Zero Hour | 10 Feb 2024

During the ongoing Budget session, members of the Lok Sabha have raised key issues including Manipur ethnic violence, stricter hate speech laws, and a national task force for stray dogs during the Zero Hour.

Zero hour commences directly after the question hour and extends until the commencement of the day's agenda, signifying the interval between the two.
- Under this, Members of Parliament (MPs) can raise matters without any prior notice.
- Zero Hour is an Indian parliamentary innovation. The phrase is not mentioned in the rules of procedure.
Zero Hour originated in early Indian Parliament as MPs sought to address constituency and national concerns informally before the lunch break, starting around 12 noon and lasting until adjournment.
- This led to the hour being popularly referred to as Zero Hour and the issues being raised during this time as Zero Hour submissions.