The Rajya Sabha on 2 January 2018 made a record of sorts as it took up all the Zero Hour issues and special mentions listed in the agenda for that period, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said.

For the first time, all Zero Hour submissions, all Special Mentions were fully completed, said Naidu amid thumping of desks by members in the House of Elders.Naidu said this record depended on the cooperation of the members.

1. The Chairman expressed hope that in future too, the members would not waste time and stick to the schedule.
2. Before taking up the Question Hour, he also suggested that the ministers concerned should go through the Zero Hour submissions and Special Mentions and reply to the members at the earliest as it would enhance the productivity of the House.
3. Uproarious scenes and adjournments have been witnessed on several occasions in the past two weeks due to various reasons during the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.
4. In all, the House took up all the 10 listed and one additional Zero Hour submissions on 2 January 2018.
5. In his Zero Hour mention, Naresh Agrawal (SP) highlighted the “plight” of media persons, particularly those working at the district level.
6. He said there was a trend to hire correspondents on a contractual basis and there was no provision for pension or provident fund for them. Those working at the district level were paid according to the number of stories approved.