Brief Context
Context The position of the Deputy Speaker has been lying vacant for the last six years raising questions on constitutional adherence and democratic resilience. Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha The Deputy Speaker serves as the Second-in-Command Presiding Officer of the Lower House of Parliament of India – the Lok Sabha. According to Article 95(1), the Deputy Speaker performs the duties of the Speaker if the post is vacant.
Source Content
Syllabus: GS2/ Polity and Governance
Context
- The position of the Deputy Speaker has been lying vacant for the last six years raising questions on constitutional adherence and democratic resilience.
Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha
- The Deputy Speaker serves as the Second-in-Command Presiding Officer of the Lower House of Parliament of India – the Lok Sabha.
- According to Article 95(1), the Deputy Speaker performs the duties of the Speaker if the post is vacant.
- The Deputy Speaker acts as the Speaker when the latter is absent from the sitting of the House.
- The Deputy Speaker presides over joint sittings of both Houses of Parliament in case the Speaker is absent from such a sitting.
Election of Deputy Speaker
- The Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha is elected by the Lok Sabha itself from amongst its members.
- Article 93 states that “The House of the People shall, as soon as may be, choose two members of the House to be respectively Speaker and Deputy Speaker”.
- The election of Deputy Speaker is governed by Rule 8 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha. According to Rule 8, the election “shall be held on such date as the Speaker may fix”.
- Usually, the Speaker is chosen from the ruling party or ruling alliance, while the Deputy Speaker is selected from the opposition party or opposition alliance.
- However, there have been exceptions to this convention.
- The first four Deputy Speakers, from 1952 to 1969, were from the ruling party.
- There was no Deputy Speaker for the entire duration of the 17th Lok Sabha (2019-24).
Powers and Privileges
- While performing the duties of or acting as the Speaker of Lok Sabha (i.e. while presiding over the sitting of Lok Sabha or a Joint Sitting of both the Houses), he/she assumes all the powers of the Speaker of Lok Sabha.
- Thus, in such times, the Deputy Speaker cannot vote in the first instance, rather he/she can only exercise a Casting Vote in case of a tie.
- When the Speaker presides over the House, the Deputy Speaker is like any other Ordinary Member of the House.
- Thus, in such times, the Deputy Speaker can speak in the House, participate in its proceedings, and vote in the first instance on any question before the House.
- He/she has one special privilege -Whenever the Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha is appointed as a member of a Parliamentary Committee, he/she automatically becomes its chairman.
Removal of Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha
- The Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha can be removed by a resolution passed by the Lok Sabha by an Effective Majority (i.e. a majority of the total membership of the House excluding the vacant seats).
- A motion of removal of the Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha can be moved only after giving 14 days’ advance notice to the Speaker.
- When a resolution for removal of the Deputy Speaker is under consideration, he/she cannot preside at the sitting of the house, though he may be present.
Concerns Over Prolonged Vacancy
- The absence of the Deputy Speaker contradicts the intent of constitutional norms and undermines the concept of an inclusive and pluralist parliamentary democracy.
- It dilutes the representational balance between government and Opposition.
- In the event of the Speaker’s resignation or incapacity, legislative functioning may stall, leading to institutional paralysis.
Concluding remarks
- The office of the Deputy Speaker is a constitutional necessity, not a political choice. Its prolonged vacancy violates the spirit of the Constitution and undermines democratic norms.
- The issue calls for urgent correction to restore institutional balance and ensure the proper functioning of the Lok Sabha in accordance with constitutional values.
Source: TH