Demands For Grants

Demands For Grants Latest News

Lok Sabha Approves ₹50 Lakh Crore in Demands for Grants for 2025-26.

What are Demands for Grants?

• Definition: Demands for Grants refer to expenditure estimates that require Lok Sabha approval under Article 113 of the Constitution.
• Scope:
  • Covers revenue & capital expenditure, grants to states/UTs, and loans & advances.
  • Each ministry/department presents its own Demand; large ministries may have multiple Demands.
• Types of Expenditures:
  • Voted expenditure: Requires approval from the Lok Sabha.
  • Charged expenditure: Includes President’s salary, judges' salaries, debt servicing, and does not require voting.

Constitutional Provisions on Demands for Grants

• Article 113: No demand for a grant can be made without the President’s recommendation.
• Article 114: Money cannot be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund of India without Parliamentary approval.
• Article 115: Allows for supplementary, additional, or excess grants when the original budget allocation is insufficient.
• Article 116: Provides for Vote on Account, Vote of Credit, and Exceptional Grants if the budget is not passed before the financial year begins.

Voting on Demands for Grants

• Exclusive power of Lok Sabha (Rajya Sabha cannot vote).
• Voting applies only to the votable part of the budget.
• Each Demand is voted on separately, allowing for discussion.
• If all demands are not discussed within the allocated time, the Speaker applies the Guillotine, approving all remaining Demands without discussion.

Demands for Grants FAQs

Q1. What are the Demands for Grants?

Ans. Demands for Grants are requests for funds presented by various ministries and departments in the Union Budget to meet their expenditure needs for the financial year.

Q2. Who presents the Demands for Grants?

Ans. The finance minister presents the Demands for Grants on behalf of the Union Government, detailing the expenditure for various ministries.

Q3. Under which article are Demands for Grants presented?

Ans. Article 113 of the Indian Constitution mandates that all government expenditure requires parliamentary approval through Demands for Grants.

Q4. How many Demands for Grants are presented in the Union Budget?

Ans. The number varies yearly, but there are usually around 100 Demands for Grants, each corresponding to a specific ministry or department.

Source: TH