Question Hour and Zero Hour

---

Question Hour

First hour, i.e. 11a.m. to 12 a.m. of every parliamentary sitting is slotted for this. During this time, the members ask questions and the ministers usually give answers. The questions are of three kinds, namely, starred, un-starred and short notice.  A starred question (distinguished by an asterisk) requires an oral answer and hence supplementary questions can follow. Only 20 questions can be listed for oral answer on a day.  An un-starred question, on the other hand, requires a written answer and hence, supplementary questions cannot follow. It Requires a time-period of 10 days.  A short notice question is one that is asked by giving a notice of less than ten days. It is answered orally. Each MP can submit a maximum of 10 questions for each day of the Parliament’s sitting when question hour is to take place. The submissions are made 15 days before the date assigned for answer and a paper signed by the MP listing the question must be submitted in the parliamentary notice office.

The privilege of asking starred and unstarred questions are with the members of parliament. There are two different forms for starred and unstarred questions. A question in form meant for starred question is a starred question and question in a form for unstarred question is an unstarred question.

Minimum period of notice for starred/ unstarred question is 10 clear days. The normal period of notice does not apply to Short Notice Questions which relate to matters of urgent public importance. However, a Short Notice Question may only be answered on short notice if so permitted by the Speaker and the Minister concerned is prepared to answer it at shorter notice. A Short Notice Question is taken up for answer immediately after the Question Hour.

Zero Hour

Unlike the question hour, the zero hour is not mentioned in the Rules of Procedure. Thus, it is an informal device available to the members of the Parliament to raise matters without any prior notice.

The zero hour starts immediately after the question hour and lasts until the agenda for the day (i.e., regular business of the House) is taken up. In other words, the time gap between the question hour and the agenda is known as zero hour. It is an Indian innovation in the field of parliamentary procedures and has been in existence since 1962.