Consider the following statements in respect of questions asked by the Members in the Parliament of India:
- 1.Unstarred questions are those to which a Member desires an oral answer in the House.
- 2.Starred questions are those to which a Member desires a written answer.
- 3.No supplementary question can be asked on an unstarred question.
Which one of the following conclusions based on the above statements is correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) There is only one correct statement.
Statements 1 and 2 swap the two types: a starred question, marked with an asterisk, seeks an oral answer, while an unstarred question seeks a written one. Statement 3 is right because an unstarred question is not called for oral answer, so no supplementary can follow.
- ✗ 1. Unstarred questions are meant for a written reply; it is starred questions that seek an oral answer.
- ✗ 2. Starred questions, marked with an asterisk, are the ones for which the Member wants an oral answer.
- ✓ 3. Written answers are laid on the Table, and because unstarred questions are not called for oral answer, no supplementary question can be asked on them.
Remember · Starred = asterisk, oral answer, supplementaries allowed. Unstarred = written answer laid on the Table, no supplementaries.
Sources
- Lok Sabha (Digital Sansad): Frequently Asked Questions, starred questions ↗ “Starred: A Member who desires an oral answer to his question is required to distinguish it by an asterix. … Unstarred: These do not carry the asterix mark and are meant for obtaining written reply.”
- Practice and Procedure of Parliament, Lok Sabha Secretariat, Chapter I (Questions) ↗ “called for oral answers in the House, no supplementary question can be asked thereon.”
Question and answer: UPSC's provisional GS Paper I (2026, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·