Role of the Speaker (Lok Sabha)
Indian Polity & Governance
- PYQs8
- Articles1
Background
Understanding the Speaker's constitutional role, powers, and responsibilities is fundamental to comprehending the functioning of the Indian Parliament, its procedures, and the checks and balances within the democratic framework.
The Speaker is the principal presiding officer of the Lok Sabha, elected from amongst its members, and holds a pivotal position in the Indian parliamentary system. The Speaker ensures the smooth conduct of House proceedings, maintains order, and is the final interpreter of the Constitution and rules within the House.
Facts & tables
- Presiding Authority
- Presides over the sittings of the Lok Sabha and maintains order and decorum.
- Money Bill Certification
- Certifies a bill as a Money Bill, and this decision is final.
- Anti-defection Adjudication
- Decides on disqualification petitions of members of the Lok Sabha under the Tenth Schedule (Anti-defection Law).
- Casting Vote
- Can cast a casting vote in the event of a tie, but does not vote in the first instance.
| Category | Specific Power |
|---|---|
| Legislative | Certifies Money Bills |
| Disciplinary | Decides on anti-defection cases |
| Procedural | Maintains order, interprets rules |
| Administrative | Head of Lok Sabha Secretariat |
| Type | Reference |
|---|---|
| Conceptual area | Indian Polity & Governance |
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| Lok Sabha | Presides over |
Prelims angle
Prelims angle: Statement-based questions
Prelims angle: Factual recall
- Presiding officer of Lok Sabha.
- Maintains order, interprets rules.
- Decides anti-defection cases (Tenth Schedule).
- Certifies Money Bills (final decision).
- Casting vote only, not first instance.
Ministry sets policy; regulator often has quasi-judicial powers.
| Year | Framing tags |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Statement-based questions, Institutional roles and functions |
| 2024 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2024 | Statement-based questions, Factual recall |
| 2022 | Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding |
| 2020 | Factual recall, Institutional roles and functions |
| 2019 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2017 | Statement-based questions, Multi-statement analysis |
| 2014 | Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis |
Timeline
-
Indian Polity & Governance
Conceptual area
-
Prelims 2014
Factual recall, Multi-statement analysis
-
Prelims 2017
Statement-based questions, Multi-statement analysis
-
Prelims 2019
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2020
Factual recall, Institutional roles and functions
-
Prelims 2022
Multi-statement analysis, Conceptual understanding
-
Prelims 2024
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2024
Statement-based questions, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2025
Statement-based questions, Institutional roles and functions
-
SC declines interim stay on Speaker’s decision to approve Uddhav Sena MPs’ ‘merger’ with Shinde faction
The Lok Sabha Speaker is a crucial constitutional authority, responsible for presiding over the House, maintaining discipline, interpreting rules, and adjudicating anti-defection cases, thereby ensuring the effective functioning of parliamentary democracy.
See also
Past papers
2014–2025 · 8 questions
In the news
SC declines interim stay on Speaker’s decision to approve Uddhav Sena MPs’ ‘merger’ with Shinde faction
The Lok Sabha Speaker is a crucial constitutional authority, responsible for presiding over the House, maintaining discipline, interpreting rules, and adjudicating anti-defection cases, thereby ensuring the effective functioning of parliamentary democracy.
Try these PYQs
Which of the following statements are correct in respect of a Money Bill in the Parliament?
1. Article 109 mentions special procedure in respect of Money Bills.
2. A Money Bill shall not be introduced in the Council of States.
3. The Rajya Sabha can either approve the Bill or suggest changes but cannot reject it.
4. Amendments to a Money Bill suggested by the Rajya Sabha have to be accepted by the Lok Sabha.
Select the answer using the code given below :
* Article 109 of the Indian Constitution specifically deals with the special procedure for Money Bills. (Correct) * Article 109(1) states that a Money Bill shall not be introduced in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha). It can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha (House of the People). (Correct) * Article 109(5) states that the Rajya Sabha can't reject a Money Bill. It can only make recommendations within 14 days, which the Lok Sabha may or may not accept. (Correct) * The Lok Sabha has the ultimate power regarding Money Bills. It is not bound to accept any amendments suggested by the Rajya Sabha. (Incorrect) Therefore, statements 1, 2, and 3 are correct.
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?
Statement 1 is correct: The date of election of the Deputy Speaker is fixed by the Speaker. On the other hand date of election of the Speaker is fixed by the President. Statement 2 is incorrect: There is no 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. It is only by convention that the position of Deputy Speaker is offered to the opposition party in India. Statement 3 is correct: In case of the absence of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker presides over the sessions of the Lok Sabha and conducts the business in the house. The Deputy Speaker has the same power as the Speaker when presiding over the sitting of the House. Statement 4 is incorrect: The Deputy Speaker is also elected by the Lok Sabha from amongst its members right after the election of the Speaker has taken place. There is no provision and or established practice of moving the motion for his election by the speaker and it is seconded by the prime minister.
With reference to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, consider the following statements :
While any resolution for the removal of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha is under consideration
1. He/She shall not preside.
2. He/She shall not have the right to speak.
3. He/She shall not be entitled to vote on the resolution in the first instance.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Statement 1 is correct: Under Article 96(1), the Speaker cannot preside over the House while a resolution for their removal is active, even if they are present. Statement 2 is incorrect: Under Article 96(2), the Speaker maintains the right to speak and participate in the proceedings of the House during the consideration of the removal resolution. Statement 3 is incorrect: According to Article 96(2), the Speaker is entitled to vote only in the first instance. They do not have a "casting vote" (the vote used to break a tie/second instance) in this specific scenario.
Consider the following statements:
I. If any question arises as to whether a Member of the House of the People has become subject to disqualification under the Tenth Schedule, the President’s decision in accordance with the opinion of the Council of Union Ministers shall be final.
II. There is no mention of the word 'political party' in the Constitution of India.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
❌ Statement I: Incorrect
The decision on disqualification under the Tenth Schedule is made by the Speaker or Chairman, not the President or the Union Council of Ministers. ❌ Statement II: Incorrect
The word ‘political party’ is explicitly mentioned in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. Therefore, neither statement is correct.
Consider the following statements regarding a No-Confidence Motion in India:
1. There is no mention of a No-Confidence Motion in the Constitution of India.
2. A Motion of No-Confidence can be introduced in the Lok Sabha only.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Statement 1 is correct: The Constitution does not mention No-Confidence Motion. Rather, Rule 198 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Lok Sabha specifies the procedure for moving a no-confidence motion. Statement 2 is correct: A no-confidence motion can be moved by any member of the House. It can be moved only in the Lok Sabha and not the Rajya Sabha. The member has to give a written notice of the motion before 10 am, which will be read out by the Speaker in the House. A minimum of 50 members have to accept the motion, and accordingly, the Speaker will announce the date for discussion of the motion.
Show 3 more PYQs
Consider the following statements:
1. In the election for Lok Sabha or State Assembly, the winning candidate must get at least 50 per cent of the votes polled, to be declared elected.
2. According to the provisions laid down in the Constitution of India, in Lok Sabha, the Speaker’s post goes to the majority party and the Deputy Speaker’s to the Opposition.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The statement 1 is incorrect. In India, the winning candidate is the one who receives the highest number of votes, which is also known as the first-past-the-post system. There is no requirement for the winning candidate to secure at least 50% of the votes polled. The statement 2 is also incorrect. The Constitution of India does not mandate that the Speaker's post goes to the majority party and the Deputy Speaker's post goes to the Opposition. The Speaker and Deputy Speaker are elected by the members of the Lok Sabha from amongst themselves. Therefore, neither of the statements is correct.
Rajya Sabha has equal powers with Lok Sabha in:
The Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, the two houses of India's Parliament, have different powers and functions. While the Lok Sabha is the lower house with members directly elected by the people, the Rajya Sabha is the upper house with members indirectly elected by the states. However, when it comes to amending the Constitution, both houses have equal powers. According to Article 368 of the Indian Constitution, any amendment to the Constitution requires the approval of both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha. Therefore, for a constitutional amendment to be valid, it must be approved by both houses of Parliament, giving them equal powers in the process.
Consider the following statements :
1. The motion to impeach a Judge of the Supreme Court of India cannot be rejected by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha as per the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.
2. The Constitution of India defines and gives details of what constitutes ‘incapacity and proved misbehaviour’ of the Judges of the Supreme Court of India.
3. The details of the process of impeachment of the Judges of the Supreme Court of India are given in the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.
4. If the motion for the impeachment of a Judge is taken up for voting, the law requires the motion to be backed by each House of the Parliament and supported by a majority of the total membership of that House and by not less than two-thirds of total members of that House present and voting.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Statement 1 is incorrect: The Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, explicitly gives the Speaker of the Lok Sabha (or the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha) the discretion to either admit or refuse to admit a motion for the removal of a judge. If the motion is not in order or is deemed frivolous, the Speaker can reject it at the initial stage itself. This power was notably exercised by the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha in 2018 when he rejected an impeachment motion against the then Chief Justice of India. Statement 2 is incorrect: The terms "incapacity" and "proven misbehaviour", which are grounds for the removal of a judge under Article 124(4) of the Constitution, are not explicitly defined in the Constitution. Their interpretation has evolved through judicial pronouncements and parliamentary discussions. Statement 3 is correct: The constitutional provisions related to the removal of judges are found in Articles 124(4), 124(5), 217, and 218. Additionally, the process is governed by the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, which outlines the procedural framework for investigating misconduct and incapacity. Statement 4 is correct: As per Article 124(4) of the Constitution, for a motion seeking the removal of a Supreme Court or High Court judge to proceed, it must be passed by:
- A majority of the total membership of the House, and
- A majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting.