Role of Speaker
Who is a speaker of the Lok Sabha?
The Speaker of the Lok Sabha is the presiding officer of the Lok Sabha, the
lower house of the Parliament of India.
Article 94:: The Speaker of the Lok Sabha shall be chosen from amongst the
members of the house and shall vacate his/her office when he/she ceases to
be a member of the house.
What is the role of the Speaker in Parliamentary
democracy?
The Speaker of the Lok Sabha is the highest authority in the lower house of
the Parliament of India, the Lok Sabha.
Some of the specific roles and responsibilities of the Speaker of the Lok
Sabha include
• Presiding over the proceedings of the Lok Sabha: The Speaker is
responsible for chairing the sessions of the Lok Sabha and ensuring
that the debates and discussions are conducted in an orderly and
respectful manner.
o The Speaker has the authority to rule on points of order and
to enforce the rules of the parliament.
• Acting as a spokesperson for the Lok Sabha: The Speaker is often called
upon to represent the Lok Sabha and to speak on behalf of the Lok
Sabha in public or at international events.
• Maintaining the impartiality of the Lok Sabha: The Speaker is expected
to be neutral and unbiased in discharging his or her duties, and to
ensure that all members of the Lok Sabha are treated fairly and
equally.
• Ensuring the transparency and accountability of the Lok Sabha: The
Speaker is responsible for ensuring that the proceedings of the Lok
Sabha are open and transparent and that the public has access to
information about the work of the Lok Sabha.
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• Playing a key role in the legislative process: The Speaker has a number
of duties related to the passage of legislation, including assigning bills
to committees, deciding on the order in which bills are considered,
and certifying the final text of bills before they are presented to
the President for assent.
• Representing the Lok Sabha in its relations with other parliamentary
bodies and institutions.
Overall, the Speaker plays a vital role in the functioning of parliamentary
democracy by ensuring that the parliament operates in an orderly,
transparent, and accountable manner.
What are functions performed by the Speaker?
Some of the major functions performed by the speaker are
Article 95 The Speaker shall preside over the sittings of the Lok Sabha and shall
maintain order and decorum in the house.
Article 96 The Speaker shall have the right to take part in the proceedings of the
house and to speak in any sitting of the house or of any committee of the
house of which he/she is a member, but shall not have the right to vote in
the first instance
Article 97 The Speaker shall be responsible for the certification of money bills and
financial bills, and shall have the power to direct that any other bill be
treated as a money bill or a financial bill.
Article 100 The Speaker shall have the casting vote in the event of a tie in the voting
in house.
Table- Major functins of the Speaker as given in the Indian Constitution
1. Interpretation of rules: The Speaker also has the power to interpret
the rules of procedure and conduct of business in the house and to rule
on points of order.
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2. Ceremonial Duties: The Speaker also performs ceremonial duties,
such as receiving foreign dignitaries and representing the Lok Sabha
at national and international events.
3. Appointing chairperson of committees: The speaker appoints
committees and chairpersons of committees and refers matters to
committees for consideration.
4. Other functions: Performing such other duties and functions as may
be prescribed by the rules of procedure of the Lok Sabha or as may be
assigned to the Speaker by the President of India or the Parliament.
What are the issues surrounding the office of the Speaker?
While the Speaker is generally expected to be neutral and unbiased in the
discharge of his or her duties, there have been instances where the office of
the Speaker has faced criticism and controversy.
Some of the criticisms that have been raised in relation to the office of the
Speaker are
• Partisanship: There have been instances where the Speaker has been
accused of being partisan or biased towards a particular political party
or ideology.
o This can compromise the impartiality and neutrality of the
office, and undermine the credibility and integrity of the
Speaker.
• Use of Discretion: There have been instances where the Speaker has
been accused of using his discretion in an arbitrary or biased manner.
o This can lead to perceptions of unfairness or lack of
transparency in the decision-making process.
o Example: Kihoto Hollohan v. Zachilhu and Others (1992): The
Supreme Court held that the Speaker must act impartially and
without bias while disqualifying a member. Further, the decision
of the Speaker is under judicial review.
• Handling of disruptions: The Speaker is responsible for maintaining
order and decorum in the Lok Sabha, and there have been instances
where the Speaker has faced criticism for his or her handling of
disruptions in the Lok Sabha.
• Relations with the media: The Speaker is expected to be the
spokesperson of the house, and there have been instances where the
Speaker has faced criticism for his or her relations with the media and
for not providing sufficient information to the media about the
proceedings of the house.
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• Handling of disqualification cases: The Speaker is responsible for
deciding on cases of disqualification of members of the house, and
there have been instances where the Speaker has faced criticism for
his or her handling of such cases.
o Example: Karnataka MLAs disqualification case, 2019: The
Supreme Court recommended the Parliament to amend the
Constitution regarding the role of the Speaker as a quasi-judicial
authority while dealing with disqualification petitions.
What steps can be taken to make the office of the Speaker
more effective?
The Office of the Speaker in India is a living and dynamic institution that
deals with the actual needs and problems of Parliament in performing its
functions.
To make it more effective following international examples can be looked
into:
• United Kingdom: To ensure the office's impartiality, the Speaker of the
House of Commons in the United Kingdom is traditionally required to
resign from his or her political party upon being elected to the
position.
• Canada: The Speaker in Canada has the authority to call ministers to
appear before the house to answer questions and to hold
investigations into matters of public concern.
o This could expand the Speaker's oversight role over the
executive branch and hold it accountable to parliament.
Overall, while the office of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha is an important and
respected constitutional position, it is not immune to criticism and
controversy, and it is important for the Speaker to ensure that he or she is
fair, impartial, and transparent in the discharge of his or her duties.
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