UPSC GS Paper II: Parliament, Parliamentary Procedures, Zero Hour, Question Hour, Motions

Must?Know

• Question Hour begins first in both Houses of Parliament; proceedings start with answering of starred questions, as per Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha (Rule 38).
• Zero Hour is not mentioned in the Constitution or Rules of Procedure; it evolved organically since 1962 as an informal practice for members to raise urgent matters without prior notice.
• A starred question requires an oral answer from the concerned minister, allowing supplementary questions during Question Hour; governed by Rule 40 of Lok Sabha Rules.
• An unstarred question requires a written answer, laid on the table of the House, and does not permit supplementary questions; listed under Rule 40(1) of Lok Sabha Rules.
• Short notice questions are admitted on matters of urgent public importance and can be asked with less than 10 days’ notice, with prior permission of the Speaker; answered during Question Hour.
• The presiding officer of the House (Speaker in Lok Sabha, Chairman in Rajya Sabha) decides the admissibility of questions based on specified criteria in the Rules.
• During Zero Hour, MPs can raise issues without prior approval, but the time is not allocated by the Chair; it follows immediately after Question Hour.
• The first hour of every parliamentary sitting is reserved for Question Hour, as per parliamentary norms established in the 1950s.
• Adjournment Motion is a device to draw attention to a matter of urgent public importance and requires the support of 50 members for admission; Rule 56 of Lok Sabha Rules.
• An Adjournment Motion, if admitted, leads to the postponement of regular business and is considered a censure against the government; extremely rare in Rajya Sabha due to its nature.
• A No-Confidence Motion can be moved only in Lok Sabha under Rule 198 and requires the support of at least 50 members; if passed, the Council of Ministers must resign.
• The first No-Confidence Motion in independent India was moved in 1963 by J.B. Kripalani against Jawaharlal Nehru’s government; it was defeated.
• The first successful No-Confidence Motion was in 1979 when Charan Singh’s government resigned before facing the motion, after losing majority support.
• A Confidence Motion is moved by the Prime Minister to prove majority support; passed by simple majority; e.g., Narendra Modi moved one in 2018 after the fall of the AIADMK government.
• Calling Attention Motion allows a member to call the attention of a minister to a matter of urgent public importance; introduced in 1954 based on British practice; Rule 180 of Lok Sabha Rules.
• A Calling Attention Motion does not involve a vote; it is an Indian innovation not found in the British Parliament.
• The President of India summons each House of Parliament under Article 85(1), but the actual timing of Question Hour and Zero Hour is decided by the Business Advisory Committee.
• The Business Advisory Committee allocates time for various items of business, including Question Hour, in both Houses; chaired by the Speaker in Lok Sabha.
• The Question Hour was suspended during the 2020 monsoon session due to the pandemic, marking the first such suspension since 1963.
• The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs prepares the list of questions and coordinates with ministries for timely replies.
• The maximum number of starred questions admitted per day is 20 in Lok Sabha and 15 in Rajya Sabha; determined by the Speaker/Chairman.
• The Rajya Sabha has a Question Hour but no Zero Hour in the same form; instead, it has "Short Duration Discussions" under Rule 176.
• The term "Zero Hour" originated in the Indian Parliament in the 1960s; not part of the official schedule but observed between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM.
• The first mention of procedures for questions in Parliament is found in the Government of India Act, 1919, which introduced limited legislative powers.
• The Committee on Government Assurances monitors the implementation of assurances given by ministers during parliamentary proceedings, including replies in Question Hour.

Difficulty Level

Intermediate – requires understanding of procedural rules, distinctions between motions, and awareness of historical instances and evolving practices not codified in the Constitution.

Common UPSC Traps

Trap: Zero Hour is mentioned in the Constitution or Rules of Procedure – Fact: Zero Hour is neither in the Constitution nor in the Rules; it is an informal practice that emerged in 1962, as per parliamentary records and the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

Trap: A No-Confidence Motion can be moved in Rajya Sabha – Fact: A No-Confidence Motion can only be moved in Lok Sabha as the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to Lok Sabha under Article 75(3); Rajya Sabha cannot pass such a motion.

Trap: Written answers to unstarred questions are not part of parliamentary proceedings – Fact: Written answers to unstarred questions are deemed to have been laid on the table and are part of the official record (LS Debates), as per Rule 40(1)(c).

Trap: Adjournment Motion is a no-confidence motion – Fact: Adjournment Motion is a device to discuss an urgent issue and censure the government, but it does not lead to the fall of the government; No-Confidence Motion does.

Trap: Question Hour is mandatory on every sitting day – Fact: While Question Hour is a parliamentary convention, it can be suspended by the House with consent; e.g., it was suspended in the 2020 monsoon session due to the pandemic.

Practice MCQs

Question: Which of the following statements about starred questions in Parliament is correct?
A) They require a written answer and are not followed by supplementary questions
B) They are answered during Zero Hour with prior permission of the Chair
C) They require an oral answer and allow supplementary questions
D) They can be asked with less than 10 days’ notice without special permission
Answer: C
Explanation: Starred questions require oral answers and allow supplementary questions during Question Hour, as per Rule 40 of Lok Sabha Rules.
Why others fail: Option D describes short notice questions, not starred questions.

Question: Consider the following statements:

1. Zero Hour is mentioned in the Rules of Procedure of Lok Sabha.

2. The first hour of every sitting is reserved for Question Hour.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A) 1 only
B) 2 only
C) Both 1 and 2
D) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: B
Explanation: Statement 2 is correct as Question Hour is the first item of business; statement 1 is incorrect because Zero Hour is not mentioned in the Rules.
Why others fail: Option C is tempting because Zero Hour is widely discussed, but it is not codified.

Question: A member of Lok Sabha wants to move a motion to discuss a recent natural disaster and censure the government for its response. Which motion is constitutionally permissible?
A) No-Confidence Motion
B) Adjournment Motion
C) Calling Attention Motion
D) Censure Motion
Answer: B
Explanation: An Adjournment Motion is used to discuss a matter of urgent public importance and censure the government; requires 50 members’ support under Rule 56.
Why others fail: Option C (Calling Attention) does not lead to censure or voting, making it less effective for expressing disapproval.

Question: Which of the following motions, if passed, leads to the immediate resignation of the Council of Ministers?
A) Censure Motion
B) Adjournment Motion
C) No-Confidence Motion
D) Privilege Motion
Answer: C
Explanation: A No-Confidence Motion, if passed in Lok Sabha, compels the Council of Ministers to resign as it proves loss of majority under Article 75(3).
Why others fail: Option A (Censure Motion) expresses disapproval but does not require resignation.

Question: With reference to parliamentary procedures, what is the role of the Business Advisory Committee?
A) To decide the admissibility of questions
B) To monitor government assurances given during debates
C) To allocate time for various items of business in the House
D) To recommend dissolution of Lok Sabha to the President
Answer: C
Explanation: The Business Advisory Committee, chaired by the Speaker in Lok Sabha, allocates time for government and private business, including Question Hour.
Why others fail: Option B refers to the Committee on Government Assurances, not Business Advisory Committee.

Question: Which of the following statements about Question Hour is correct?
A) It was introduced for the first time in the Indian Parliament after the 42nd Amendment
B) It is constitutionally mandated under Article 85
C) It was suspended during the 2020 monsoon session due to the pandemic
D) It is conducted only in Lok Sabha and not in Rajya Sabha
Answer: C
Explanation: Question Hour was suspended in the 2020 monsoon session due to the pandemic, as confirmed by Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs records.
Why others fail: Option B is incorrect because Question Hour is a convention, not constitutionally mandated.

Question: Which motion can be admitted with the prior permission of the Speaker and is used to raise matters of urgent public importance with less than 10 days’ notice?
A) Calling Attention Motion
B) Short Notice Question
C) Adjournment Motion
D) Privilege Motion
Answer: B
Explanation: A Short Notice Question is asked on urgent matters with less than 10 days’ notice and requires prior permission of the Speaker under Rule 40.
Why others fail: Option A (Calling Attention) does not require reduced notice and is not a type of question.

Last?Minute Revision

• Zero Hour is not mentioned in the Constitution or Rules of Procedure.
• Question Hour is the first item of business in both Houses.
• Starred questions: oral answer, supplementary allowed.
• Unstarred questions: written answer, no supplementaries.
• Short notice questions: less than 10 days’ notice, urgent matters.
• 50 members required to move an Adjournment Motion.
• Adjournment Motion leads to adjournment of regular business.
• Adjournment Motion is an extraordinary device, rarely admitted.
• No-Confidence Motion can be moved only in Lok Sabha.
• First No-Confidence Motion in 1963 against Nehru.
• First successful No-Confidence Motion: 1979 (Charan Singh resigned before vote).
• Confidence Motion can be moved by the Prime Minister.
• Calling Attention Motion: Indian innovation, no vote.
• Calling Attention Motion introduced in 1954.
• Rajya Sabha does not have Zero Hour; has Short Duration Discussions.
• Business Advisory Committee allocates time for House business.
• Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs coordinates question replies.
• Question Hour suspended in 2020 monsoon session.
• Written answers to unstarred questions are part of official record.
• Maximum 20 starred questions per day in Lok Sabha.
• Committee on Government Assurances monitors ministerial promises.
• A Censure Motion does not require resignation of ministers.
• A Privilege Motion relates to breach of parliamentary privilege.
• The Speaker decides admissibility of questions.
• The President summons Parliament under Article 85(1), but procedures are internal to Houses.