Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha

Why in News?

• Parliament has been functioning without a deputy speaker, a post usually held by the main Opposition party, for nearly four years.

About Deputy Speaker:

• History:
  • The institutions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker originated in India in 1921 under the provisions of the Government of India Act of 1919(Montague-Chelmsford Reforms).
  • In 1921, Frederick Whyteand Sachidanand Sinha were appointed by the Governor-General of India as the first Speaker and the first Deputy Speaker (respectively) of the Central Legislative Assembly.
  • At that time, the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker were called the President and Deputy President, respectively, and the same nomenclature continued till 1947.
  • Mavalankarand Ananthasayanam Ayyangar had the distinction of being the first Speaker and the first Deputy Speaker (respectively) of the Lok Sabha.
• Constitutional Provision w.r.t. Office of Deputy Speaker:
  • Article 93of the Constitution says that the House of the People (Lok Sabha) shall choose two members of the House to be, respectively, Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
  • The article also says that when the office of Speaker/Deputy Speaker becomes vacant, the House shall choose another member to be Speaker or Deputy Speaker.
• Election of Deputy Speaker:
  • Like the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker is also elected by the Lok Sabha itself from amongst its members.
  • He is elected after the election of the Speaker has taken place.
  • The date of election of the Deputy Speaker is fixed by the Speaker.
• Term of Office:
  • Like the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker remains in the office usually during the life of the Lok Sabha. However, he may vacate his office earlier in any of the following three cases –
    • if he ceases to be a member of the Lok Sabha;
    • if he resigns by writing to the Speaker; and
    • if he is removed by a resolution passed by a majority of all the then members of the Lok Sabha. Such a resolution can be moved only after giving 14 days’ advance notice.
• Role/Power of Deputy Speaker:
  • The Deputy Speaker performs the duties of the Speaker’s office when it is vacant.
  • He also acts as the Speaker when the latter is absent from the sitting of the House. In both cases, he assumes all the powers of the Speaker.
  • Deputy Speaker is not subordinate to the Speaker. He is directly responsible to the House.
  • He also presides over the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament in case the Speaker is absent from such a sitting.
  • The Deputy Speaker has one special privilege, that is, whenever he is appointed as a member of a parliamentary committee, he automatically becomes its chairman.
  • When the Speaker presides over the House, the Deputy Speaker is like any other ordinary member of the House. He can speak in the House, participate in its proceedings, and vote on any question before the House.