A parliamentary answer can contain a useful figure about a region, but its heading matters too. Before describing what was said in the chamber, check whether the record is an oral exchange, a written answer or a document associated with the day’s question list.
Read the asterisk as a procedural label
The Lok Sabha’s official FAQ explains that starred questions seek oral answers, while unstarred questions seek written replies. The star is not a rating of importance or a sign that the underlying claim has received extra verification.
Do not assume that every listed starred question was actually answered aloud. The FAQ also explains the treatment of starred questions that are not orally answered. If your story describes a spoken exchange, check the relevant debate record rather than turning the list heading into evidence of a conversation.
Keep the question and the answer together
Save the house, date, question number, ministry and complete answer, including any annexure. Read the wording of the request before lifting a number from the reply. An answer about sanctioned projects may not describe completed projects, and a national total may not supply a district breakdown.
In your own notes, separate the member’s question from the ministry’s response. Attribute a reported figure to the response and preserve its period and definition. If a table does not answer the narrower local question you hoped to investigate, say so instead of filling the gap with an estimate.
This approach gives readers a route back to the record and keeps a written answer from becoming an invented scene of parliamentary debate.
AI-generated editorial illustration; not a documentary photograph.