Questioning in Parliament

Rules in Parliament

1. Rules of Lok Sabha: The process of raising questions in Lok Sabha is governed by Rules 32 to 54 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha and Directions 10 to 18 of the Speaker's directives.
2. Rules of Rajya Sabha: The Rajya Sabha's admissibility of questions is governed by Rules 47-50 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States.

Procedure

1. To ask a question, an MP must first inform the house's Secretary-General of their intention to do so.
2. The notice typically includes the question text, Minister's designation, desired answer date, and order of preference, if MP lists multiple notices for the same day.
3. MPs can submit up to five oral and written questions per day, with notices exceeding this limit considered for subsequent days within the same session.

Notice Period

1. MPs can submit their notices via the online 'Member's Portal' or printed forms from the Parliamentary Notice Office, with a notice period of at least 15 days.
2. The Speaker of Lok Sabha reviews the notices and determines their admissibility based on established rules.

Conditions for Question Admissibility

1. Questions should be limited to 150 words and should not contain arguments, defamatory statements, or personal conduct references, except in official or public settings.
2. Broad policy questions are not admissible due to the difficulty in addressing complex policies in a concise answer.
3. Questions should not pertain to judicial or parliamentary matters, and should not seek information that could undermine national unity and integrity.

Question Type

Feature

1. Starred Question

1. An MP asks a starred question, which is then answered orally by the Minister-in-charge.
2. Each MP is permitted to ask one starred question daily.
3. When a question is answered orally, supplementary questions can be asked thereon.

2. Unstarred Question

1. The MP requests a written response from the minister, which is considered to be presented on the House's table, and supplementary questions cannot be followed.

3. Short Notice Question

1. The urgent public matter requires an oral answer, with a minimum notice of less than 10 days.

4. Question to Private member

1. Private members can ask questions under Rule 40 of Lok Sabha's Rules of Procedure or Rule 48 of Rajya Sabha's Rules, if the question pertains to a Bill, resolution, or other matter for which that member is responsible.