Question Hour and Zero Hour: Meaning, Types and Rules

Question Hour and Zero Hour: In India’s parliamentary democracy, accountability of the executive to the legislature is a core principle. Two key mechanisms that ensure this accountability are Question Hour and Zero Hour. These sessions allow Members of Parliament (MPs) to question government actions, seek information, and raise urgent public concerns affecting citizens.

Conducted during sittings of the Parliament of India, these interventions strengthen transparency, responsiveness, and democratic debate. Understanding their structure and functioning is essential for students of polity and competitive examinations.

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What are Question Hour and Zero Hour?

Question Hour and Zero Hour are institutional tools that allow MPs to interact directly with the government during parliamentary proceedings. They provide structured and immediate avenues for raising public issues and scrutinising executive actions.

• Question Hour is a formal, rule-bound period where MPs ask questions to ministers.
• Zero Hour is an informal period where urgent public matters are raised without prior notice.

Both mechanisms uphold the principle of executive accountability and ensure that public grievances reach the national legislative forum.

Question Hour

The Question Hour typically starts the day’s proceedings in Lok Sabha. Members of Parliament use this time to ask questions from ministers. This practice holds the government accountable for its policies and actions. MPs can seek responses on matters affecting their constituents.

There are three main types of questions asked during Question Hour:

Starred Questions are marked with an asterisk. This indicates the MP desires an oral answer and can ask supplementary questions. Unstarred Questions get a written reply. Short Notice Questions are rare. They deal with urgent public matters.

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Zero Hour

• The Zero Hour follows immediately after the Question Hour. Zero hour in parliament is for raising urgent public matters without prior notice. These issues cannot wait for the standard notice period required by other procedures. Submissions made during this hour are not formally listed under any specific rule. They are known as Matters of Urgent Public Importance. The Speaker allows MPs to present these urgent issues.

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Rules of Question Hour and Zero Hour

These parliamentary sessions are governed by specific rules and practices. Understanding these rules helps clarify how MPs perform their oversight roles.

Here are the key rules for these interventions:

• Questions (Rule 33): This rule governs Starred and Unstarred Questions. It mandates a 15-day notice period. Up to 20 Starred and 230 Unstarred Questions can be selected daily. An MP can ask one Starred and four Unstarred Questions per day. Selection often happens through a ballot system.
• Short Notice Questions (Rule 54): This rule applies to questions of urgent public importance. The notice period is less than 10 days. The Speaker’s discretion is key for admitting these questions.
• Zero Hour Matters: There is no specific rule. MPs submit notices to the Speaker before 9 am on the day of the sitting. These are treated as Matters of Urgent Public Importance. Selection happens via ballot.

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