UPSC Prelims 2026 GS Paper I · Q58 of 98 Polity & Governance medium

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 ?

  1. (a) All the three statements are correct.
  2. (b) There are two correct statements, that include statement 2.
  3. (c) There is only one correct statement. ✓ UPSC's answer
  4. (d) There is no correct statement.

Why the answer is (c)

• In Parliament a starred question (marked with an asterisk) is one for which the Member wants an oral answer in the House; supplementary questions may follow it during Question Hour.

• An unstarred question is one for which a written answer is laid on the Table; no supplementary questions can be asked on it.

• Statements 1 and 2 have the definitions reversed, so both are wrong.

• Statement 3 correctly states that no supplementary question can be asked on an unstarred question.

• Only one statement is correct, so option (c).

Why the other options are wrong

(a) All the three statements are correct.
Statements 1 and 2 reverse the definitions of starred and unstarred questions.
(b) There are two correct statements, that include statement 2.
Statement 2 is wrong: starred questions seek oral, not written, answers.
(d) There is no correct statement.
Statement 3 is correct, so there is one correct statement.

Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2026, held on 24 May 2026. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

Reading the answer is not the same as getting it right under a clock. Practise this question with UPSC's negative marking, and anything you miss goes into an error notebook until you get it right twice.

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