Malcolm Rivera
The Indian Constitution recognises four types of majorities: simple, absolute, effective, and special. Each type of majority ensures that decisions are made with an appropriate level of agreement and scrutiny, reflecting the democratic ethos and practical necessities of governance. The simple majority, also known as the ordinary, functional, or working majority, is the most frequently used form of majority in parliamentary business. It refers to a majority of the members present and voting in the House, which is more than 50% of the total members present and voting in support of a motion.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Other names | Ordinary Majority, Functional Majority, Working Majority |
| Calculation | More than 50% of the members present and voting in the House |
| Application | Passing Ordinary Bills, Money Bills, Financial Bills, Adjournment Motion, No Confidence Motion, Confidence Motion, Censure Motion, Motion of Thanks, etc. |
| Mentioned in | Article 80 of the Indian Constitution |
| Compared to | Absolute Majority, Effective Majority, Special Majority |
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What You'll Learn
Simple majority calculation
The Indian Constitution recognises four types of majority: simple, absolute, effective, and special. The concept of a 'majority' is fundamental to the functioning of Indian democracy, ensuring that decisions are made with an appropriate level of agreement and scrutiny while reflecting the democratic ethos and practical necessities of governance.
A simple majority is also known as an ordinary, functional, or working majority. It is the most frequently used form of majority in parliamentary business and is the default majority type when the constitution or laws do not specify otherwise. A simple majority is calculated as more than 50% of the members present and voting in the House. For example, if 324 members are present and voting in the Lok Sabha, a simple majority would be 163 (324/2 + 1).
The Indian Parliament, comprising the President, the Rajya Sabha (Council of States), and the Lok Sabha (House of the People), is the supreme legislative body of the country. One of its main functions is to make laws for the country's governance. The law-making process in Parliament begins with the introduction of a bill and ends with the assent of the President. Ordinary bills, for example, need to be passed with a simple majority in both Houses of Parliament before being sent to the Indian President for their assent.
The simple majority is required in several other cases, including:
- Passing of Money Bills and Financial Bills
- Passing of the Adjournment Motion, No Confidence Motion, Confidence Motion, Censure Motion, and Motion of Thanks
- Removal of the Vice President in Lok Sabha (Article 67(b))
- Declaring a financial or state emergency
- Election of the Speaker/Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha and State Legislatures
- Constitution Amendment Bill under Article 368, which needs to be ratified by the states and requires a simple majority at the State Legislatures
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Simple majority application
The Indian Constitution recognises four types of majorities: simple, absolute, effective, and special. The concept of a 'majority' is fundamental to the functioning of India's parliamentary democracy, with the majority playing a crucial role in deciding the fate of bills and policies.
A simple majority is also known as an ordinary, functional, or working majority. It is the most frequently used form of majority in parliamentary business. When the constitution or laws do not specify the type of majority required, a simple majority is used for voting.
A simple majority is required in the following cases:
- Passing of ordinary bills, money bills, and financial bills
- Passing of the adjournment motion, no-confidence motion, confidence motion, censure motion, and motion of thanks
- Removal of the Vice President of India
- Declaring a financial or state emergency
- Election of the Speaker/Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha and State legislatures
- Constitution Amendment Bill under Article 368, which needs to be ratified by states, requires only a simple majority at state legislatures
To calculate a simple majority, the number of votes in favour of a motion must exceed 50% of the members present and voting in the House. For example, if 324 members are present and voting in the Lok Sabha, a simple majority would be 163 votes (324/2 +1).
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Simple majority vs. absolute majority
In the Indian Constitution, the concept of a 'majority' is crucial to the functioning of the democratic processes. The Constitution recognises four types of majorities: simple, absolute, effective, and special.
A simple majority, also known as an ordinary, functional, or working majority, is a majority of the members present and voting in the House. In other words, it is more than 50% of the members present and voting, excluding abstentions. For example, if 324 members are present and voting in the Lok Sabha, a simple majority would be 163. A simple majority is required for passing ordinary bills, money bills, and financial bills, as well as motions like adjournment, no-confidence, confidence, and censure.
On the other hand, an absolute majority refers to a majority of the entire membership of the House, including those who are absent or not voting. In the Lok Sabha, with a total membership of 545, an absolute majority would be 273 (more than 50% of 545).
An absolute majority is a significantly higher standard than a simple majority. In an election, a candidate cannot win without the support of at least half of the electorate (50% or more) to achieve an absolute majority. On the other hand, a simple majority winner does not need to earn 50% or more of the vote; they could win with just 40%, 30%, or even fewer votes, depending on the number of candidates.
Both simple and absolute majorities are important in the Indian Parliament, where they play a crucial role in deciding the fate of bills and policies. The type of majority required varies depending on the context and the specific decision being made.
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Simple majority vs. special majority
The Indian Constitution recognises four types of majorities: simple, absolute, effective, and special. The concept of a 'majority' is crucial in the functioning of the country's democratic processes. The term 'majority' refers to the minimum number of votes required to pass a decision or a law.
A simple majority is also known as an ordinary, functional, or working majority. It refers to a majority of the members present and voting in the House. For example, suppose 324 members are present and voting in the Lok Sabha. In this case, a simple majority is achieved with 163 votes (calculated as [324/2 + 1]). Article 100 of the Indian Constitution states that all questions at any sitting of either House or joint sitting of the Houses shall be determined by a majority of votes of the members present and voting. A simple majority is required for the passing of ordinary bills, money bills, and financial bills, as well as for passing an adjournment motion, no-confidence motion, confidence motion, censure motion, and motion of thanks.
A special majority, on the other hand, involves two-thirds of the members present and voting, along with a majority of the total membership of the House. It is used for amending the Constitution under Article 368. There are four types of special majorities, each with different clauses. Special Majority-III is used only by the Rajya Sabha and requires a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting. It is required for the recommendation for the creation of new All-India Services (Article 312) and parliamentary legislation on matters in the State List (Article 249). Special Majority, according to Article 368, plus 50% state ratification by a simple majority, is needed when a constitutional amendment tries to change the federal structure.
In conclusion, while a simple majority is the most frequently used form of majority in parliamentary business, a special majority is required for amending the Constitution and for certain specific cases, such as the creation of new All-India Services. Understanding these different types of majorities is essential to grasp how legislative and constitutional decisions are made in India.
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Simple majority vs. effective majority
The Indian Constitution recognises four types of majorities: simple, absolute, effective, and special. The concept of a 'majority' is fundamental to the functioning of the country's parliamentary democracy, as it ensures that decisions are made with an appropriate level of agreement and scrutiny, reflecting the democratic ethos and practical necessities of governance.
A simple majority is also referred to as an ordinary, functional, or working majority. It is the most commonly used type of majority and is used when the law does not specify the kind of majority needed. A simple majority is required for passing ordinary bills, money bills, and financial bills, and for passing an adjournment motion, no-confidence motion, confidence motion, censure motion, and motion of thanks. In the Lok Sabha, India's lower house of Parliament, a simple majority is achieved when more than 50% of members present and voting support a motion. For example, if 45 members were absent and 100 abstained from voting out of a total strength of 545, 201 votes would be needed for a simple majority (calculated as (400/2) + 1).
An effective majority, on the other hand, refers to a majority of more than 50% of the effective strength of the House. The effective strength is calculated by deducting the number of vacant and absent seats from the total number of seats in the House. For instance, if 5 seats are vacant in the Lok Sabha, the effective strength is 540, and an effective majority is achieved with 271 votes. An effective majority is required to remove the Deputy Chairman in the Rajya Sabha (upper house of Parliament), the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha, and the State Legislatures.
In conclusion, while a simple majority is based on the number of members present and voting in the House, an effective majority takes into account the total number of seats in the House, excluding vacant and absent seats. Both types of majorities are crucial in the Indian parliamentary system, with the simple majority being the general rule prescribed by the Constitution for decision-making, and the effective majority being required for specific purposes, such as the removal of certain officials.
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Frequently asked questions
A simple majority is a majority of more than 50% of the members present and voting in the House. It is also known as an ordinary, functional or working majority.
The calculation depends on the number of members present and voting in the House. For example, if 324 members are present and voting in the Lok Sabha, a simple majority would be 163 (324/2 +1).
A simple majority is required for the passing of ordinary bills, money bills, and financial bills. It is also required for the passing of an adjournment motion, no-confidence motion, confidence motion, censure motion, and motion of thanks.
