Who is a speaker of the Lok Sabha?
The lower chamber of the Indian parliament, known as the Lok Sabha, is presided over by the Speaker.
Article 94: The Speaker of the Lok Sabha is elected by the parliament’s members and steps down from office when they are no longer members of the house.
What is the role of the Speaker in Parliamentary democracy?
The highest authority in the Lok Sabha, the lower chamber of the Indian Parliament, is the Speaker.
The Speaker of the Lok Sabha has a number of distinct duties and responsibilities, including
- Monitoring the Lok Sabha’s operations: The Speaker is in charge of presiding over the assembly’s sessions and making sure that the talks and debates are carried out in a civil and orderly way.
- The Speaker has the power to decide on procedural matters and to uphold the legislature’s norms.
- Serving as the Lok Sabha’s spokesperson: The Speaker is frequently asked to speak in public or at foreign gatherings on behalf of the Lok Sabha.
- Preserving the Lok Sabha’s impartiality: In carrying out his or her responsibilities, the Speaker is supposed to act impartially and neutrally while making sure that each and every member of the legislature is treated equally and fairly.
- Ensuring the Lok Sabha’s accountability and transparency: The Speaker bears the responsibility of guaranteeing that the public may get information about the activities of the Lok Sabha and that its proceedings are accessible and open.
- Importantly contributing to the legislative process: The Speaker is responsible for passing legislation through a variety of means, including as allocating bills to committees, choosing the order in which bills are discussed, and approving the final text of laws before sending them to the President for assent.
- Representing the Lok Sabha in interactions with other institutions and entities that are parliamentary in nature.
All things considered, the Speaker is essential to the smooth operation of parliamentary democracy because they make sure that the legislature is run in an open, responsible, and orderly manner.
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What are functions performed by the Speaker?
Among the speaker’s primary responsibilities are
| Article 95 | The Speaker is responsible for presiding over Lok Sabha meetings and upholding decorum and order in the chamber. |
| Article 96 | The Speaker will be able to participate in the house’s business and speak at any sitting of the house or of any committee of the house that he or she is a member of, but initially, the Speaker will not be able to give a vote. |
| Article 97 | The Speaker will be responsible for the certification of money bills and financial bills and will have the authority to order that any other measure be classified as either. |
| Article 100 | In the case of a tie in the house vote, the Speaker will cast the deciding vote. |
Table: The Speaker’s Principal Duties as outlined in the Indian Constitution
- Rules interpretation: The Speaker also has the authority to make decisions on points of order and to interpret the house’s rules of procedure and business conduct.
- ceremonial duties: The Speaker also carries out ceremonial duties, which include greeting guests from abroad and representing the Lok Sabha in public gatherings both domestically and abroad.
- Nominating committee chairs: The speaker designates committees, selects committee chairs, and submits items to committees for review.
- Other responsibilities: Carrying out any other tasks and obligations that the Speaker may be delegated by the Parliament or the President of India, or as required by the Lok Sabha’s rules of procedure.
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What are the issues surrounding the office of the Speaker?
Although it is typically expected of the Speaker to do their responsibilities impartially and neutrally, there have been times when the Speaker’s office has come under criticism and generated controversy.
Several criticisms have been made about the Speaker’s office, including
- Partisanship: The Speaker has occasionally been charged with being partisan or prejudiced in favor of a specific political party or set of beliefs.
- This might jeopardize the office’s neutrality and impartiality as well as the Speaker’s integrity and reputation.
- Discretion: The Speaker has occasionally been charged with exercising his discretion in an arbitrary or prejudiced way.
- This may give rise to opinions that the decision-making process is opaque or unjust.
- In the 1992 case of Kihoto Hollohan v. Zachilhu and Others, for instance, the Supreme Court ruled that the Speaker had to remove a member from office in an unbiased and fair manner. In addition, a judge is reviewing the Speaker’s decision.
- Handling disruptions: The Speaker is in charge of upholding decorum and order in the Lok Sabha. On occasion, the Speaker has come under fire for how they have managed disturbances in the chamber.
- Relations with the media: The Speaker is supposed to serve as the house’s spokesman. However, there have been times when the Speaker has come under fire for their interactions with the media and for not giving them enough information about the house’s activities.
- Managing cases of disqualification: The Speaker is in charge of making decisions about matters involving the disqualification of members of the house. In the past, the Speaker has come under fire for how they have handled certain issues.
- For example, in the 2019 Karnataka MLA disqualification case, the Supreme Court suggested that the Parliament change the Constitution to address the Speaker’s function as a quasi-judicial authority while handling disqualification cases.
What steps can be taken to make the office of the Speaker more effective?
In carrying out its duties, the Office of the Speaker in India is a dynamic, living institution that responds to the real demands and issues facing Parliament.
To increase the effectiveness of it, consider the following global examples:
- United Kingdom: The Speaker of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom is often expected to resign from their political party upon being elected to the role in order to maintain the impartiality of the office.
- Canada: In Canada, the Speaker has the power to summon ministers to testify before the house, answer questions, and conduct inquiries into issues of public interest.
- This may increase the Speaker’s authority to supervise the executive branch and ensure that it answers to the legislature.
In summary, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha has a significant and esteemed constitutional role; nonetheless, it is not impervious to criticism and controversy. Therefore, it is imperative that the Speaker maintains fairness, impartiality, and transparency in the performance of their responsibilities.
