Previous Year Question
Time of zero-hour in Parliament is:
9 am to 10 am
10 am to 11 am
11 am to 12 noon
12 noon to 1.00 pm
Correct Answer: D
Detailed Solution
The accepted answer to this Question is (d) 12 noon to 1.00 pm. In Lok Sabha practice, the period immediately following Question Hour and before the listed business is taken up is popularly known as Zero Hour, and Digital Sansad notes that it starts at around 12 noon.
Zero Hour is neither mentioned in the Constitution nor formally recognised in the Rules of Procedure of the Lok Sabha. It evolved through Indian parliamentary practice and gives Members an opportunity to raise matters of urgent public importance.
The expression “Zero Hour” became associated with this period because it traditionally began at 12 noon, a point between the morning and afternoon parliamentary timetable.
Important Current Fact
The timing should not now be assumed to be identical in both Houses. From the 233rd Session, the Rajya Sabha shifted its Question Hour to 12:00 noon–1:00 pm. Consequently, the scheduling of matters raised during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha differs from the traditional Lok Sabha 12–1 pattern.