In the context of Indian parliament what is 'Zero Hour'?
- A.Time immediately after Question Hour
- B.Time in the last half of the parliamentary proceeding
- C.Time before Question Hour
- D.Time in the first half of the parliamentary proceeding
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is Time immediately after Question Hour. In the Lok Sabha, Question Hour runs from 11 am to noon, and the period that begins at noon, when members raise urgent matters of public importance without the usual advance notice, is popularly called Zero Hour. It is an Indian innovation, in use since the early 1960s, and it is not mentioned in the Constitution or in the Rules of Procedure. Its name is usually traced to its starting time of 12 o'clock.
The other options place it wrongly. It is not a period in the last or first half of the day's proceedings as such, and in the Lok Sabha it does not come before Question Hour. One refinement is worth knowing for tougher papers: since 2014 the Rajya Sabha has taken up Zero Hour at 11 am and moved Question Hour to noon, so in the Rajya Sabha Zero Hour now comes first. The standard answer in exams, as here, describes the Lok Sabha.
Read the full article: Parliament of India: Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, Bills and PYQs
Practice Questions
View allWhich Article of the Constitution mentions that “the Parliament consists of the President and two Houses known as the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and the House of the People (Lok Sabha)”?
- A.79
- B.70
- C.82
- D.73
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Article 79 says: "There shall be a Parliament for the Union which shall consist of the President and two Houses to be known respectively as the Council of States and the House of the People." The President is therefore part of Parliament even though he or she sits in neither…
Read the full explanation →The Council of States shall consist of ______ members to be nominated by the President.
- A.six
- B.ten
- C.twelve
- D.five
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Under Article 80, the Rajya Sabha consists of 12 members nominated by the President and not more than 238 representatives of the States and Union Territories, a maximum of 250.
Read the full explanation →Who was the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha?
- A.Rajendra Prasad
- B.Purushottam Tandon
- C.Hukum Singh
- D.G V Mavalankar
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Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar was elected the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha in 1952 and served until his death in 1956.
Read the full explanation →Who among the following appoints the Speaker 'Pro tem' of the Lok Sabha?
- A.President
- B.Prime Minister
- C.Chief Justice of Supreme Court
- D.Chief Election Commissioner
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After a general election, the Speaker of the outgoing Lok Sabha vacates office just before the new House first meets.
Read the full explanation →The time gap between two sessions of the Parliament should NOT exceed:
- A.3 months
- B.1 year
- C.6 months
- D.9 months
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Article 85(1) says the President shall summon each House to meet at such time and place as he or she thinks fit, but six months shall not intervene between its last sitting in one session and the date appointed for its first sitting in the next session.
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