Consider the following statement about Zero Hour in the parliamentary field A) Zero hour is an Indian innovation. B) It is mentioned in the constitution. C) It is not mentioned in the rules of procedure. Choose the correct statement:
Question Hour is the liveliest hour in Parliament.
It is during this one hour that MPs ask questions of ministers and hold them accountable for the functioning of their ministries.
Prior to Independence, the first question asked of government was in 1893.
It was on the burden cast on village shopkeepers who had to provide supplies to touring government officers.
The questions that MPs ask are designed to elicit information and trigger suitable action by ministries.
Over the last 70 years, MPs have successfully used this parliamentary device to shine a light on government functioning.
Their questions have exposed financial irregularities and brought data and information regarding government functioning to the public domain. With the broadcasting since 1991, Question Hour has become one of the most visible aspects of parliamentary functioning
While Question Hour is strictly regulated, Zero Hour is an Indian innovation.
The phrase does not find mention in the rules of procedure. Hence statement A and C are correct.
The concept of Zero Hour started organically in the first decade of Indian Parliament when MPs felt the need for raising important constituency and national issues.
During the initial days, Parliament used to break for lunch at 1 pm.
Therefore, the opportunity for MPs to raise national issues without an advance notice became available at 12 pm and could last for an hour until the House adjourned for lunch.
This led to the hour being popularly referred to as Zero Hour and the issues being raised during this time as Zero Hour submissions.
Its importance can be gauged from the support it receives from citizens, media, MPs and presiding officers despite not being part of the rulebook