Every sitting day in Parliament starts with a chance for MPs to grill the government. This is Question Hour, and it runs on a set of strict rules. There are three main types of questions: starred, unstarred, and short-notice. A common UPSC trap swaps the starred and unstarred definitions around.
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Three Ways to Question the Government
Starred, unstarred, and short-notice questions, side by side
★ Starred
Oral answer. Supplementary questions allowed on the floor.
Unstarred
Written answer only. No supplementaries. Up to 230/day in Lok Sabha.
Short-Notice
Urgent matters, <10 days’ notice. Oral answer + supplementaries.
Question Hour: 1st hour, rule-governed
Zero Hour: right after, informal, no fixed rules
The trap to watch: starred = oral + supplementary allowed. Unstarred = written, no supplementary. UPSC frequently swaps these two in a question stem.
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🏛️ Must Know
The Three Types of Questions
- StarredMarked with an asterisk. Gets an ORAL answer on the floor; MPs can ask follow-up supplementaries.
- UnstarredGets a WRITTEN answer only; no supplementaries. Up to 230 listed per day in the Lok Sabha.
- Short-noticeFor urgent public importance, given with less than 10 days’ notice. Oral answer + supplementaries, like starred.
- Question HourThe first hour of every sitting day, governed by each House’s Rules of Procedure.
- The trapUPSC swaps starred (oral + supplementary) and unstarred (written, no supplementary) in the question stem.
- So whatBecause the oral/written split decides supplementaries, learning that one link answers most starred-vs-unstarred questions.
How Question Hour Opens the Day
- First hourQuestion Hour is the first hour of every sitting day in both Houses.
- Why firstIt opens the day so MPs can put the government on the record early, before routine business takes over.
- MPs’ toolIt is the primary instrument MPs use to seek accountability from ministers on the floor.
- So whatBecause it runs on strict Rules of Procedure, exam questions test which type of question is allowed under which rule.
🏘️ Good to Know
Zero Hour and Admissibility
- Zero HourBegins right after Question Hour, runs until listed business starts. It has NO basis in the formal Rules of Procedure.
- No prior noticeZero Hour lets MPs raise urgent matters without prior notice — why it has no fixed time limit in the rules.
- Government scopeA question must relate to a matter within the Government of India’s own area of responsibility, not already-public info.
- Sub judiceA question can be barred if a matter is under active court adjudication with real prejudice risk — not for closed cases.
- 150 wordsEach question must be precise, capped at 150 words; unstarred questions need ~15 days’ advance notice.
- House capsLok Sabha lists up to 230 unstarred a day; Rajya Sabha does not exceed 155. Both use a computerised auto-ballot.
✅ Test Yourself
Work through a 5-question chain on Parliamentary Questions, then keep practising with a random Indian Polity question.
⚡ Great to Know
Adjournment Motion
- Censure deviceNot a question — it sets aside normal business to debate a definite matter of urgent public importance.
- Lok Sabha onlyCan be moved only in the Lok Sabha, carrying an implicit censure; the Rajya Sabha has no equivalent.
- 50 membersRequires support of at least 50 members and the Speaker’s consent to proceed.
- UPSC 2017Adjournment motion, Question Hour, and supplementary questions are all tools of parliamentary control over the executive.
- So whatOf the accountability tools, only the Adjournment Motion amounts to a formal censure — the defining difference.
Colonial Origins
- 1892 ActThe right to question the executive goes back to the Indian Councils Act, 1892.
- 1892 limitsMembers could ask a question with six days’ notice, but NO supplementary questions were allowed.
- First questionAsked 16 February 1893 by the Maharaja of Bhinga in a colonial-era legislative council.
- 1909 ActThe Indian Councils Act, 1909 (Morley-Minto) expanded councils’ powers, building on this right.
- Why it mattersModern Question Hour grew out of a much more limited colonial starting point — the timeline is testable.
🎯 Exam Angle (PYQ & MCQ Traps)
UPSC CSP 2026: Question-Type Statements
- QuestionUPSC asked which conclusions are correct about Members’ questions: 1. Unstarred = oral answer, 2. Starred = written answer, 3. No supplementary on an unstarred question. Correct answer: only statement 3.
- WhyIt is reversed: starred = oral answer with supplementaries; unstarred = written only. So statements 1 and 2 are wrong; only 3 is correct.
- LinkSource: UPSC CSP 2026 GS Paper I (see Q58).
CAPF AC 2019: Short Notice Questions
- QuestionCAPF asked which statements about short notice questions are correct: urgent public importance, notice of less than 10 days, admissible if the Minister agrees, asked during Question Hour. Correct answer: 1, 2 and 3.
- WhyShort notice questions let Members seek an oral answer at short notice; they stay admissible only if the Minister agrees to answer, and they are asked during Question Hour.
- LinkSource: CAPF AC 2019 (see Q2).
UPSC CSP 2017: Control over the Council of Ministers
- QuestionUPSC asked whether Parliament controls the Council of Ministers through 1. Adjournment motion, 2. Question Hour, 3. Supplementary questions. Correct answer: 1, 2 and 3.
- WhyAn Adjournment Motion is a formal censure device, while Question Hour and supplementary questions let MPs probe and follow up on ministerial answers — all genuine control tools.
- LinkSource: UPSC CSP 2017 GS Paper I (see Q50).
The Starred/Unstarred Swap
- Trap option“A starred question gets a written answer only.”
- DistractorBoth types sound similar, so a subtle swap feels plausible.
- Fact testedStarred = ORAL answer + supplementaries; unstarred = WRITTEN only, no supplementaries.
- Eliminate fastMatch the answer type first: oral → starred; written → unstarred. Then supplementaries belong only with oral.
- Try this ruleThink ‘star = speak’ — starred is spoken (oral); unstarred is unspoken (written).
The Zero Hour vs Question Hour Trap
- Trap option“Zero Hour is formally governed by the Rules of Procedure.”
- DistractorBoth happen daily and sound formal.
- Fact testedZero Hour has NO basis in the formal Rules of Procedure; Question Hour is formally governed by them.
- Eliminate fastIf an option attaches ‘formal rules’ to Zero Hour, it is wrong — Zero Hour is informal.
- Try this ruleZero = zero formal basis. That anchor kills most Zero Hour misconceptions.
📰 Current Affairs
Question Hour Disruptions (2026)
- DevelopmentOn 3 Feb 2026, 8 opposition MPs (7 Congress, 1 CPI(M)) were suspended from the Lok Sabha for unruly behaviour during a Minister’s Question Hour answer.
- Why it mattersOn 10 Feb 2026 the Lok Sabha was adjourned again after opposition uproar during Question Hour.
- So whatDisruption of Question Hour is a recurring current-affairs theme — pair the suspension counts to the sessions.
Beyond the answer
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UPSC CSP 2026 — General Studies Paper I (Full Question Paper)UPSC CSP 2020 — General Studies Paper I (Full Question Paper)UPSC CSP 2024 — General Studies Paper I (Full Question Paper)UPSC CSP 2017 — General Studies Paper I (Full Question Paper)UPSC CSP 2025 — General Studies Paper I (Full Question Paper)❓ Practice this topic
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