Speaker of the Lok Sabha

GS  2- POLITY

Constitutional Provisions

• Articles 93 to 96 of the Indian Constitution deal with the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
• The Speaker is the presiding officer of the Lok Sabha, elected from among its members.

Election & Tenure

• Elected by Lok Sabha members after a general election or when the post falls vacant.
• Holds office until the next Lok Sabha is constituted, though they can:
  • Resign to the Deputy Speaker,
  • Be removed by a resolution passed by a majority of Lok Sabha members after 14 days’ notice.
• Even after the dissolution of the Lok Sabha, the Speaker continues in office until a new Speaker is elected.

Powers & Functions

1. Presiding Authority

• Conducts Lok Sabha proceedings and ensures decorum.
• Decides on points of order.
• Can suspend members for unruly behavior (under Rule 374A of Lok Sabha Rules).

2. Legislative Role

• Decides whether a bill is a Money Bill (Article 110).
• Certifies Money Bills before sending them to the Rajya Sabha.
• Signs all bills passed by the Lok Sabha before they go to the President for assent.

3. Administrative Role

• Heads the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
• Regulates committees and allocates bills to committees.

4. Disciplinary Powers

• Can disqualify members under the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection law), as per Supreme Court ruling in Kihoto Hollohan (1992).

5. Other Functions

• Represents the House in international parliamentary conferences.
• Decides on matters of parliamentary privileges.

Impartiality

• Though elected from a political party, the Speaker resigns from the party post-election and is expected to act impartially.
• Supreme Court (in Jagjit Singh v. State of Haryana, 2006) has held the Speaker’s office to be of high constitutional authority.