BharatNotes What is Cut Motions?
A cut motion is a motion moved in the Lok Sabha to reduce the amount of a Demand for Grants sought by the government during the Budget. It is one of the principal devices through which Parliament exercises financial control over the executive. Cut motions are taken up at the stage of voting on demands, a stage that derives from Article 113 of the Constitution (procedure in Parliament with respect to estimates). Since only the Lok Sabha votes on demands for grants — the Rajya Sabha may only discuss the Budget — cut motions can be moved exclusively in the Lok Sabha.
The Three Types of Cut Motions
The Rules of Procedure recognise three categories, distinguished by purpose and by the amount proposed:
| Type | What it proposes | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Policy Cut (Disapproval of Policy Cut) | That the amount of the demand be reduced to Re 1 | Expresses disapproval of the policy underlying the demand; the mover may advocate an alternative policy |
| Economy Cut | That the amount of the demand be reduced by a specified amount (a lump-sum cut, or omission/reduction of a particular item) | Seeks economy in expenditure |
| Token Cut | That the amount of the demand be reduced by Rs 100 | Ventilates a specific grievance within the Union government's sphere of responsibility |
A useful memory anchor: Policy → Re 1, Token → Rs 100, Economy → a specified sum. Confusing the Policy and Token amounts is the single most common error in objective questions.
Conditions of Admissibility
The Speaker decides whether a cut motion is admissible and may disallow one that abuses the right or obstructs the House. To be admissible, a cut motion broadly must:
- relate to one demand / one specific matter only, stated clearly and without argument or defamatory language;
- not suggest amendment or repeal of an existing law;
- not concern a matter that is not primarily the responsibility of the Union government;
- not relate to expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund of India;
- not raise a question of privilege, refer to a matter under court adjudication (sub judice), revive a settled matter of the same session, or raise a trivial matter.
Significance and Current Status
In practice, cut motions are rarely passed. The treasury benches normally command a majority, and at the end of the allotted days the Speaker applies the "guillotine" — putting all outstanding demands (whether discussed or not) to a single vote so the Budget meets its deadlines. Their real value is therefore as a tool of debate and accountability rather than of defeating demands.
Constitutionally, the consequence is significant: because supply (passing of demands) is treated as central to the government's survival, the passage of a cut motion is regarded as a loss of the confidence of the House, and the Council of Ministers is expected to resign. This makes cut motions, alongside the no-confidence motion, part of the machinery that keeps the executive collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha under Article 75(3).
UPSC Angle
For Prelims, lock in the three types, their amounts, the Lok Sabha-only rule, and Article 113. For Mains GS2, cut motions illustrate parliamentary oversight of public finance — useful when arguing how effectively (or not) the legislature scrutinises executive spending given the routine use of the guillotine.
