📘 Q.9 IAS Prelims 2022 — Polity & Governance: Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha
🧷 Authentic Classroom Explanation by IAS Monk
📍 The Question:
With reference to Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha, consider the following statements:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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?
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 1, 2 and 3
(c) 3 and 4 only
(d) 2 and 4 only
✅ Correct Answer: (a)
🔎 Curiosity Raiser (UPSC trap)
UPSC is testing whether you can separate constitutional provisions, rules of procedure, and mere conventions.
The danger lies in treating conventions as mandatory rules.
🧠 Core Concept Tested
Articles 93–94, Rules of Lok Sabha, and powers of the Deputy Speaker
🔍 Classroom Explanation (UPSC Prelims Focused)
Statement 1 ✅
- Under the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha,
the Speaker fixes the date for the election of the Deputy Speaker. - In practice, this is done soon after the Speaker’s election.
👉 Statement 1 is correct.
Statement 2 ❌
- There is no constitutional or statutory mandate that the Deputy Speaker must belong to the ruling party or the principal opposition.
- Offering the post to the opposition is a convention, not a rule.
👉 Statement 2 is incorrect.
Statement 3 ✅
- When presiding over the House, the Deputy Speaker enjoys the same powers as the Speaker.
- No appeal lies against the rulings of the Deputy Speaker while presiding.
👉 Statement 3 is correct.
Statement 4 ❌
- Article 93 provides that the House elects the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
- There is no constitutional or procedural rule that:
- the motion must be moved by the Speaker, or
- seconded by the Prime Minister.
👉 Statement 4 is incorrect.
❌ Why the final answer is (a)
- Statements 1 and 3 are correct.
- Statements 2 and 4 are incorrect.
- Hence, option (a).
📘 Enrich Notes (Prelims Value Add)
- Article 93 → Election of Speaker and Deputy Speaker by the House
- Article 94 → Resignation addressed to Deputy Speaker / Speaker respectively
- Deputy Speaker’s powers → Same as Speaker while presiding
- Opposition convention → Political practice, not legal compulsion
📌 Prelims Recall Line
Deputy Speaker’s power is constitutional; his party affiliation is conventional.
🧘♂️ IAS Monk Whisper
In Parliament, authority comes from the Chair,
not from the party.