With reference to Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha, Consider the following statements.

UPSC Prelims 2022 Question:

With reference to Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha, consider the following statements:

1. As per the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, the election of Deputy Speaker shall be held on such date as the Speaker may fix.
2. There is a mandatory provision that the election of a candidate as Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha shall be from either the principal opposition party or the ruling party.
3. The Deputy Speaker has the same power as of the Speaker when presiding over the sitting of the House and no appeal lies against his rulings.
4. The well-established parliamentary practice regarding the appointment of Deputy Speaker is that the motion is moved by the Speaker and duly seconded by the Prime Minister.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

a) 1 and 3 only

b) 1, 2 and 3

c) 3 and 4 only

d) 2 and 4 only

Correct Answer: Option a) 1 and 3 only

Learn more about the Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha in the given explanation below.

Explanation:

• In Lok Sabha, the election of Deputy Speaker is governed by Rule 8 of The Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha. According to the Rule, the election “shall be held on such date as the Speaker may fix”, and the Deputy Speaker is elected once a motion proposing his name is passed. So, statement 1 is correct.

Role of Deputy Speaker in Lok Sabha

• Up to the 10th Lok Sabha, both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker were usually from the ruling party. Since the 11th Lok Sabha, there has been a consensus that the Speaker comes from the ruling party (or ruling alliance) and the post of Deputy Speaker goes to the main opposition party. So, statement 2 is not correct.
• Article 95(1) says: “While the office of Speaker is vacant, the duties of the office shall be performed by the Deputy Speaker”. The Deputy Speaker has the same powers as the Speaker when presiding over a sitting of the House. All references to the Speaker in the Rules are deemed to be references to the Deputy Speaker when he presides. No appeal lies to the Speaker against a ruling given by the Deputy Speaker or any person presiding over a sitting of the House in the absence of the Speaker. So, statement 3 is correct.
• The well-established parliamentary practice is that a motion is moved by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister and duly seconded by the treasury benches or by the opposition, which is carried by the House. So, statement 4 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

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