A well-devised process to hear the voice of every
lawmaker in Parliament is laid down in the constitution.
How do MPs seek answers from government?
The ‘ Question Hour’— an hour long
question-answer session —is held every day during which any MP, who is not a
minister, can ask questions.
Which questions are replied to orally?
Only starred questions, the ones that are marked with an
asterisk, are given an oral answer. Unstarred questions are replied to in
written form.
Can members raise issues whenever they want?
No. Members need to give a notice to the Speaker of Lok
Sabha or the Chairman of Rajya Sabha (depending on which House they belong to).
Can there be voting after a discussion?
Discussions in Lok
Sabha and Rajya Sabha entail a division or voting at the end of the debate. But
the Opposition has to give proper notice to seek voting. Can MPs raise
issues related to their constituencies?
Yes. After Question Hour comes Zero Hour in which members
are free to raise issues of their choice. The House can also hold Short Duration
discussions on important national issues like they did on the JNU controversy.
In short duration discussions, ministers are bound to reply orally to queries.
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