Rajya Sabha question hour shifted from 11am to 12 noon

Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari has decided to shift Question Hour in Rajya Sabha from 11 a.m. to 12 noon for the upcoming Winter Session. Thus, Question Hour in Rajya Sabha will be between 12 PM and 1 PM instead of 11 am. As per new rules, the proceeding of the Rajya Sabha will start with ‘Zero Hour’ which will be between 11am to 12 noon. The move aimed to ensure disruption-free proceedings during this segment.
Rules Committee of Parliament had given final nod to the change these timings. Rajya Sabha Secretariat has issued the notification to this effect and it has been communicated to all Ministries.

Reason for shift in timing of Question Hour

Question Hour, which marks the beginning of a day’s proceedings of a House of Parliament, is often witness to disruptions by members who want to raise issues.
Normally, no issues can be raised during the Question Hour except those related to the questions listed for the day. Other issues can be raised during the Zero Hour.
Earlier in 2011, the Question Hour in Rajya Sabha was shifted for a few days to 2-3 pm so that the House could function normally in the first half. But, it was subsequently discontinued and the Question Hour switched back to its usual timing of 11 am.

• Question Hour: During this time, the members of Parliament ask questions and the ministers usually give answers. There are three kinds of question which can be asked during Question Hour. They are starred, unstarred and short notice. Question Hour is mentioned in the Rules of Procedure of Parliament.
• Zero Hour:  It is a period during which Member of Parliament (MPs) get chance to raise matters of public importance that need immediate attention of the government without any prior notice. It is not mentioned in the Rules of Procedure of Parliament and Indian innovation in the field of parliamentary procedure since 1962.

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2014