Question
Consider the following statements in respect of questions asked by Members in the Parliament of India:
1Unstarred questions are those to which a Member desires an oral answer in the House.
2Starred questions are those to which a Member desires a written answer.
3No supplementary question can be asked on an unstarred question.
AAll three statements are correct
BTwo correct, including Statement 2
COnly one correct statement ✓
DNo correct statement
⚠️ The Classic Swap Trap — Statements 1 and 2 Have Reversed Definitions
★ Starred
→
Oral answer ✓
(Statement 2 says “written” — WRONG)
Unstarred
→
Written answer ✓
(Statement 1 says “oral” — WRONG)
Each Statement — Why Correct or Wrong
1
✗ Wrong — Unstarred = Written, not Oral
Unstarred questions → oral answer in the House
This is the definition of a Starred question — not Unstarred. Unstarred questions require a written answer. They are not called out in the House for oral response. The written answer is simply placed on the table of the House and forms part of the official record.UPSC deliberately swapped the definitions of Statements 1 and 2 — the two most common confusions in parliamentary procedure.
✗ Correct definition: Unstarred = Written answer
Unstarred questions are placed on the order paper without a star → written answer only → no oral reading in House → no supplementary questions
2
✗ Wrong — Starred = Oral, not Written
Starred questions → written answer
This is the definition of an Unstarred question — not Starred. Starred questions require an oral answer on the floor of the House. The Minister stands up, reads or gives the answer, and other Members may ask supplementary questions arising from it.Why “starred”? These questions were traditionally marked with a star (*) in the order paper to indicate that an oral answer is desired. The star = spotlight = oral spotlight in the House.
✗ Correct definition: Starred = Oral answer
Starred questions are marked ★ → oral answer on the floor → Minister reads answer → supplementary questions allowed from other Members
3
✓ Correct — the only correct statement
No supplementary question can be asked on an unstarred question
Correct. The logic follows directly from the definition:• Unstarred questions receive written answers only — they are not read out on the floor of the House
• Since there is no oral presentation of the answer, there is no opportunity for Members to ask follow-up questions
• Supplementary questions arise naturally only in the context of starred questions — where the Minister gives an oral answer and other Members can then ask related supplementary questions to probe further
• Rule 44 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha explicitly states that supplementary questions can only be asked on starred questions
✓ Confirmed by Lok Sabha Rules of Procedure (Rule 44)
No oral answer → no supplementary questions possible. Supplementary questions = exclusively a starred question phenomenon.
Parliament Questions — Complete Comparison
| Feature | ★ Starred Question | Unstarred Question |
| Answer type | Oral — on the floor of the House | Written — placed on table of House |
| Marked with | ★ (asterisk/star) | No star marking |
| Supplementary | Allowed ✓ — other Members can ask follow-ups | NOT allowed ✗ — Statement 3 ✓ |
| Daily limit (LS) | ~20 per day (approx.) | ~230 per day (approx.) |
| Notice period | 15 days in advance | 15 days in advance |
| If time runs out | Written answer placed on record | Written answer placed on record |
| Statements 1&2 error | Statement 2 wrongly says “written” | Statement 1 wrongly says “oral” |
Other Types of Parliamentary Questions
| Type | Description |
| Short Notice Question | On matters of urgent public importance · Less than 10 days notice · Oral answer · Speaker’s permission required |
| Private Notice Question | Addressed to a Minister on urgent matter · Less than 10 days notice · Rajya Sabha equivalent of Short Notice Question |
| Question to Private Member | Directed at a Member who is responsible for a Bill or Resolution · Not to a Minister |
| Question Hour | First hour of every parliamentary sitting · Reserved exclusively for questions · Lasts from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM |
| Zero Hour | Immediately after Question Hour · NOT mentioned in Rules · Members can raise urgent matters without prior notice · Purely conventional |
Memory Trick
🧠 Never Confuse Starred and Unstarred Again
★ Star = Spotlight = Oral: A starred question gets a ★ because it is spotlighted — read out loud on the floor of the House. The star draws attention. The Minister stands up, speaks, and other Members can ask supplementary questions. Star = Oral = Supplementary allowed.
Unstarred = Unspoken = Written: No star = no spotlight = no oral presentation. The written answer is simply placed on the table of the House and printed in the proceedings. No Member gets up to read it, so no one can ask a follow-up. Unstarred = Written = No supplementary.
UPSC’s classic swap trap: UPSC regularly reverses the definitions of starred and unstarred in statements and asks “how many are correct?” Always verify: Starred → Oral → Supplementary allowed. Unstarred → Written → No supplementary. These two facts cover every parliamentary questions question UPSC can ask.
