New Delhi, September 4: A political row has erupted after the Modi government said there will be no Question Hour in the monsoon session of Parliament, which is scheduled to begin from September 14. Besides, Zero Hour will be restricted in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. While the Modi government said the decision to cancel Question Hour has been taken in view of the coronavirus outbreak, opposition parties alleged the Centre is running away from questions. Here's everything you need to know about Question Hour and Zero Hour. 'No Question Hour': Opposition Leaders Step Up Attack on Govt.

What is Question Hour?

Question Hour is the first hour of a sitting session of Parliament. During the Question Hour, Members of Parliament or MPs ask questions to ministers. It is one of the ways to hold the government's legislative branch accountable. A lawmaker has to give a minimum of 15 clear days' notice of a question. The Speaker holds the authority to reduce the notice period. Ministers are obliged to answer in writing or orally. The medium of the answer depends on how the question is asked. Not Having Question Hour is Against Basic Structure of Constitution: Asaduddin Owaisi.

The oral answer is given in response to a Starred Question. Starred Questions are printed in green colour and are marked with asterisk sign '*', in order to distinguish from other questions. Non-starred Questions are those for which a written reply is expected. After the reply has been provided, no supplementary question can be asked. While the Modi government has decided to skip the Question Hour, it said it will respond to Non-starred Questions.

MPs can raise Short Notice Questions which are asked on matters of urgent public importance and thus, can be asked on a shorter notice i.e. less than 10 days. These questions can be answered orally and supplementary questions can be asked. These questions are printed in yellow-pink colour. Questions to private members are those which are asked to members who are not ministers. These questions are related to private member bill, parliamentary committees, private member resolutions.

What is Zero Hour?

Zero Hour is the time when MPs can raise Issues of Urgent Public Importance. No advance notice is to be given for questions during the Zero Hour. However,  for raising matters during the Zero Hour, MPs must give the notice before 10 am to the Speaker/ Chairman on the day of the sitting. Zero Hour is an Indian parliamentary innovation and does not find mention in the rules of procedure.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 04, 2020 12:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).