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?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) 1 and 3 only
Rule 8 of the Lok Sabha Rules lets the Speaker fix the date of the Deputy Speaker's election, and under Article 95 the Deputy Speaker acts as Speaker when presiding, with the Chair's full authority. No rule reserves the post for any party, and the election motion is moved by members, not by the Speaker.
- ✓ 1. Rule 8(1) of the Lok Sabha procedure rules says the election of a Deputy Speaker is held on a date the Speaker fixes, and the Secretary-General notifies every member.
- ✗ 2. Neither Article 93 nor the Rules restrict the post to any party. Giving it to the opposition has been a practice in many Lok Sabhas, not a legal requirement.
- ✓ 3. Under Article 95 the Deputy Speaker performs the Speaker's duties when the office is vacant, and Rule 10 of the Lok Sabha Rules gives the Deputy Speaker, when presiding, the same powers as the Speaker, so his rulings carry the Chair's authority.
- ✗ 4. Under Rule 8(2) any member gives notice of a motion that another member be chosen Deputy Speaker, and a third member seconds it. The Speaker presides over the election and does not move the motion.
Remember · Deputy Speaker: elected under Article 93 on a date fixed by the Speaker (LS Rule 8); acts as Speaker under Article 95; opposition claim to the post is only convention.
Sources
- Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha (Lok Sabha Secretariat, sansad.in), Rule 8: Election of Deputy Speaker ↗ “The election of a Deputy Speaker shall be held on such date as the Speaker may fix, and the Secretary-General shall send to every member notice of this date. … any member may give notice in writing, addressed to the Secretary-General, of a motion that another member be chosen as the Deputy Speaker of the House and the notice shall be seconded by a third member … shall, when so presiding, have the same powers as the Speaker when so presiding”
- Constitution of India, Article 95 (Legislative Department, Government of India) ↗ “(1) While the office of Speaker is vacant, the duties of the office shall be performed by the Deputy Speaker or, if the office of Deputy Speaker is also vacant, by such member of the House of the People as the President may appoint for the purpose.”
- Lok Sabha (Digital Sansad): Frequently Asked Questions ↗ “Who presides over the Lok Sabha when the Speaker is absent from the sitting of the House? The Deputy Speaker presides over the Lok Sabha when the Speaker is absent from the sitting of the House.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2022, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·