bengal Epidemic Disease COVID-19 Regulations, 2020.These regulations specify screening and treatment protocol for COVID-19 patients, and empower the district administration to take containment measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.The next day, the statereportedits first confirmed case of COVID-19.  The government proceeded to issueorders: (i) for segregating isolation wards for suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases, (ii) specifying treatment protocols for confirmed cases, (iii) establishing medical boards in all COVID-19 hospitals with representation from different medical disciplines, and (iv) establishing fever clinics for suspected patients.Anganwadi centresandcrecheswere also closed, with provisions to ensure supply of two kilograms of rice and potatoes to each beneficiary.On March 21, the governmentorderedthe closure of certain establishments to restrict non-essential social gatherings till March 31, 2020.  This included closure of restaurants, clubs, amusement parks, and museums.  Further, alltrainsentering the state andinter-state buseswere banned till March 31, 2020.Subsequently, the government announced a lockdown.  In addition to steps for physical containment, the government also undertook various health and welfare measures.  These are detailed below.Measures taken post-lockdownOn March 22, a lockdown wasannouncedin 23 areas of the state until March 27.  Restrictions during the lockdown included: (i) prohibition on public gatherings of over seven people, (ii) suspension of public transport, and (iii) closure of shops, commercial establishments, offices and factories.  Establishments providing essential goods and services such as health services, print media, banks, groceries, and e-commerce delivery of food and groceries, were excluded from the restrictions.  Over the next few weeks, steps were taken to expand these exemptions, and to regulate the movement of goods and services.List of essential goods and services:  On March 24, the lockdown wasextendedtill March 31 in the entire state, and the exemptions were expanded to include industries producing coal, power, steel, or fertilisers.   After the centre notified a 21-day lockdown, the list of exemptions in the state was gradually expanded to include agricultural operations, fish production, tea garden operations, and operations in krishak bazars for marketing agricultural produce.  At the same time, restrictions wereplacedon hoarding of masks and hand sanitisers.Last week, after the central government extended the lockdown till May 3,orders were passed forresumptionof government offices from April 20 onwards at a strength of 25% of workforce.  Similar permission was also granted for restricted operations injute mills, andIT/IT enabled services.Regulating movement of goods and services:  A pass system wasintroducedon March 25 to regulate the movement of persons supplying essential goods and services.  Transportation of non-essential cargo wasprohibitedtill March 31, 2020.  However, as a one-time measure,permissionwas granted on March 26 to such vehicles to reach their destination.  Two days later, the governmentorderedfor the seamless movement of commodities in all district borders and interstate areas.Health MeasuresOn March 26, a Committee of Experts wasconstitutedto advise on strategies for isolation, quarantine, testing, health infrastructure, and disease prevention.  The Committee has beenissuingprotocols on clinical management of COVID-19 cases.  The government also established various monitoring committees on setting upisolation hospitals, managingcritical care, and toauditthe cause of deaths related to COVID-19 patients.To respond to the increasing number of patients, the governmentacquiredprivate healthcare facilities in April.  Further, to expand its testing capacity, the governmentrecommendedsample pooling for COVID-19 testing yesterday.In addition to these measures, the government also issued several guidelines, advisories and orders on containment of the virus, patient handling and protecting healthcare workers.  Some of these are detailed below:For healthcare facilities:Advisoryfor setting up of isolation facilities, orders forestablishmentof fever clinics to segregate patients with severe symptoms,separation zonesfor suspected cases to protect healthcare personnel, anduse ofhydroxychloroquine for asymptomatic healthcare workers.For government:Guidelinesfor cluster containment and treatment strategies to contain COVID-19 in hi-risk spots, directions forawareness generationamong rural population for containment, andarrangingfor counselling sessions for quarantined patients.Welfare/Austerity MeasuresCreation of relief fund:  The “West Bengal State Emergency Relief Fund” wascreatedon March 23 to mobilise additional resources to cope with the emergency.  On April 2, austerity measures wereannouncedby the government.   These include prohibition on announcement of new schemes, unless required in urgent public interest.Distribution of food:  Free entitlement of wheat and rice wasannouncedon March 26 to beneficiaries under some food subsidy schemes (including the Antyodaya Anna Yojana) until September, 2020.Measures for workers:   Directions werenotifiedin March for provisions on shelter, food, quarantine, wage payment, and continued tenancy for workers.Free insurance cover wasannouncedon April 1 for treatment of certain categories of persons, including heathcare workers, and police.For more information on the spread of COVID-19 and the central and state government response to the pandemic, please seehere.ParliamentFirst no-confidence motion of the 17th Lok Sabha discussed todayNiranjana Menon- August 8, 2023Discussion on the first no-confidence motion of the 17thLok Sabha began today.  No-confidence motions and confidence motions are trust votes, used to test or demonstrate the support of Lok Sabha for the government in power.  Article 75(3) of the Constitution states that the government is collectively responsible to Lok Sabha.  This means that the government must always enjoy the support of a majority of the members of Lok Sabha.  Trust votes are used to examine this support.  The government resigns if a majority of members support a no-confidence motion, or reject a confidence motion.So far, 28 no-confidence motions (including the one being discussed today) and 11 confidence motions have beendiscussed.  Over the years, the number of such motions has reduced.  The mid-1960s and mid-1970s saw more no-confidence motions, whereas the 1990s saw more confidence motions.Figure1: Trust votes in ParliamentNote: *Term shorter than 5 years; **6-year term.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.The no-confidence motion being discussed today wasmovedon July 26, 2023.  A motion of no-confidence is moved with the support of at least 50 members.   The Speaker has the discretion to allot time for discussion of the motion.  TheRules of Procedurestate that the motion must be discussed within 10 days of being introduced.  This year, the no-confidence motion wasdiscussed13 calendar days after introduction.  Since the introduction of the no-confidence motion on July 26, 12 Bills have been introduced and 18 Bills have been passed by Lok Sabha.  In the past, on four occasions, the discussion on no-confidence motions began seven days after their introduction.  On these occasions, Bills and other important issues were debated before the discussion on the no-confidence motion began.Figure2: Members rise in support of the motion of no-confidence in Lok SabhaSource: Sansad TV, Lok Sabha, July 26, 2023; PRS.Figure3: Number of days from introduction to discussion on no-confidence motionsNote: Number of days implies calendar days.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.On average, no-confidence motions (excluding the one being discussed today) have been discussed for 13 hours over three days.  Discussions have lasted longer than 20 hours on four instances, most recently in 2003.  Today’s no-confidence motion was allotted 12 hours discussion time by theBusiness Advisory Committee.Following the discussion, the motion is put to vote.  26 out of 27 no-confidence motions (excluding the one being discussed today) have been voted upon and rejected.  This means that no government has ever had to resign following a vote of no-confidence.   On one occasion, in 1979, the discussion on a no-confidence motion against the Morarji Desai government remained inconclusive.  He resigned before the motion was put to vote.  50% of all no-confidence motions (14 out of 28) were discussed between 1965 and 1975.  Of these, 12 were against governments headed by Indira Gandhi.Figure4: Duration of discussion on no-confidence motionsNote: This graph excludes the no confidence motion moved on July 26, 2023.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.In comparison, confidence motions have a more varied history.  The first motion, brought in 1979 to demonstrate confidence in Charan Singh’s government, was not discussed at all.  The Prime Minister resigned before the discussion could take place.  Since then, 11 confidence motions have been discussed in Lok Sabha, with nine occurring in the 1990s.  During this period, several coalition governments were formed, and Prime Ministers sought to prove their majority throughconfidence motions.   These motions have been discussed, on average, for 12 hours over two days.Figure5: Duration of discussion of confidence motionsSource: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.Of the 11 confidence motions discussed in Lok Sabha, seven were accepted.  On three instances, governments had to resign as they could not prove that they had the support of the majority.  On one instance in 1996, the motion was not put to vote.  Following an eleven-hour discussion on this confidence motion, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced his intention to resign on the floor of the House.  He resigned 16 days into his term.Vajpayee became Prime Minister again in 1999, and faced another confidence motion.   This time, it was put to vote.   The motion was defeated by a margin of one vote.  This has been the closest result on a trust vote in the history of Lok Sabha.  The next closest result was when a motion of no-confidence against P V Narasimha Rao’s government was defeated by 14 votes in 1993.  In most cases, results have been in favour of the government by a large margin.«12345678910»


States and State LegislaturesMadhya Pradesh Government’s Response to COVID-19 (January 2020- April 17, 2020)Madhunika Iyer- April 18, 2020As of April 17, Madhya Pradesh has 1,120confirmed casesof COVID-19 - the fifth-highest among all states in India.  The Government of Madhya Pradesh issued one of its initial COVID-19 relatedordersaround January 28, 2020, advising healthcare workers to use appropriate protective gear when examining patients from Wuhan, China.   Since then, the government has taken several actions to contain the spread and impact of COVID-19.  In this blog, we look at key measures taken so far.Figure 1: Day-wise COVID-19 cases in Madhya PradeshEarly stages: Focus on screening international travellersOn January 28, the state government issueddirectionsto monitor international travellers from specified countries, test and maintain surveillance on those who are symptomatic.  A furtherorderrequired district administrators to monitor and report on all passengers who arrived from China between December 31, 2019 and January 29, 2020.  While efforts were largely focused on screening and testing, the first quarantine restrictions for symptomatic travellers from China, entering India after January 15, wereimposedon January 31.  Those leaving quarantine were subsequently kept undersurveillanceand their health conditions reported on for a period of 14 days.  ByFebruary 13, a constant presence of a medical team at the airport was required to test foreign passengers from an increasing list of countries and send daily reports.February and early March: Improving public health capacity, restricting social gatheringsThe next steps from the government were aimed towards adapting the public health infrastructure to handle the evolving situation.  Following are some of the steps taken in this regard:A helpline, with a dedicatedcall centre,was set up to inform citizens about COVID-19 and its prevention.The regional directors of the Directorate of Health Services, Government of Madhya Pradesh, wereinstructedto ensure availability of N-95 masks and PPE kits in their region.The Health Department issuedguidelinesto the Chief Medical and Health Officials in the State regarding the collection and transport of COVID-19 test samples.Medical professionals in public hospitals wereorderedto attend anational training.Anorderwas issued to improve arrangements for quarantine and isolation wards.Leaves were cancelledfor all employees/officers of the Health Department.To grant certain rights to establish effective control over outbreak affected areas and take swift actions, section 71 of the Madhya Pradesh Public Health Act, 1949 wasinvoked.  This section of the Act provides all Chief Medical and Health Officers and Civil Surgeon cum Chief Hospital Superintendents rights set out therein.As the number of cases in India increased through March, the MP government turned focus and issued orders directly concerning their citizens.   Several measures were undertaken to spread awareness about COVID-19 and implement social distancing.Adedicated portalwas created for COVID-19 related information.Anorderwas issued to close several establishments including schools, colleges, cinema halls, gyms and swimming pools.  Biometric attendance was stopped at all government workplaces.On March 20, the government issued anorder(effective till June 15) requiring suppliers of masks and sanitizers to: (i) maintain a fixed price and (ii) keep and present fortnightly, a record of purchase and sales of the essential items.  The order also prevented them from refusing to sell to any customer.March 21 OnwardsOn March 21, MP reported four cases of COVID-19. On March 23, the government released theMadhya Pradesh Epidemic Diseases, COVID-19 Regulations 2020to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the state.  These regulations specify special administrative powers and protocol for hospitals (government and private) to follow while treating COVID-19 patients. These regulations are valid for one year. Over and above general instructions to maintain social distancing and personal hygiene, the government has undertaken specific measures to: (i) increase healthcare capacity, (ii) institute welfare protection for the economically vulnerable population, (iii) strengthen the administrative structure and data collection, and (iv) ensure supply of essential goods and services.  These measures include-Healthcare measuresPreparationof hospitals for the treatment of COVID-19 including postponing elective surgeries, ensuring an adequate supply of PPE kits.On March 28, the Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Centre wasdesignatedas a state-level COVID-19 hospital.  This order wasreversedon April 15.District collectors wereempoweredto appoint doctors and other healthcare workers as required in their districts in a fast-tracked manner.Establishinga telemedicine unit in each of the 51 district hospitalsFacilitatingthe appointment of final year undergraduate nursing students as nursesOn March 29, the governmentlaunchedthe SAARTHAK app for daily monitoring and tracking of quarantined and corona positive patientsThe government released a strategy document to contain COVID-19. This strategy places emphasis on identification of suspected cases, isolation, testing of high-risk contacts, and treatment (called theI. I. T. T. strategy)Welfare measuresOne-timefinancial assistanceof Rs 1,000 will be provided to construction labourersOne-timefinancial assistanceof Rs 2,000 will be provided to families of Sahariya, Baiga and Bharia tribesSocial security pensions for two months will be paid inadvanceto pensionersPeople without eligibility slips under the National Food Security Scheme to beallowedto receive rationAdministrative measuresSenior officials weredesignatedto coordinate with various states to resolve issues regardingmigrant labour.District Crisis Management groups wereformedto coordinate state-level policy and the local implementation machinery.Supply of essential goods and servicesOn April 8, the governmentimplementedtheEssential Services Management Act,1979. The Act among other things, prohibits anyone employed in essential services to refuse to work.E-pass procurement facility wasstartedto ensure smooth inter-district and across states flow of essential goods & services.For more information on the spread of COVID-19 and the central and state government response to the pandemic, please seehere.ParliamentFirst no-confidence motion of the 17th Lok Sabha discussed todayNiranjana Menon- August 8, 2023Discussion on the first no-confidence motion of the 17thLok Sabha began today.  No-confidence motions and confidence motions are trust votes, used to test or demonstrate the support of Lok Sabha for the government in power.  Article 75(3) of the Constitution states that the government is collectively responsible to Lok Sabha.  This means that the government must always enjoy the support of a majority of the members of Lok Sabha.  Trust votes are used to examine this support.  The government resigns if a majority of members support a no-confidence motion, or reject a confidence motion.So far, 28 no-confidence motions (including the one being discussed today) and 11 confidence motions have beendiscussed.  Over the years, the number of such motions has reduced.  The mid-1960s and mid-1970s saw more no-confidence motions, whereas the 1990s saw more confidence motions.Figure1: Trust votes in ParliamentNote: *Term shorter than 5 years; **6-year term.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.The no-confidence motion being discussed today wasmovedon July 26, 2023.  A motion of no-confidence is moved with the support of at least 50 members.   The Speaker has the discretion to allot time for discussion of the motion.  TheRules of Procedurestate that the motion must be discussed within 10 days of being introduced.  This year, the no-confidence motion wasdiscussed13 calendar days after introduction.  Since the introduction of the no-confidence motion on July 26, 12 Bills have been introduced and 18 Bills have been passed by Lok Sabha.  In the past, on four occasions, the discussion on no-confidence motions began seven days after their introduction.  On these occasions, Bills and other important issues were debated before the discussion on the no-confidence motion began.Figure2: Members rise in support of the motion of no-confidence in Lok SabhaSource: Sansad TV, Lok Sabha, July 26, 2023; PRS.Figure3: Number of days from introduction to discussion on no-confidence motionsNote: Number of days implies calendar days.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.On average, no-confidence motions (excluding the one being discussed today) have been discussed for 13 hours over three days.  Discussions have lasted longer than 20 hours on four instances, most recently in 2003.  Today’s no-confidence motion was allotted 12 hours discussion time by theBusiness Advisory Committee.Following the discussion, the motion is put to vote.  26 out of 27 no-confidence motions (excluding the one being discussed today) have been voted upon and rejected.  This means that no government has ever had to resign following a vote of no-confidence.   On one occasion, in 1979, the discussion on a no-confidence motion against the Morarji Desai government remained inconclusive.  He resigned before the motion was put to vote.  50% of all no-confidence motions (14 out of 28) were discussed between 1965 and 1975.  Of these, 12 were against governments headed by Indira Gandhi.Figure4: Duration of discussion on no-confidence motionsNote: This graph excludes the no confidence motion moved on July 26, 2023.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.In comparison, confidence motions have a more varied history.  The first motion, brought in 1979 to demonstrate confidence in Charan Singh’s government, was not discussed at all.  The Prime Minister resigned before the discussion could take place.  Since then, 11 confidence motions have been discussed in Lok Sabha, with nine occurring in the 1990s.  During this period, several coalition governments were formed, and Prime Ministers sought to prove their majority throughconfidence motions.   These motions have been discussed, on average, for 12 hours over two days.Figure5: Duration of discussion of confidence motionsSource: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.Of the 11 confidence motions discussed in Lok Sabha, seven were accepted.  On three instances, governments had to resign as they could not prove that they had the support of the majority.  On one instance in 1996, the motion was not put to vote.  Following an eleven-hour discussion on this confidence motion, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced his intention to resign on the floor of the House.  He resigned 16 days into his term.Vajpayee became Prime Minister again in 1999, and faced another confidence motion.   This time, it was put to vote.   The motion was defeated by a margin of one vote.  This has been the closest result on a trust vote in the history of Lok Sabha.  The next closest result was when a motion of no-confidence against P V Narasimha Rao’s government was defeated by 14 votes in 1993.  In most cases, results have been in favour of the government by a large margin.«12345678910»


States and State LegislaturesUttarakhand Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020 - April 15, 2020)Prachi Kaur- April 16, 2020With the spread of COVID-19, along with the central government, the state governments have also announced several policy decisions to contain and prevent the spread of the virus.   In this blog post, we summarise some of the key measures taken by the Uttarakhand Government in this regard as of April 16, 2020.As of April 15, 2020, 2,413 samples have been sent for testing in Uttarakhand.  Of these, 37 have been found COVID-19 positive and the results of 354 samples are awaited.  Of the 37 confirmed cases, 9 patients have been cured/discharged.[1]Movement RestrictionsTo contain the spread of COVID-19 in the state, the Government of Uttarakhand took the following measures for restricting the movement of people in the state.On March 20, the Department of Health restricted the entry of all tourists (domestic and foreign) into the state.[2]The Department further issued orders for the closure of all educational institutions, gyms, swimming pools, museums, cultural and social centres, and theatres until March 31.[3]On March 22, the state announced a complete lockdown till March 31.[4]Restrictions during the lockdown included: (i) prohibiting the gathering of more than five people at any public place, (ii) suspending all public transport including taxis and auto-rickshaws, and (iii) closure of all shops, commercial establishments, offices and factories.  Establishments providing essential goods and services were excluded from the lockdown restrictions.  These include: police, medical and health, print and electronic media, food, groceries, and their transportation, among others.4On March 25, the central government announced on a 21-day country-wide lockdown till April 14.[5]On April 14, the lockdown was further extended till May 3, 2020.[6]On April 15, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued guidelines on the measures to be taken by state governments until May 3.[7]As per these guidelines, select activities will be permitted from April 20 onwards, to mitigate hardship to the public due.  These activities include health services, agriculture and related activities, certain financial sector activities, operation of Anganwadis, MNREGA works, and cargo movement, among others.  Further, subject to certain conditions, commercial and private establishments, industrial establishments, government offices, and construction activities will also be permitted.7Health MeasuresUttarakhand Epidemic Disease COVID-19 Regulations 2020On March 15, 2020, the government notified the Uttarakhand Epidemic Disease COVID-19 Regulations, 2020 for the containment of COVID-19 in the state.[8]Key features of the regulations include the following:All hospitals (government and private) must have dedicated flu corners for the screening of suspected COVID-19 cases.The spread of any misinformation must be avoided.  No person or organisation can use any print or electronic media for information regarding COVID-19 without prior permission of the state health department.Guidelines for citizens, healthcare facilities and government departmentsThe state issued several guidelines and advisories on various subjects related to the containment of the virus.[9]These guidelines have been targeted towards citizens, healthcare facilities, as well as government departments. Some of these guidelines are given below:For citizens:These include guidelines on the use of masks by the public, guidelines for home quarantine, and advisory to not consume tobacco to prevent the virus.8For healthcare facilities:Guidelines for health care facilities include: sample collection, packaging and transport guidelines, infection prevention control for suspected cases, clinical management of COVID – 19, and discharge policy for COVID-19 patients, among others.8For government:Guidelines for government departments include: guidelines for cluster containment, strategy, advisory on the use of hydroxychloroquine for high-risk population, and guidelines for quarantine facilities for COVID-19.8Administrative MeasuresOn March 21, the state government cancelled all leaves for employees from the Department of Medical, Health and Family Welfare and ordered all the employees on leave to report back.[10]Further, on March 19, the state government announced that the administrative control of all properties and accommodations under the tourism department and other government enterprises will be given to the respective District Magistrates, temporarily.[11]EducationOn March 21, the state government postponed the correction of all state board examination booklets, which were to be corrected from April 1 to April 15, 2020.[12]The government also postponed exams for the Forest Research Institute, which were supposed to be conducted in March.[13]For more information on the spread of COVID-19 and the central and state government response to the pandemic, please seehere.[1]Dehradun Health Bulletin on Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19), Status as on April 15, 2020 Time: 05:30 PM, Uttarakhand State Control Room COVID -19, Health and Family Welfare, Uttarakhand,http://health.uk.gov.in/files/Corrected-15-04-2020-Health-Bulletin.pdf.[2]Order No. 48/PS-Secy(H)/2020, Department of Medical, Health and Family Welfare, March 20, 2020,https://prsindia.org/files/covid19/notifications/427.UK_Advisory_for_Tourists_20_Mar.pdf.[3]Advisory on social distancing measure in view of spread of COVID-19 disease, Government of Uttarakhand,https://prsindia.org/files/covid19/notifications/1835.UK_Social_Distancing_Advisory_Uttarakhand.pdf.[4]Order No. UKHFWS/PS-MDNHM/2019-20/217, Department of Medical, Health and Family Welfare and Medical Education, March 22, 2020,https://prsindia.org/files/covid19/notifications/432.UK_Order_Lockdown_Mar_22.pdf.[5]Order No. 1-29/2020-PP, National Disaster Management Authority, March 24, 2020,https://mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/ndma%20order%20copy.pdf.[6]“PM addresses the nation for 4th time in 4 Weeks in India’s fight against COVID-19” Press Release, Prime Minister’s office, April 14, 2020,https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1614255.[7]Order No.40-3/2020-DM-I(A), Ministry of Home Affairs, April 15, 2020,https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/MHA%20order%20dt%2015.04.2020%2C%20with%20Revised%20Consolidated%20Guidelines_compressed%20%283%29.pdf.[8]Notification No. 370/XXVIII(1)/2020-01(06)/2020, Department of Medical Health and Medical Education, March 15, 2020,http://health.uk.gov.in/files/The_Uttarakhand__Epidemic__Disease__COVID-19_Regulation_2020.pdf.[9]Website of Department of Medical, Health and Family Welfare, Corona (COVID19) updates, Government of Uttarakhand, last visited on March 16,http://health.uk.gov.in/pages/display/140-novel-corona-virus-guidelines-and-advisory-.[10]Order No. 1P/Ra0pu0/miscellaneous/1/2018, Department of Medical, Health and Family Welfare, March 19, 2020,https://prsindia.org/files/covid19/notifications/430.UK_DG-Order-Cancellalation_of_Leave_Health_Workers_21_Mar.pdf.[11]Order No. 42/Secy Health/2020, Department of Medical, Health and Family Welfare, March 19, 2020,https://prsindia.org/files/covid19/notifications/1826.UK_Advisory_for_KMVN_and_GMVN_Mar19.pdf[12]Advisory No. 123/XXIV-B-5/2020/03(01)/2020, Secretary Uttarakhand Government, March 21, 2020,https://prsindia.org/files/covid19/notifications/429.UK_Advisory_for_Board_Student_of_Uttarakhand_21_Mar.pdf.[13]Advisory No. 122/XXIV-B-5/2020/03(01)/2020, Secretary Uttarakhand Government, March 21, 2020,https://prsindia.org/files/covid19/notifications/1828.UK_Advisory_for_Board_Student_of_FRI_Uttarakhand_Mar21.pdf.ParliamentFirst no-confidence motion of the 17th Lok Sabha discussed todayNiranjana Menon- August 8, 2023Discussion on the first no-confidence motion of the 17thLok Sabha began today.  No-confidence motions and confidence motions are trust votes, used to test or demonstrate the support of Lok Sabha for the government in power.  Article 75(3) of the Constitution states that the government is collectively responsible to Lok Sabha.  This means that the government must always enjoy the support of a majority of the members of Lok Sabha.  Trust votes are used to examine this support.  The government resigns if a majority of members support a no-confidence motion, or reject a confidence motion.So far, 28 no-confidence motions (including the one being discussed today) and 11 confidence motions have beendiscussed.  Over the years, the number of such motions has reduced.  The mid-1960s and mid-1970s saw more no-confidence motions, whereas the 1990s saw more confidence motions.Figure1: Trust votes in ParliamentNote: *Term shorter than 5 years; **6-year term.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.The no-confidence motion being discussed today wasmovedon July 26, 2023.  A motion of no-confidence is moved with the support of at least 50 members.   The Speaker has the discretion to allot time for discussion of the motion.  TheRules of Procedurestate that the motion must be discussed within 10 days of being introduced.  This year, the no-confidence motion wasdiscussed13 calendar days after introduction.  Since the introduction of the no-confidence motion on July 26, 12 Bills have been introduced and 18 Bills have been passed by Lok Sabha.  In the past, on four occasions, the discussion on no-confidence motions began seven days after their introduction.  On these occasions, Bills and other important issues were debated before the discussion on the no-confidence motion began.Figure2: Members rise in support of the motion of no-confidence in Lok SabhaSource: Sansad TV, Lok Sabha, July 26, 2023; PRS.Figure3: Number of days from introduction to discussion on no-confidence motionsNote: Number of days implies calendar days.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.On average, no-confidence motions (excluding the one being discussed today) have been discussed for 13 hours over three days.  Discussions have lasted longer than 20 hours on four instances, most recently in 2003.  Today’s no-confidence motion was allotted 12 hours discussion time by theBusiness Advisory Committee.Following the discussion, the motion is put to vote.  26 out of 27 no-confidence motions (excluding the one being discussed today) have been voted upon and rejected.  This means that no government has ever had to resign following a vote of no-confidence.   On one occasion, in 1979, the discussion on a no-confidence motion against the Morarji Desai government remained inconclusive.  He resigned before the motion was put to vote.  50% of all no-confidence motions (14 out of 28) were discussed between 1965 and 1975.  Of these, 12 were against governments headed by Indira Gandhi.Figure4: Duration of discussion on no-confidence motionsNote: This graph excludes the no confidence motion moved on July 26, 2023.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.In comparison, confidence motions have a more varied history.  The first motion, brought in 1979 to demonstrate confidence in Charan Singh’s government, was not discussed at all.  The Prime Minister resigned before the discussion could take place.  Since then, 11 confidence motions have been discussed in Lok Sabha, with nine occurring in the 1990s.  During this period, several coalition governments were formed, and Prime Ministers sought to prove their majority throughconfidence motions.   These motions have been discussed, on average, for 12 hours over two days.Figure5: Duration of discussion of confidence motionsSource: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.Of the 11 confidence motions discussed in Lok Sabha, seven were accepted.  On three instances, governments had to resign as they could not prove that they had the support of the majority.  On one instance in 1996, the motion was not put to vote.  Following an eleven-hour discussion on this confidence motion, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced his intention to resign on the floor of the House.  He resigned 16 days into his term.Vajpayee became Prime Minister again in 1999, and faced another confidence motion.   This time, it was put to vote.   The motion was defeated by a margin of one vote.  This has been the closest result on a trust vote in the history of Lok Sabha.  The next closest result was when a motion of no-confidence against P V Narasimha Rao’s government was defeated by 14 votes in 1993.  In most cases, results have been in favour of the government by a large margin.«12345678910»


States and State LegislaturesGovernment of Karnataka’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic (Feb 2020–April 14, 2020)Prachi Kaur- April 15, 2020As of April 13, 2020, there have been 260 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Karnataka.  Of these, 70 have been discharged and 10 have died.[1]In order to contain the spread of the disease, both, the Central and State governments have come up with a series of policy responses.  In this blog, we take a look at the key measures taken by the Government of Karnataka in this regard as of April 14, 2020.Movement restrictionsTo contain the spread of COVID-19 in the state, the Government of Karnataka took the following measures to restrict the movement of people in the state:On March 13, the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare ordered the closure of various establishments such as theatres, pubs, gyms, malls, swimming pools, and educational institutions until March 21.The order also directed all international passenger arrivals to be mandatorily home quarantined for 14 days.[2]On March 20, the above order was revised to extend the closure of said establishments until April 1.  The order also banned all religious gatherings.[3]Further, on March 23, all bus services to and from the nine districts that had reported COVID-19 positive cases were completely stopped until April 1.[4]The central government later announced a 21-day country-wide lockdown starting March 25.[5]This was followed by the announcement of a pass system by the Bengaluru Commissioner of Police on March 25 to regulate the movement of people in Bengaluru City.[6]On April 6, District Collectors were empowered to issue inter-district transport passes.[7]On April 14, the Prime Minister announced the extension of the lockdown till May 3, 2020.[8]On April 15, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued guidelines on the measures to be taken by governments until May 3. As per these guidelines, to mitigate hardship to the public, select activities will be permitted from April 20 onwards. These include health services, agriculture and related activities, financial sector, MNREGA works, cargo movement etc. In addition, subject to conditions, commercial and private establishments, industrial establishments, government offices, construction activities etc, will also be permitted.[9]Essential Goods and ServicesThe pass system in Bengaluru City facilitated the movement of personnel involved in manufacturing and providing essential goods and services.On April 2, the government announced that it will distribute the excess stock of milk to poor people for free.[10]On April 6, the government declared that rations for the month of April will be supplied to people without the usual OTP authentication process.[11]Health MeasuresKarnataka Epidemic Disease COVID-19 Regulations 2020On March 11, 2020, the government released theKarnataka Epidemic Disease COVID-19 Regulations 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID19 in the state.  These regulations specify the protocol for hospitals to follow for screening and treating COVID-19 patients. These regulations are valid for one year.[12]Preventive measuresOn February 5, 2020, the Department of Health & Family Welfare and AYUSH services issued the Terms of Reference for district-level teams to take preventive measures against the spread of COVID-19.[13]The terms relate to various administrative and complementary aspects related to COVID19 management. These include activities of various teams, human resource management, training and awareness generation etc.Following this, on April 6, 2020, the Department also issued instructions to all districts to prepare a District Level Crisis Management Plan to prevent large outbreaks of COVID-19.[14]Setting up of fever clinics, isolation centres etcOn March 4, the state government issued guidelines to the district administration to ensure hospitals maintain a 10-bed isolation ward for COVID-19 patients.[15]On March 31, the government issued orders to establish fever clinics as the first points of contact for COVID-19 suspect patients.  These fever clinics would have COVID-19 Rapid Response team of one doctor, two nurses and a health care worker.[16]Personnel measuresOn March 30, the Department of Health & Family Welfare invited applications from doctors for immediate appointment (on contract basis) in Urban Primary Health Centres in Bengaluru City.[17]Subsequently, on April 2, the state government issued orders to extend the tenure of retiring medical professionals from March 31, 2020 to June 30, 2020.[18]On March 26, all Registered Medical Practitioners were permitted to provide telemedicine services during the lockdown period. Telemedicine services will be available for minor, non-COVID-19 ailments, and  existing patients only.[19]For more information on the spread of COVID-19 and the central and state government response to the pandemic, please seehere.[1]Novel Coronavirus (COVID19) Media Bulletin, Karnataka, Department of Health and Family Welfare, last accessed on April 15, 2020,https://karunadu.karnataka.gov.in/hfw/kannada/nCovDocs/14-04-2020(English).pdf[2]GOK order No. DD/SSU/COVID-19/17/19-20, Directorate of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka, March 13, 2020,https://karunadu.karnataka.gov.in/hfw/kannada/nCovDocs/Notification(Covid-19)-Dir-HFWS.pdf[3]Revised GOK order No. DD/SSU/COVID-19/17/19-20, Directorate of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka, March 20, 2020https://karunadu.karnataka.gov.in/hfw/kannada/nCovDocs/Revised-Order-COVID-19(20-03-2020).pdf[4]Order No. STA-6/SCP/PR-20/2019-20, Directorate of Transport, Government of Karnataka, March 23, 2020,https://transport.karnataka.gov.in/storage/pdf-files/restrictions.pdf[5]Order No. 1-29/2020-PP, National Disaster Management Authority, March 24, 2020,https://mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/ndma%20order%20copy.pdf.[6]Order No.02 / CP-BLR/Covid-19/2020, Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru City, March 25, 2020,https://karnataka.gov.in/storage/pdf-files/covid_rules/Covid_pass.pdf[7]Order of Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka, April 6, 2020,https://ksuwssb.karnataka.gov.in/frontend/opt1/images/covid/Orders/IMG-20200406-WA0005.jpg[8]“PM addresses the nation for 4th time in 4 Weeks in India’s fight against COVID-19” Press Release, Prime Minister’s office, April 14, 2020,https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1614255[9]No.40-3/2020-DM-I(A), Ministry of Home Affairs, April 15, 2020,https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/MHA%20order%20dt%2015.04.2020%2C%20with%20Revised%20Consolidated%20Guidelines_compressed%20%283%29.pdf[10]Proceedings,  Government of Karnataka, April 2, 2020, ,https://ksuwssb.karnataka.gov.in/frontend/opt1/images/covid/Orders/GO%20Free%20Milk%20%20(1).pdf[11]RD 158 TNR 2020, Government of Karnataka, April 6, 2020,https://ksuwssb.karnataka.gov.in/frontend/opt1/images/covid/Orders/IMG-20200406-WA0015.jpg[12]Karnataka Epidemic Disease COVID-19 Regulations 2020, Government of Karnataka, March 11, 2020,https://karunadu.karnataka.gov.in/hfw/kannada/nCovDocs/Exercise-of-Powers-COVID-10(11-03-2020).pdf[13]No. JRO(1A)/148/2019-20, Department of Health & Family Welfare and AYUSH Services Government of Karnataka, February 5, 2020,https://ksuwssb.karnataka.gov.in/frontend/opt1/images/covid/Circulars/%E0%B2%B8%E0%B3%81%E0%B2%A4%E0%B3%8D%E0%B2%A4%E0%B3%8B%E0%B2%B2%E0%B3%86%20%E0%B3%A8%E0%B3%AA.pdf[14]No. HFW 87 ACS 2020 Department of Health & Family Welfare and Medical Education, April 6, 2020,https://karunadu.karnataka.gov.in/hfw/kannada/nCovDocs/Circular-Preparation%20of%20District%20Level%20Crisis%20Management%20Plan%20for%20COVID-19(06-04-2020).pdf[15]Circular No. HFW 47 CGM 2020 (P), Government of Karnataka, March 3, 2020,https://karunadu.karnataka.gov.in/hfw/kannada/nCovDocs/Guidelines-Isolation-Ward.pdf[16]No. HFW 73 ACS 2020, Government of Karnataka, March 31, 2020,https://karunadu.karnataka.gov.in/hfw/kannada/nCovDocs/Circular-Establishment%20of%20Fever%20Clinic%20and%20Movement%20Protocol%20for%20Suspect%20Cases%20of%20COVID-19(31-03-2020).pdf[17]No. HFW 71 ACS 2020, Department of Health & Family Welfare and Medical Education, March 30, 2020,https://karunadu.karnataka.gov.in/hfw/kannada/nCovDocs/Order%20-%20Immidiate%20Appointment%20of%20Contract%20Doctors%20in%20BBMP%20(30-03-2020).pdf[18]No. 40 HSH 2020 (B), Government of Karnataka, April 2, 2020,https://ksuwssb.karnataka.gov.in/frontend/opt1/images/covid/Circulars/Extension%20of%20service%20reg_001.pdf[19]No. HFW 54 CGM 2020, Government of Karnataka, March 26, 2020,https://karunadu.karnataka.gov.in/hfw/kannada/nCovDocs/Order-Registered%20Medical%20Practitioners%20(26-03-2020).pdfParliamentFirst no-confidence motion of the 17th Lok Sabha discussed todayNiranjana Menon- August 8, 2023Discussion on the first no-confidence motion of the 17thLok Sabha began today.  No-confidence motions and confidence motions are trust votes, used to test or demonstrate the support of Lok Sabha for the government in power.  Article 75(3) of the Constitution states that the government is collectively responsible to Lok Sabha.  This means that the government must always enjoy the support of a majority of the members of Lok Sabha.  Trust votes are used to examine this support.  The government resigns if a majority of members support a no-confidence motion, or reject a confidence motion.So far, 28 no-confidence motions (including the one being discussed today) and 11 confidence motions have beendiscussed.  Over the years, the number of such motions has reduced.  The mid-1960s and mid-1970s saw more no-confidence motions, whereas the 1990s saw more confidence motions.Figure1: Trust votes in ParliamentNote: *Term shorter than 5 years; **6-year term.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.The no-confidence motion being discussed today wasmovedon July 26, 2023.  A motion of no-confidence is moved with the support of at least 50 members.   The Speaker has the discretion to allot time for discussion of the motion.  TheRules of Procedurestate that the motion must be discussed within 10 days of being introduced.  This year, the no-confidence motion wasdiscussed13 calendar days after introduction.  Since the introduction of the no-confidence motion on July 26, 12 Bills have been introduced and 18 Bills have been passed by Lok Sabha.  In the past, on four occasions, the discussion on no-confidence motions began seven days after their introduction.  On these occasions, Bills and other important issues were debated before the discussion on the no-confidence motion began.Figure2: Members rise in support of the motion of no-confidence in Lok SabhaSource: Sansad TV, Lok Sabha, July 26, 2023; PRS.Figure3: Number of days from introduction to discussion on no-confidence motionsNote: Number of days implies calendar days.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.On average, no-confidence motions (excluding the one being discussed today) have been discussed for 13 hours over three days.  Discussions have lasted longer than 20 hours on four instances, most recently in 2003.  Today’s no-confidence motion was allotted 12 hours discussion time by theBusiness Advisory Committee.Following the discussion, the motion is put to vote.  26 out of 27 no-confidence motions (excluding the one being discussed today) have been voted upon and rejected.  This means that no government has ever had to resign following a vote of no-confidence.   On one occasion, in 1979, the discussion on a no-confidence motion against the Morarji Desai government remained inconclusive.  He resigned before the motion was put to vote.  50% of all no-confidence motions (14 out of 28) were discussed between 1965 and 1975.  Of these, 12 were against governments headed by Indira Gandhi.Figure4: Duration of discussion on no-confidence motionsNote: This graph excludes the no confidence motion moved on July 26, 2023.Source: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.In comparison, confidence motions have a more varied history.  The first motion, brought in 1979 to demonstrate confidence in Charan Singh’s government, was not discussed at all.  The Prime Minister resigned before the discussion could take place.  Since then, 11 confidence motions have been discussed in Lok Sabha, with nine occurring in the 1990s.  During this period, several coalition governments were formed, and Prime Ministers sought to prove their majority throughconfidence motions.   These motions have been discussed, on average, for 12 hours over two days.Figure5: Duration of discussion of confidence motionsSource: Statistical Handbook 2021, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; PRS.Of the 11 confidence motions discussed in Lok Sabha, seven were accepted.  On three instances, governments had to resign as they could not prove that they had the support of the majority.  On one instance in 1996, the motion was not put to vote.  Following an eleven-hour discussion on this confidence motion, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced his intention to resign on the floor of the House.  He resigned 16 days into his term.Vajpayee became Prime Minister again in 1999, and faced another confidence motion.   This time, it was put to vote.   The motion was defeated by a margin of one vote.  This has been the closest result on a trust vote in the history of Lok Sabha.  The next closest result was when a motion of no-confidence against P V Narasimha Rao’s government was defeated by 14 votes in 1993.  In most cases, results have been in favour of the government by a large margin.«12345678910»