Speaker of the Lok Sabha
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| Speaker of the Lok Sabha | |
|---|---|
| Post | Speaker of the Lok Sabha |
| Body | Lok Sabha |
| Style | The Honourable |
| Incumbent | Om Birla |
| Incumbentsince | 2019 |
| Department | Parliament of India |
| Seat | Sansad Bhavan |
| Appointer | Elected by members of the Lok Sabha |
| Termlength | During the life of the Lok Sabha (maximum five years) |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of India |
| First | G. V. Mavalankar |
Speaker of the Lok Sabha is the presiding officer of the lower house of the Parliament of India, the Lok Sabha. The office is constituted under the Constitution of India and is central to the functioning of Parliament of India, the legislative relationship with the President of India, and interactions among political parties such as the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Indian National Congress, and regional parties like the Trinamool Congress and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. The Speaker presides over debates in Sansad Bhavan and interprets provisions of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha.
Role and Powers
The Speaker's authority derives from the Constitution of India, the Privileges of Parliament, and the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha. The Speaker regulates the conduct of business, decides questions of admissibility under the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and determines the composition of parliamentary committees such as the Public Accounts Committee, the Estimates Committee, and the Committee on Public Undertakings. The office has powers to maintain order under provisions similar to those applied in the British House of Commons and to disqualify members under Tenth Schedule to the Constitution of India related to anti-defection, in consultation with precedents set in cases like Kihoto Hollohan v. Zachillhu.
Election and Tenure
The Speaker is elected by members of the Lok Sabha after a general election, following procedures influenced by practices from the United Kingdom's Speaker of the House of Commons and adapted by Indian framers including Jawaharlal Nehru and B. R. Ambedkar. The election procedure is governed by the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha and administrative rulings from the Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha. The Speaker continues in office until dissolution of the Lok Sabha or resignation, and can be removed by a resolution passed by a majority of the members present and voting, a procedure comparable to removal mechanisms used in legislatures such as the Australian House of Representatives and the Canadian House of Commons.
Duties and Functions
The Speaker summons and prorogues sessions of the Lok Sabha and oversees legislative business including bills referred from the Rajya Sabha, money bills certified by the President of India, and motions of no-confidence. The Speaker allocates time for debates, recognizes members to speak, and ensures compliance with committee reports such as those from the Standing Committee on Finance and the Department-related Standing Committee on Home Affairs. The Speaker certifies money bills as per Article 110 of the Constitution of India, decides on disqualification under the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution of India, and represents the Lok Sabha in relations with the Rajya Sabha and the President of India during joint sittings under Article 108. The Speaker also administers oaths to members, chairs joint committees like the Committee on Private Members' Bills and Resolutions, and oversees the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
Deputy and Vacancy Procedures
The Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha presides in the absence of the Speaker. If the Speaker's office falls vacant due to resignation, death, or removal, the Deputy Speaker or a panel of chairpersons constituted under the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha acts as presiding officer until a new Speaker is elected. Vacancies invoke the Constitution of India's timelines for reconstitution of the Lok Sabha, and routine administrative powers are exercised by the Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha and the Union Cabinet only in limited statutory contexts such as adjournment and continuity of parliamentary functions.
Historical List of Speakers
The first Speaker, G. V. Mavalankar, served after the Constituent Assembly led to the first Lok Sabha; subsequent Speakers include M. A. Ayyangar, Gopalaswami Ayyangar, Somnath Chatterjee, Balram Jakhar, Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, P. A. Sangma, Meira Kumar, Sumitra Mahajan, and the current incumbent Om Birla. The office has evolved through landmark periods covering governments led by Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh, and coalitions such as the National Democratic Alliance and the United Progressive Alliance, reflecting shifting parliamentary customs and precedents established in controversies like disputes over disqualification rulings and contested certificates of money bills.
Notable Speakers and Precedents
Notable incumbents set significant precedents: Somnath Chatterjee asserted independence during the UPA era; Meira Kumar was the first woman Speaker and presided over significant budgetary debates; Balram Jakhar strengthened committee autonomy; P. A. Sangma emphasized regional representation; and Sumitra Mahajan oversaw record parliamentary sittings. Legal precedents involving Speakers have reached the Supreme Court of India in landmark cases including Kihoto Hollohan v. Zachillhu and have influenced interpretations of the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution of India, the scope of the Speaker's discretionary powers, and the certification of money bills contested between the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.