The Rajya Sabha will allow fewer supplementary questions on starred questions during Question Hour, a change aimed at enabling the House to cover more questions.

Rajya Sabha Chairman C. P. Radhakrishnan on Thursday said the revised rule would take effect from the upcoming monsoon session. The decision follows a recommendation by the Business Advisory Committee (BAC), which includes leaders from both the ruling and Opposition parties.

During Question Hour, members of Parliament ask questions to the government to seek information from different ministries. Questions must be framed within 150 words, and the presiding officer decides whether they will be admitted for answers. Once admitted, questions are classified as starred or unstarred.

Starred questions allow the member who raised the main query to ask supplementary questions orally. At present, one member can ask two supplementary questions, while three other members are allowed to ask one supplementary question each on the same issue.

Under the new rule, however, the member who asks the main question will be allowed to raise only one supplementary question.

“The BAC, after some deliberations, recommended that in order to ensure coverage of more questions during Question Hour, the direction by the Chairman regarding asking crisp supplementaries by members and precise replies by ministers may be adhered to,” Radhakrishnan said.