Lok Sabha MPs told not to share replies until Question Hour is over

Lok Sabha MPs told not to share replies until Question Hour is over

Subject : Polity

Section: Parliament and legislature

Context: Lok Sabha MPs told not to share replies until Question Hour is over

More about the news:

• The Lok Sabha secretariat has emphasized the confidentiality of government replies during Question Hour, instructing Members of Parliament  to use the exclusive portal and refrain from sharing information until the session concludes.
• The bulletin, issued on November 10, highlights that replies are login and password protected for the exclusive use of MPs.
• The directive follows the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee’s recommendation for the expulsion of TMC MP Mahua Moitra due to cash-for-query allegations.
• The secretariat underscores the strict confidentiality of reply contents until the relevant question has been addressed in the House, even for questions not orally answered.
• Replies become public once presented during the live telecast of Question Hour, and the bulletin stresses the confidentiality of written answer lists until laid on the House table after the session concludes.

What is the procedure for raising the questions:

• The procedure for raising questions is governed by:
  • Rules 32 to 54 of the “Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha”
  • Directions 10 to 18 of the “Directions by the Speaker, Lok Sabha‟.
• To ask a question, an MP has to first give a notice addressed to the lower house’s Secretary-General, intimating their intention to ask a question.
• The notice usually contains:
  • The text of the question,
  • The official designation of the Minister to whom the question is addressed,
  • The date on which the answer is desired,
  • The order of preference, in case the MP tables more than one notice of questions for the same day.
• A Member is allowed to give not more than five notices of questions, both for oral and written answers, in all, for any day.
• Notices received in excess of five from a Member for a day, are considered for the subsequent day(s) concerning that Minister during the period of that session only.
• Usually, the period of notice of a question is not less than 15 days.
• There are two ways through which MPs can submit the notices of their questions.
  • First, through an online ‘Member’s Portal’, where they have to enter their ID and password to get access.
  • Second, through the printed forms available in the Parliamentary Notice Office.
• After submission of the notices, the next stage is when the Speaker of Lok Sabha examines the notices of the questions in the light of the laid-out rules.
• It is the Speaker, who decides if a question, or a part thereof, is or isn’t admissible.

What are the conditions for the admissibility of questions:

• There exist several regulations that dictate the eligibility of a question presented by a Member of Parliament.
• For instance, these questions are generally limited to 150 words in length and must abstain from including arguments, defamatory remarks, or references to an individual’s character or behavior unless it relates to their official or public role.
• Additionally, questions addressing broad policy issues are typically not permitted due to the limitations of providing a comprehensive policy within a question’s response.
• Furthermore, a question is not admissible if its subject matter is pending judgment before any court of law or any other tribunal or body set up under law or is under consideration before a Parliamentary Committee.
• A query also cannot seek information on matters which may weaken the unity and integrity of the country.

What are the different types of questions:

• There are four types of questions i.e starred, unstarred, short-notice questions, and questions addressed to private Members.
• Starred Questions: These questions are asked by MPs and are answered orally by the Minister-in-charge. MPs can ask one starred question per day, and they must be submitted at least 15 days in advance. Only 20 starred questions can be listed for oral answers on a given day, and supplementary questions can be asked after the oral response.
• Unstarred Questions: Unstarred questions receive written replies from the Ministry. They also need to be submitted at least 15 days in advance, but they do not allow for follow-up questions. A total of 230 unstarred questions can be listed for written answers in a day.
• Short Notice Questions: These are questions related to urgent public matters and can be asked with less than 10 days’ notice, provided reasons for the short notice are given. Short notice questions are answered orally, and supplementary questions can follow.
• Questions to Private Members: These questions are addressed to the MP themselves. They are asked when the subject matter relates to a Bill, Resolution, or any matter concerning the Business of the House for which that MP is responsible. The procedure for these questions is similar to questions addressed to a Minister, with variations as determined by the Speaker.

Some facts about Ethics Committee:

• Each of the two Houses of Parliament has an ethics committee. They deal with the members’
• Besides overseeing the moral and ethical conduct of members, ethics committee also prepares a Code of Conduct for members, which are amended from time to time.
• The ethics committee in Lok Sabha has 15 members while in Rajya Sabha has 10 members.
• The members of the Ethics Committee are appointed by the Speaker for a period of one year. 

What is the history of Ethics Committees:

• A Presiding Officers’ Conference held in Delhi in 1996 first mooted the idea of ethics panels for the two Houses.
• Then Vice President K R Narayanan constituted the Ethics Committee of the Upper House on March 4, 1997, and it was inaugurated that May to oversee the moral and ethical conduct of members and examine cases of misconduct referred to it.
• The Rules applicable to the Committee of Privileges also apply to the ethics panel.
• In the case of Lok Sabha, a study group of the House Committee of Privileges, after visiting Australia, the UK, and the US in 1997 to look into practices pertaining to the conduct and ethics of legislators, recommended the constitution of an Ethics Committee, but it could not be taken up by Lok Sabha.
• The Committee of Privileges finally recommended the constitution of an Ethics Committee during the 13th Lok Sabha. 
• The late Speaker, G M C Balayogi, constituted an ad hoc Ethics Committee in 2000, which became a permanent part of the House only in 2015.