Questions inside the Parliament - Democracy's crucial test

The power to question the government is what holds democract intact, ultimately.

 Questions inside the Parliament - Democracy's crucial test

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• The story: India's Parliament is the highest manifestation of people's will, as represented by the active process of regular elections and a system of accountability. And to ensure that, there are conventions that help. The Question hour & Zero hour act as important tools for enabling the "doctrine of checks and balance". Therefore, Parliaments should not dispense with these even at the time of war.
• Question Hour: This is the first hour of a sitting session of India's Parliament devoted to questions that Members of Parliament raise about any aspect of administrative activity. The concerned Minister has to provide an answer to the Parliament, either orally or in writing, depending on the type of question raised.

1. The Question Hour has become the liveliest hour in Parliament when MPs can hold the Government accountable.
2. Many aspects of shoddy governance have been exposed over past seven decades, through this method.
3. Questions have exposed financial irregularities and brought data and information regarding government functioning to the public domain.
4. With the live broadcasting since 1991, it has become one the most visible aspects of parliamentary functioning.

• Zero Hour: It is an innovation of India, and does not find mention in the rules of procedure. The concept started organically in the first decade of Indian Parliament, when MPs felt the need for raising important constituencies and national issues.

1. During the initial days, Parliament used to break for lunch at 1 pm. The opportunity for MPs to raise national issues without an advance notice became available at 12 pm and could last for an hour until the House adjourned for lunch.
2. This led to the hour being popularly referred to as Zero Hour and the issues being raised during this time as Zero Hour submissions.
3. Then, presiding officers of both Houses gave directions to streamline the working of Zero Hour to make it even more effective. Its importance is the kind of support it receives from citizens, media, MPs and presiding officers despite not being part of the rulebook.

• Rules: The presiding officers of the two houses are the final authority with respect to the conduct of Question Hour. Usually the Question Hour is the first hour of a parliamentary sitting but since 2014, Rajya Sabha then-Chairman Hamid Ansari shifted Question Hour in the House from 11 am to 12 noon, to prevent disruptions.

1. Questions have to be limited to 150 words, and have to be precise and not too general.
2. Questions should not seek information about matters that are secret or are under adjudication before courts.
3. The process of asking and answering questions starts with identifying the days on which Question Hour will be held.

• Starred And Unstarred Questions: MPs can specify whether they want an oral or written response to their questions. They can put an asterisk against their question signifying that they want the minister to answer that question on the floor, and these are referred to as starred questions. After the minister’s response, the MP who asked the question and other MPs can also ask a follow-up question. This is where one can see MPs trying to corner ministers on the functioning of their ministries on live television. Seasoned parliamentarians choose to ask an oral question when the answer to the question will put the government in an uncomfortable position.

1. Ministries receive the questions 15 days in advance so that they can prepare their ministers for Question Hour. They also have to prepare for sharp follow-up questions they can expect to be asked in the House.
2. Government officers are close at hand in a gallery so that they can pass notes or relevant documents to support the minister in answering a question.

• Constitutional right: The right to ask questions flows from Article 75 of Indian constitution which says that the council of ministers shall be collectively responsible to the House of the people. "Collective responsibility" implies that the government shall be accountable to the house which represents the people of this country. The curtailment of question hour and zero hour undermines the principle of parliamentary oversight over executive (ie. the government).
• Representative democracy: Question Hour is a manifestation of a representative kind of democracy in operation, in the sense that representation of the people directly questions the government on matters of governance. The government is duty bound to answer the questions in the House. By doing away with question hour in this parliamentary session, the government may sidestep on accountability on the above matters.
• Disruptions: Any disruptions does not justify the scrapping of questions altogether. Various options for social distancing can be attempted like reserving each day for select ministries to prevent crowding by officials seeking to help their ministers. Democracy is judged by the debate it encourages and sustains.
• EXAM QUESTIONS: (1) Explain the statement - democracy has been eroded steadily in India, as evidenced by crucial aspects of how Parliament is being run. (2) Explain the concept of parliamentary oversight over executive (ie. the government). (3) What is the soul of "representative democracy"? Explain.

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