* Starred Questions

• These are questions that are answered orally on the floor of the House by the Minister concerned during Question Hour. These are identified in the printed lists of questions by an asterisk. Following an answer by the Minister, the member concerned is entitled to ask two supplementary questions.

* Unstarred Questions

• These are questions to which written answers are given by Ministers, that are deemed to have been tabled in the House at the end of Question Hour. In this case, members are not entitled to ask supplementary questions.

* Allotment of time

• In both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, a member has to give at least 15 clear days’ notice for both Starred and Unstarred Questions. The notice is sent to the Ministry concerned by the Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha Secretariat.

* Selection process

• A ballot is held for all notices received by the Secretariat on the fifteenth day before the respective date of the answer through a computerised auto-ballot system to determine their inter-se priority. Separate ballots are held for Starred and Unstarred Questions, and results of ballots are displayed in the Parliamentary Notice Office. Starred and Unstarred Questions are numbered separately according to the priority gained by them at the ballot.