RAS question
A no-confidence motion under Rule 198 of Rules of Procedure can be moved only in:
Correct answer: (B) Lok Sabha.
A no-confidence motion under Rule 198 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business can be moved only in the Lok Sabha.
Explanation
A no-confidence motion belongs to the Lok Sabha because the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha under Article 75(3). The Sansad FAQ explains the same principle in practical terms: the Government must enjoy majority support in the popular House to remain in power, and Rule 198 lays down the procedure for moving a no-confidence motion in the Council of Ministers as a body. This is why the motion is not a Rajya Sabha device and not a proceeding of a joint sitting. For introduction, it needs the support of at least 50 members; if the motion is passed, the entire Council of Ministers must resign.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Either House is wrong because the constitutional responsibility tested here is specifically to the Lok Sabha, not to both Houses.
- (C) Rajya Sabha is wrong because Rule 198 concerns a no-confidence motion against the Council of Ministers in the Lok Sabha framework.
- (D) Joint session is wrong because a no-confidence motion is a Lok Sabha proceeding, not a mechanism used in a joint sitting.
Concept
This tests parliamentary responsibility, especially the link between Article 75(3) and Lok Sabha control over the Council of Ministers. RAS often asks this because no-confidence motions connect constitutional text, procedure and executive accountability in one compact fact.