Previous Year Question
‘Zero Hour’ in the working of the Indian Parliament means
The first hour of the Session
When privilege motion are accepted
Hour before question hour
The time immediately following the question hour
Correct Answer: D
Detailed Solution
In parliamentary practice, Zero Hour refers to the period during which Members raise matters of urgent public importance. According to the official Lok Sabha information, it occurs immediately after Question Hour and laying of papers, and before the listed business is taken up.
The expression “Zero Hour” came into use because traditionally this period began at around 12 noon. It is not originally a formally defined parliamentary term in the Rules of Procedure; rather, it developed as a parliamentary convention.
Zero Hour emerged in the early 1960s, when Members increasingly began raising urgent matters of public importance immediately after Question Hour. Its purpose was to provide an opportunity to bring matters requiring immediate attention before the House.
It should be distinguished from Question Hour. During Question Hour, Ministers answer scheduled parliamentary questions, whereas Zero Hour is a parliamentary practice for raising urgent matters of public importance.