It was a day of records for Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. After a gap of 15 years, all listed questions were answered and all the zero-hour and special-mentions by the members were completed.
“The Rajya Sabha today [Tuesday] made history,” Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu said as the members thumped their desks. “Your cooperation is good, so my operation was very smooth… that’s why the House was able to set this record,” said Mr. Naidu.
It was in 2002 during the 197th Session of the House that all the listed Starred Questions were last taken up during the Question Hour. Ten members were absent in 2002.
On Tuesday, at least six members who had posed the question were not present. Even in their absence, Mr. Naidu allowed the members to ask supplementary questions. Mr. Naidu rebuked the members for skipping the session. Though had the liberty to miss the question hour, if they had asked a question they should be present in the house, considering that so many man-hours were dedicated to preparing the replies.
Many members missed the morning session because of flights delays caused by very low visibility as fog covered Delhi.
Normally, four or five among the top-listed half a dozen questions are taken up in the House and Members whose questions are listed below choose not to be present.
Before the Question Hour, 11 members were allowed by the Chairman to speak on issues of public importance and another eight were allowed to make special mentions. On account of disruptions and demands for time for various items of Business, texts of special mentions are usually allowed to be laid on the table of the House towards of the end of the day’s proceedings.
